Integrating ICT in School Education: a Case of Pratham Info Tech Foundation, India

In the scorching and sultry heat of a Mumbai summer Prem Yadav, the Director of Pratham Info Tech Foundation (referred to as the Foundation), Mumbai, India and his team were busy teaching basic computer skills to students attending a school for children raised in poor households. These children were stumbling at every stage. Classrooms were very small and congested. Electricity supply was erratic. Software products were available only in English and were not compatible with the hardware. Schools and teachers were unenthusiastic if not wary of the additional burden put on them. This was the situation in spite of the fact that for four years since 1998, Prem and his team had tried everything to integrate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in 54 Municipal Corporation schools, (schools run by the civic body that governs the city) started mainly for unprivileged children. The team enjoyed moderate success, but the overall impact was small.