Mumbai, April 8: The Pehlay Akshar Foundation unveiled its latest “English Room” here on Wednesday, marking a strategic expansion of a program designed to bridge the fluency gap in the state-run education system.
This launch, the 11th of its kind across Mumbai, Thane and Pune, represents a shift away from rote memorisation toward functional literacy, equipping students with practical language skills critical for higher education and employment.
Pehlay Akshar’s ‘English Room’ transforms the classroom into an interactive learning environment, using smart TVs, digital tools, and curated content to drive innovative teaching practices and hands-on, activity-based learning.
“Every child deserves to dream big,” said Radha Goenka, Founder of Pehlay Akshar Foundation and Director of RPG Foundation. “With the English Room, we are creating a learning environment where students’ dreams and voices can be nurtured in a language that opens doors to the world, breaking down barriers to education and growth.”
The intervention responds to findings from the ASER 2023 report, which shows that 46 percent of adolescents in Std X or below struggle to read basic English sentences. Of those who can read, nearly one in four are unable to understand the meaning.
Pehlay Akshar’s curriculum blends games, storytelling, and discussion-led methods to foster communication skills, creativity, and critical thinking. At its core is the ‘Magic Classroom’ approach, which prioritises safe, inclusive, and engaging learning environments for both students and teachers.
This initiative is part of the foundation’s broader commitment to improving literacy and educational outcomes across government schools in rural, semi-urban, and urban areas. So far, Pehlay Akshar has partnered with more than 2,000 government schools across four states, trained over 14,000 teachers, and impacted the lives of more than 5 lakh students.
