Grade 8 student Arpita Dede spent many of her primary educational years outdoors. Simply because the blackboard and the classroom teaching didn’t make much sense to her. Being out playing and participating in sports felt more relatable. What could the books offer to her in such a boxed way? 

While speaking of how ILF’s digital learning initiative transformed her school life, she states, “I have been in the same government school since grade 1. I never topped any of my class, wasn’t much into studies, and forever wanted to participate in physical outdoor activities. Books didn’t have much to offer to me at the beginning. I would often doze off in class. That somehow changed during grade 8 when I was exposed to digital learning.”

The same Arpita who preferred staring at the sky to knowing a thing or two about what lies beyond it, pays attention to talks of the galaxies and the Milky Way. 

“My favourite subject now is science, especially topics related to astronomy. I am fascinated by the vast universe, the Milky Way, galaxies, and everything else it holds that we may or may not know of. And I want to keep finding out more about that outer world,” she explains. 

Arpita isn’t alone here. Many bright minds often succumb to strenuous, competitive, and limiting teaching ways that focus on end results rather than the process of gaining knowledge and activating the ability to reason.  

ILF’s Improving Education program has ensured that several government schools across India provide their children access to eLearning tools. Arpita explains the difference with an example. “In books, through text and diagrams, we were taught that Earth and other planets revolve and move in one direction. But when I saw the planets through a video, I learnt that they also move in an upward direction,” she states while claiming that digital learning is the new pillar of education and everybody must have access to it. 

Access to the right resources can help in uplifting those who do not have any. Young Arpita wishes to work for the Indian government some day and serve her people, especially those whose hardships she can relate with, and offer access to resources when need be.