Make Education Hopeful: With a Desk and a School Bag

Access to quality education is a major concern in the Government Schools of rural India. Schools are considered as temples of learning. Yet, education in these schools does not promise a valuable learning experience. Quality of education is undoubtedly questionable.

I work in the remote village of Bhoola (Sirohi District) in Rajasthan with the government schools on education. Everyday, I travel to these schools to help the team implement study programs and actively engage the students.

The School (Rajkiya Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Akha Ji Ka Tiba) provides education to children from 1^st to 10^th standard. Due to lack of infrastructure, children from different classes are made to sit together and additional seating arrangements have been made in the corridor. During rains, there is severe water leakage from the roof, which results in children attending classes in the corridors. They sit on the floor as there are no tables or chairs in the school.

There are multiple aspects to achieve quality education. Infrastructure is not the only element to improve learning outcomes but we can’t ignore its importance.

After a month of spending time with students and seeing the conditions of the classrooms, I realized that children need a playful and learning environment. Along with that, they also needed proper tables and chairs to read/write in the correct posture which shouldn’t put stress on their back and eyes. Sitting for long hours with hunched back was adversely affecting their health and also straining their eyes. During the field visits, I observed that due to the poor financial conditions of these children’s families, they don’t even have tables at their homes to study after school. Most of them did not have a school bag. From there, began my search for options that could fulfill their basic need of carrying a school bag and studying on a table. The plan was to ensure a better study infrastructure to all the students both in school and at home.

Soon, I came across a unique product called DESKIT, designed by PROSOC. It is a portable desk that can be attached to school bags and can be used as desks, when required. It helps the students to improve their posture and motivates them to study well. They can also improve their handwriting.

Students in the corridor

Students in Classroom

Condition of the classroom

Good health goes a long way in supporting successful learning. Healthy children learn better, attend school regularly and take full advantage of every learning opportunity and thus, to explore and experiment with their ideas.

What is DESKIT

DESKIT is a School bag with an inbuilt and detachable study table. It is designed and developed by a social enterprise called PROSOC Innovators Pvt. Ltd. incubated at IIT Kanpur. It is a portable study companion for students to be used in both school and home. As mentioned, the table is detachable which means it can be used separately from the bag. It is also adjustable at two heights. Children will have better postures while reading and writing. They can use it at home which will enable them to study after school. Also, the majority of children do not carry school bags. So, this will help them in carrying their books safely, even during rains.

DESKIT (school bag with an inbuilt and detachable study table)

Students using DESKITs in a class. At present, DESKITs are being used by 5000 students across 8 different states in India. The expected average durability of DESKIT is 2 Academic Years. Of course, it also depends on the way a student handles it.

To know more, watch the videos:

For my school in Bhoola, the total number of DESKITs required is 310 for which I need Rs. 1,40,000. I’ve started a Crowdfunding Campaign on Bitgiving to raise money. Once I’m able to fund-raise, I have planned the following:

1.Orientation: The students will be oriented using a sample DESKIT which will demonstrate its importance and utility. Each student will practice writing on the table and they’ll be elated to finally own a bag.

2. Distribution: Children will be asked to pay an amount of Rs. 50 as a contribution so that they have a sense of ownership and use the DESKITs responsibly.

3. Parent Engagement: A Parent-Teacher Meeting (PTM) will be conducted where parents will be explained the advantages and need of DESKIT for their children to study well in school and at home.

Tentative Impact:

1. Motivation to study among students.
2. Enthusiasm to attend school among students.
3. Each student to have their personal table so that they can study after school.
4. Better sitting posture and viewing angle while studying.
5. Attendance level expected to increase by 5-10%
6. Learning outcome expected to increase by 5%

For Monitoring and Evaluation, detailed feedback will be taken from students and their parents after a month. Their thoughts on utility and purpose will be recorded.

I strongly believe that quality education is integral for a child’s development irrespective of where he/she is born. Children should not be deprived of this need just because they are living in a remote area. If you also believe in the cause, kindly support it by contributing to make it a reality for these children. Donate here: https://www.bitgiving.com/DeskitBagsSirohi