31 July 2008

Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata: An Indian campaign to recruit volunteer teachers has received 55,000 applications in just one month.

Achieving universal primary education is one of the UN's eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The 'Teach India' campaign aims to address the issue in a country where a third of the population remains illiterate and perhaps 42 million children from ages 6 to 10 do not attend school.

Run by the Times of India newspaper with the support of UNV, 'Teach India' is mobilizing people to volunteer two hours per week to teach underprivileged children and adults. UNV is providing four Indian national UNV volunteers – placed in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai – to help match the volunteers with the NGOs that need them. The UNV volunteers will also liaise with schools, the private sector and other partners, and contribute general expertise on volunteering.

Recruitment of volunteer teachers began in July, and by the close of applications three weeks later 88,710 people had written in, of whom 55,035 submitted completed forms. As well as promotion within the Times of India newspaper itself, there was a high-profile media campaign, including a television advert featuring Bollywood film star Aamir Khan.

Since there were many times more applications than expected, the volunteers will be divided into three batches. The first group of 10,000 are now being assigned to NGOs, and the second and third groups will start later, committing to three months of teaching from October 2008 or January 2009.

"Teach India is certainly the largest campaign of its kind," says UNV India Programme Officer Adeline Aubry. "It has given ordinary Indians the unique and spontaneous chance to channel their willingness and desire to do something good for the country through volunteering."

The volunteers are not required to have any teaching experience, but must simply possess the skills and motivation necessary to conduct the basic education sessions. Many of the applicants are first-time volunteers; there is also a high proportion of students and women. Significant numbers of the volunteers are graduates in full-time employment, with engineers making up the largest single group.

The private sector initiative has attracted major affiliates including Nokia, Barclays, Ernst and Young, as well as Indian multinationals, including Reliance, Aditya Birla Group, Tata Consultancy Services among many others.

Senior executives, such as Lalit Malik, Vice-President of American Express has been volunteering to teach a classroom of students aged 4 to 13. "The kids are fast learners," he remarked. "I have earlier taught MBA students but I can tell you that this experience is very enriching."