LIFE - Mission

Despite the fact that India has highly competent human resources and a firm base in information and communication technologies (ICT), India has more Illiteracy today when compared to other nations. Inspite of the major strides taken by the government over recent decades, analysis shows that more than 25% (59 million school-aged children) of the children are not getting primary education and a larger number of youth received little or no schooling at all. Another dimension of concern is the quality of education in India. Those who go to school are not even guaranteed with education. It is not because of relative lack of ICT resources and access in the schools for poor but because of poor basic amenities, and teachers don't have any incentives to perform.

In light of these facts, there is a growing concern for universal basic education. LIFE seeks to improve the basic skills, literacy and entry vocational skills of out-of-school youth and deserving students in poor communities. To be precise, LIFE will focus primarily on assisting the youth and the primary school dropouts who seek to re-enter the regular primary cycle of schooling, others who had never attended the school and those in alternative schools or youngsters in continuing and vocational education programs. To achieve these goals, LIFE will employ the innovative and cost-effective ICT tools and methodologies to improve the quality of teaching and learning in basic and vocational education, and to assist community members in obtaining information resources that can improve their daily activities. At the same time, it is expected that our teacher incentive program of LIFE will have an important impact on school teachers as well as those who work in continuing and vocational/technical education.

A key assumption of the LIFE is that literacy divide is not purely one of access to hardware, but rather an education and skills divide separating the rich and the poor. Thus, literacy need to be simultaneously addressed with information and instructional resources that can be delivered via ICTs in a culturally appropriate manner for low cost, and with high quality, than has been possible heretofore. In order to meet this broad target, the LIFE includes four components of implementation:

(1) To improve basic education, literacy, and entry level vocational education for school children with incentive to both performing teacher and students.

(2) Implementation of ICT-supported services to disadvantaged regions.

(3) Creation of community learning and technology centers (CLTCs) for social and economic information resources and lifelong learning.

(4) Helping deserving students in their higher vocational studies.

To achieve synergy and cost efficiencies, LIFE will take the form of a collaborative partnership. At the official level we seek to provide major part of ICT infrastructure to school, which will be use in and after school and weekend hours to support learning and information resources for the poor.