Last Updated on: 1 January 2012
Bihar, by most key indicators, is one of the poorest states in India. Literacy rates, especially for women, are the lowest in the country. The state is ranked last in the education Development Index (EDI) developed by the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA).Dropping out, repetition of grades and low learning ability stops or severely impedes children’s successful transition from one level of schooling to another. The low quality of classroom processes is reflected in low learning levels at the primary level where percent of Grade 5 children cannot read Grade 2 texts (Annual Status of Education Report, 2010). The need for quality education for children emerged as a key demand during consultations between the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) in India and communities in Bihar. Community members expressed a strong desire to educate their children and improve the quality of their existing lives. It is in this context that Learning Support Centres (LSCs) were jointly conceived and initiated by the Aga Khan Foundation and the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India) [AKRSP(I)]. Implemented in the Muzaffarpur and Samastipur Districts of Bihar by AKRSP(I), Learning Support Centres cater to the educational needs of rural children from marginalised and disadvantaged communities.