Janaki Rajan
Ashoka Fellow since 1994   |   India

Janaki Rajan

Retired - This Fellow has retired from their work. We continue to honor their contribution to the Ashoka Fellowship.
Janaki Rajan, working within the government school system to improve the quality of education and to increase the low pass rates of secondary school students, has a cadre of volunteer teachers working…
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This description of Janaki Rajan's work was prepared when Janaki Rajan was elected to the Ashoka Fellowship in 1994.

Introduction

Janaki Rajan, working within the government school system to improve the quality of education and to increase the low pass rates of secondary school students, has a cadre of volunteer teachers working together with regular teachers to supplement the curriculum, give one-on-one attention, and helpRead more

The New Idea

Janaki is working to change the quality of education that millions of children in India receive. For Janaki, that means working within the government school system because that is where the vast majority of Indian children receive their education. Working inside the public school system is alsoRead more

The Problem

India has made considerable progress since independence in expanding access to education, for urban and rural, rich and poor children, through government-run and -financed schools. However, as Janaki states, "Whether or not expanded education opportunities will translate into meaningfulRead more

The Strategy

Janaki began by targeting the tenth-year class in four schools, two in Hyderabad and two in Delhi. She is training a number of young volunteer students from teachers colleges in these cities to carry out her programs in these schools. These student-teachers not only act as an educationalRead more

The Person

Janaki has a graduate degree in education, psychology, and English. She began her career as a high school teacher and has steadily grown in her profession and experience, becoming a principal and curriculum consultant.She has established alternative public schools for low-income neighborhoods andRead more

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