In January 2011, The MCGM (Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai) School Excellence Program (SEP), funded by UNICEF, has been started to raise the quality of education in the city’s civic schools. McKinsey is partnering with MCGM on overall programme design and programme management of SEP. The pilot programme consists 100 schools across Marathi, Urdu and Hindi mediums. The program is expected to reach over 250 schools covering about 3500-4000 teachers and about 250 headmasters, and impacting over 1,00,000 children, across mediums by end of 2011.

The program consists of 5 main initiatives which are together expected to significantly improve student learning:

• ·         Training headmasters to be “school CEOs” rather than administrative in-charges through role changes as well as on-the-job support through coaches. An initiative run by Kaivalya Education Foundation


• ·         Introduction of an activity-based, child-centred method of learning in classrooms that are run by Naandi Foundation for Urdu medium schools and Rishi Valley Education center for Hindi and Marathi medium schools.


• ·         Training and coaches in a “field-and-forum” manner; i.e. with significant on-the-job support through coaches from within the system. An initiative by Naandi Foundation for urdu schools and Save the Children foundation for Hindi and Marathi medium schools.


• ·         Regular assessment of student learning carried by Educational Initiatives Pvt Ltd 


• ·         Reduction of administrative load of teachers and headmasters is being implemented by Tata consultancy services

 As part of the pilot programme, 100 teachers and 30 headmasters from BMC’s Hindi, Marathi and Urdu medium schools have been trained to be collaborators or ‘Sahayogis’ in pedagogy and in group- and activity-based teaching methods between September and October 2010. While the teacher collaborators will train 1,000 more teachers in teaching methods, the headmaster collaborators will train about 120 headmasters.