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A million school children to benefit from USAID’s ‘RightToRead’ initiative
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and EnglishHelper have launched the project ‘RightToRead’ to improve the reading levels…
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and EnglishHelper have launched the project ‘RightToRead’ to improve the reading levels of one million schoolchildren in India.
The Boston-based company EnglishHelper has developed a sophisticated computer-based technology platform that can verbalize any text, including students’ textbooks, and uses a multi-sensory approach to improve students’ retention, help develop vocabulary, enable comprehension and pronunciation.
Under the project ‘RightToRead’, USAID will assist EnglishHelper in deploying this innovative digital reading tool in 5,000 government schools across eight states in the country. The project will be rolled out in these schools by leveraging the existing computer labs setup by IL&FS Education and the American India Foundation.
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Announcing the project, Ambassador Jonathan Addleton, USAID Mission Director to India, said: “The Governments of the United States and India firmly believe that education is a pathway to better opportunities for individuals, communities, and nations. RightToRead is based on this shared value and our shared goal to give every child in India the opportunity to complete his or her basic education and contribute significantly to the country’s economic growth.”
Commenting on the partnership, Sanjay Gupta, CEO, EnglishHelper said, “According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2014, only 48.1 percent children in Class 5 could read a Class 2 textbook. RightToRead is a multi-stakeholder alliance bound together with a common vision – to provide a scalable and effective solution to achieve literacy for every child in the country. We are seeking to demonstrate that technology-enabled reading support is a compulsory opportunity that can make a real difference.”
EnglishHelper offers unique technology solutions to improve English language proficiency. EnglishHelper solutions are used by schools, higher education students, vocation training centres, companies, and individuals from all walks of life.