Sakshi Kumari, a Class 4 student in Munger, was on the verge of dropping out of school. She had lost interest in studies and spent most of her days roaming around in the village. Her parents, unaware of the importance of education and regular schooling, could not bring her back on track.

But things began to change when the Primary Education Learning Level Improvement Project, Munger was introduced in her school. Through regular home visits by the Education Accelerator and personalised attention, Sakshi gradually began to engage. She recalls, “Sohail Sir came to my house and spoke to my parents and me about my studies. That’s when my parents began to feel that someone really cared and education is worth pursuing.”

By July 2024, Sakshi had become a regular student again—and not just regular, but enthusiastic. She never misses a day now. “Earlier, I didn’t like coming to school. But now, I love attending the smart classes,” she beams.

The smart classrooms established under the Project, now enable Sakshi and her classmates to learn through visual content that brings their textbooks to life. “We see videos about the same chapters from our books. When we watch them, we understand better. Like when we learned about sources of water—the visuals made it so clear.”

The Project prescribed workbooks have also made a big impact. These workbooks are designed as self-learning module for students. “These books have activities, stories and drawings that help us in real life. There are interactive sections where we can paint and learn. Now, studying is an enjoyable experience for me. I even take my younger brother to attend the smart class,” she smiles while explaining.

Learning is now a community activity for Sakshi. She participates in group work, helps in the making of Teaching Learning Materials (TLMs) with her peers, and even helps other students who struggle. “If someone is having a hard time, we visit their homes for giving motivational support and talk to their parents. We want everyone to come to school.”

Sakshi’s mother has become a part of the Smart Mom Group, where teachers send daily homework to parents and follow up through calls if needed. The involvement of families, along with student-friendly teaching methods, has made the school environment more engaging and supportive.

From nearly dropping out to becoming a confident, active learner and motivator for others—Sakshi Kumari is a shining example of how the right support at the right time can transform a child’s mindset and consequently their future.

The Project has supported the establishment of 22 smart classrooms across government schools. The Project successfully helped in regularising 144 irregular students and re-enroll another 144 who had dropped out, bringing them back into the mainstream education system.