Gyan Shala provides high quality education at a low cost in urban slums. It operates mostly elementary schools (grades 1 to 3), but also has middle schools (grades 4 to 7) and a few high schools (grades 8 to 10). On completing the Gyan Shala module, more than 95% of children are mainstreamed in grade four in government-run or private schools. Starting with 10 classes in 2000, Gyan Shala has grown its elementary school program to over 1,100 classes, educating 12,000 children in Gujarat, 17,000 children in Bihar, 1,600 in West Bengal, and 1,600 in Uttar Pradesh.

The mission of Gyan Shala is to ensure the quality of basic education to the children from poor rural and urban families on par with what is available to high income or elite social groups.

Each Gyan Shala school is a single classroom with minimal infrastructure, run in small rented spaces for an average of 25 children per shift in two shifts. Gyan Shala’s elementary model has proven its effectiveness and is ready for rapid expansion wherever there is strong government support and substantial need for increasing capacity and quality of education.

EAC supports Gyan Shala’s plan to set up program in Gujarat and Bihar states. The project aims to provide 2,300 classes, with the aim of enrolling 68,200 over the course of four years.

For more information on this EAC implementing partner, please visit the Gyan Shala website.