Overview:
The dropout rate of children enrolled in Municipal Schools is a cause of concern in the battle against illiteracy. A majority of these children are first generation learners with little or no support at home. Study classes run by us offer students in class I-IV extra tuition and help in order to cope with school.

Facilities:
We have two study centers. In 2002 we started the Dada Paranjpe Abhyasika, in Dattawadi. Then in August 2003, we started the Ernst and Young study center in the Shivaji Housing Society near Senapati Bapat Road. The study center in Dattawadi, a slum area, has now existed for five years.
We run about 25 study classes with 500 students enrolled. Classes are often run in makeshift locations made available or rented from individuals or local institutions. We have also had success in running these classes on the premises of the Municipal schools.

Activities:
Teachers go over the school curriculum, giving children who find the regular school pace difficult, a second chance. Additional material and methods are used to reinforce basic reading and writing skills. Children are helped with school exercises and exam related material. Some study classes run in the Municipal schools are held during school hours specifically for those requiring extra help.

Future:
We are always making an effort to find the children that need extra help as well as ways to improve the program. We are finding ways to help teachers that run these classes through training programs. We will continue to work closely with the schools so that we can identify the students that need help.

Support:
UNICEF and InterAide have supported our programs in Mumbai. In Pune our support has come from Educate the Child. The Bombay Community Public Trust has funded our classes that are run in conjunction with the Colaba Municipal School. You can help by providing work books, stationery and notebooks and in other ways.