Millions of children in India go to school but struggle to learn even the basics. Many young people leave education without the skills they need to find work. Too many women never get the chance to finish school at all.

Over 100 million children in India can't read or write.

Founded in 1995, Pratham is one of India’s largest and most respected education NGOs.

Our mission is simple: every child in school and learning well.

Over the last 30 years, we’ve reached over 75 million children and young people across India. We work in 23 states and union territories, and our approach is now being adapted in more than 20 countries around the world.

What we do

Foundational learning:

Our flagship Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach helps children catch up on the basics in reading and maths — often for the very first time. We also support children in early years and those in vulnerable situations, including children with disabilities and those out of school.

Skilling young people:

We offer practical training in sectors like healthcare, hospitality and digital services to help young people prepare for jobs, apprenticeships and self-employment. Over 200,000 young people have been trained so far.

Second Chance for women:

Our Second Chance programme helps women who left school to return to learning, gain confidence and complete their secondary education. More than 50,000 women have taken part so far.

In the words of Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee,