HH Sheikha Moza visits WISE Award finalist project in India

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, took time from an official 3-day state visit to India where she was accompanying His Highness the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, to visit an innovative education project in New Delhi with links to Qatar.

The project, ‘Teach for India’, a nationwide movement which aims to bridge the education gap in India by placing ‘Fellows’ - top college graduates and young professionals - in low-income schools to teach full-time for two years, was a finalist of the 2010 WISE Awards in 2010. 

The WISE Awards recognize and showcase innovative educational projects around the world which are making a positive impact on their communities.  Her Highness founded the World Innovation in Education Summit (WISE) in 2009 and it was launched by Qatar Foundation as a global platform dedicated to the supporting, nurturing and promoting of innovation in education by harnessing expertise across multiple sectors.

Visiting the Krishan Garh primary school in New Delhi where ‘Teach for India’ Fellows are working, Her Highness first sat with a group of 5-6 year olds to help them with their practice in reading in English.  Many of the school children in low-income schools are several years behind their current grade level but with the input of the Fellows, their skills-growth on average increases by at least 1.5 years.

Her Highness then met with several of the Fellows themselves who were teaching in schools in New Delhi and heard how each of them had come to the project. When Jagnoor Singh Grewal, 26, wanted to join ‘Teach for India’ for two years, he resigned his position as an Analyst Developer at top investment bank Goldman Sachs with no guarantee his place would be left open for him afterwards. Asked by Her Highness as to what inspired him to give up his corporate life to teach in a low-income school, he replied,

‘Nothing is as rewarding to me as seeing the transformation of each of my pupils into individuals equipped with knowledge’.

India has always been a key country for WISE and is generating many exciting innovations in learning.  Since its inception in 2009, there have been eight Indian projects which have been recognised by WISE for their excellence through the WISE Awards – seven finalists and one WISE Award winner.  Seeing one of the projects for herself was an ‘eye-opening’ experience for Her Highness who concluded her time with the Fellows and staff of ‘ Teach for India’ by saying,

“Once I am back in Qatar I would like to share your infectious enthusiasm and positive attitude that I witnessed here today with our students and graduates’.