BYJU’S ‘Education for All’ Initiative has Impacted 3.4 Million Children

BENGALURU:
Reinforcing its commitment to create a far-reaching impact for students from underserved communities, BYJU’S flagship social impact initiative, Education for All (EFA), marks the one-year milestone of its launch. Within a year, the initiative has impacted 3.4 million children across 26 states and 340+ districts by making tech-driven education accessible, equitable, and possible for all. On the occasion of this momentous one-year anniversary, BYJU’S Education for All has revised its goals to empower 10 million children by 2025 through high-quality digital learning from 5 million which was decided at the launch of this initiative.

Since its launch, BYJU’S Education For All, through its partner NGOs, has been enabling children from rural areas and urban slums of India to get an equal opportunity to learn with access to BYJU’S free streaming licenses. It is focused on a vision to eliminate the digital divide across the country by empowering and enabling students with sufficient resources and fostering a comprehensive ecosystem of digital learning.

Through the EFA NGO partners and on-ground facilitators, students are now using the BYJU’S App as a primary mode of learning. This effort has witnessed phenomenal engagement and traction among children using the app. Additionally, girls form close to 50% of the beneficiaries of BYJU’S Education for All programs. According to an initial study by KPMG (SROI method), a whopping 75% continue to use the app for an average of 1 hour per day.

The study also reveals that:
● 57% of respondents continued to learn from the app due to interesting content that keeps them engaged and not because of any external pressure from parents or teachers
● 57% attributed their performance improvement to BYJU’S along with other factors (e.g teachers, parents, tuitions)
● Out of these 57%, 31% attributed this improvement solely to BYJU’S

On the annual milestone of Education for All (EFA), Divya Gokulnath, Co founder, BYJU’S, said, “EFA was born out of our dream to cultivate an equal opportunity education ecosystem. While the program was in its nascent stage, the COVID-19 pandemic shook the world, it challenged the foundation of our education ecosystem by forcing millions of schools to shut down. Our technology-first education tools helped us bridge the gaps widened by the pandemic. Through our ever-growing network of strategic NGO partners, we continue to provide quality education to millions of children across the remotest parts of India like Uri, Hailakhandi, Tirap, Bastar, and more. With each passing day, the number of children continues
to grow. It is heartwarming to know that we have been able to restore smiles on the faces of children. Every child we connect to education renews our commitment towards making quality education accessible and equitable. We believe that the young minds of the country possess immense talent, and with the right resources and support, we can together transform the future of India.”

Speaking about the partnership with BYJU’S, Matthew Joseph, Country Director, American India Foundation said, “The last two years have exposed the wide chasm between the connected and the unconnected, revealing hordes that are far behind on the digital uptake. Millions of students from underserved communities do not have the access to high-quality education, or the right resources, curriculum, and guidance to continue and scale their learning.

AIF’s partnership with BYJU’S aims to address such inequalities in digital readiness that further widen the digital divide and have significant development implications that cannot be ignored. This partnership has impacted thousands of students across different states in the last year and that is just the beginning. We hope that this association enables us to reach the length and breadth of this country and ensure that we do not leave those who are less digitally equipped even further behind in a post-pandemic world,”

For Riya Manoj Rathod, a bright student from class 9 and daughter of a daily wage worker in Ghatkopar’s Bhattwadi, the pandemic-induced school closure brought her academics to a halt. “I have always enjoyed learning and aspire to become a doctor. During the pandemic, it became very tough for me to continue studying since schools were shut and everything moved online. My father’s income was also impacted and owning a device for studying seemed like an impossible dream. BYJU’S EFA and Ratna Nidhi Foundation made that dream come true bygiving me and several others in my area free access to a tablet & BYJU’S self-study modules. Not just that, my family also received support for basic needs. I am now able to study with ease and convenience and pursue my dreams. I am thankful to BYJU’S for helping me continue learning,”

In the virtual world, access to a digital education can open a multitude of opportunities for young students to learn, explore and grow. The pandemic has further highlighted the need to bridge the existing digital divide within the country. The evolving landscape has led BYJU’S to scale EFA across the Indian states and foray into remote locations with intermittent internet connectivity and inadequate infrastructure. Through this initiative, BYJU’S has also partnered with over 110 Non-Profit Organizations such as Ladli Foundation in Uttar Pradesh, Save the Children, Smile Foundation, and European India Foundation to make education more accessible for underprivileged students in Telangana. BYJU’S is also closing working with NITI Aayog to provide high-quality test preparation coaching to 3,000 meritorious students across 112 aspirational districts of classes 10 and 11 who aspire to appear for NEET and JEE.

Through EFA, BYJU’S is working towards the democratization of education to enable every child with the opportunity to learn. The company is making this possible via tech-driven learning programs that empower children in the most remote geographies and underserved communities. The initiative aims to enhance every child’s potential through education and thereby fuel an entire nation’s journey towards transforming into a healthier and more prosperous society.