Azim Premji Schools are integral to our work in improving K-12 education in India
Safe, meaningful, inclusive – we envision schools as spaces with such qualities, and it is our endeavour to provide these to both children and educators. Azim Premji Schools are integral to our work in improving K-12 education in India. These demonstration schools give us an opportunity to practise what we advocate and assist in our work with government schoolteachers.
We believe that quality learning occurs when there is open communication, free expression, acknowledgement of shared resources, and sensitivity towards our environment and fellow beings. We strive to provide students and members of the staff with an environment free of fears, inhibitions, and social barriers.
We established the first Azim Premji School in 2012. We now have nine Azim Premji Schools (in Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand) in the following locations:
- Barmer, Rajasthan
- Bengaluru, Karnataka
- Dhamtari, Chattisgarh
- Kalaburagi, Karnataka
- Sirohi, Rajasthan
- Tonk, Rajasthan
- Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand
- Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand
- Yadgir, Karnataka
Our schools are affiliated to state education boards and follow the state curriculum. Teachers are encouraged to incorporate other resources. We have recently transitioned to English medium in our schools in a phased manner. We focus a great deal on ensuring children acquire foundational literacy and numeracy skills in early primary grades.
We conduct teacher professional development through a mechanism for regular sharing at our District Institutes and have a School Enabling Group, which facilitates the alignment of school processes to our larger vision.
Azim Premjii Schools
Our schools are free of cost, in keeping with our belief that education should be accessible to all. We welcome students from various socio-economic and religious backgrounds while encouraging people from local communities to enrol their children in our schools. At the moment, classes up to secondary are operational in a few schools and will eventually serve K-12 students.
A key aspect of our work is health and nutrition for children. We provide supplementary breakfast and lunch in our schools and conduct regular health check-ups for children. We also organise regular events to make parents aware of the diet and nutritional requirements of their children.
We consider parents as equal partners in the overall educational journey of their children, encouraging them to take an active interest in what the students learn both inside and outside the classroom. We also lay emphasis on good relationships between teachers and students, and the school and the community. We work on the latter through regular discussions with parents, home visits and community meetings.
