TML has adopted a targeted approach for improving the scholastic performance and infusing confidence in children, which includes:
1. Instituting need based rolling scholarships/ financial supports for financially challenged students
2. Organizing support classes for difficult subjects for high school students
3. Value based life skills, sports and other co-curricular activities
4. Plugging gaps in infrastructure at schools
A conscious effort has been made to target the middle school level which has a dearth of resource and a significant representation of SC/ST communities, and a maximum school drop-out rate which is close to 50%. Nearly all of our Education interventions have been digitized.
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TML-Avanti, Jawahar Navoldaya Vidyalaya (JNV) IIT-JEE coaching Program is aimed at helping students from rural and/or financially underprivileged background, by creating opportunities for students interested in Science and Mathematics to qualify some of the world’s most difficult selection tests – JEE and NEET entrance exams for IIT and Medicine. This test preparation is expensive and unavailable in most Indian towns and cities. Through Avanti, TML helps JNV schools provide this essential service to their Science and Mathematics students. Several Avanti students from government schools have secured place among the top 500 students enlisted nationally in the IIT Joint Entrance examination. Students have also gone on to study on full scholarships at the world’s best universities including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While few in number, these examples provide students with hope, courage and aspiration for excellence; all of which can motivate them to strive harder and stay in Senior Secondary school.
Special Coaching classes involve a series of free supplementary tutorials given to underprivileged students (who cannot afford additional tuition fee) for subjects like English, Math and Science. The objective is to motivate students from 8th to 10th to take up higher studies by helping them improve scholastic performances. These classes are held across 191 Bombay Municipal Schools covering over 24000 students. Run in association with Global Education Trust (the CSR arm of erstwhile Mahesh Tutorials and now Zee Learning), this project has improved the pass percentage of BMC schools from 55% in 2014 to 74% in 2018.
Tata Motors along with the IIT Alumni Association conceptualised a unique self-perpetuating model in which the students who are given financial aid voluntarily donate back the amount (post getting a job) they once received from the institute; thereby creating self-revolving fund. TML is the first corporate in India to support IIT Bombay under AA for FAP program. Apart from financial support, senior leadership from Tata Motors mentored them.
Out of 111 students supported so far, 23 (21%) belong to SC/ST category. The graduated students have voluntarily donated back nearly 10% of the corpus created by Tata Motors to the alumni association. This marks the early beginning of the project on a self-sustaining mode and completes the circle.
With the help of TML, IITBAA similarly has replicated FAP at IIT Gandhinagar. Tata Samarth Scholarship programme – a joint collaboration between Tata Motors, Tata Communication and Tata Hendrickson began in 2014, and is supporting 31 SC/ST engineers from 5 engineering colleges, which is seeding the idea of a self-perpetuating model.
ASHA KIRAN, a school for special children housed in Jamshedpur that recognises the special talent in each child and sensitises the community about the needs of a differently-abled. The school is managed by the AIWC (All India Women’s Conference) – a women’s organisation formed by spouses of the employees at Tata Motors. The students are taught in the school till they attain an age of 20 years. The differently-abled children studying at Asha Kiran School are taught about life skill education to help them lead a normal life. Students at the school have also been able to show their skills across different fields like drawing, sports and performing arts at national and international levels. Thereafter they undergo a vocational skill training at the skilling center, START (Society for Technical Assistance and Remedial Teaching) to support their livelihoods.
Both Asha Kiran and START stress on the abilities of the students instead of their shortcomings and help them to become socially self-reliant. Jagri Kumari, a student at Asha Kiran School is hearing impaired. With improved social, vocational and self-care skills, she had represented India at the World Winter Games in Austria in 2017 and was recognised for her effort by the Chief Minister of the State.
