The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : British Airways to support trust

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 17, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

British Airways to support trust

Staff Reporter

Bangalore: British Airways as a part of its corporate social responsibility has announced support to Sivasri Charitable Trust of Bangalore with "Sikshana", an integrated programme to facilitate construction of an additional classroom. It is supporting payment of salaries to supplementary teaching staff in nine of the schools adopted by the trust.

According to E.S. Ramamurthy, Chairman of Sivasri Charitable Trust, the programme gives the maximum leverage in terms of cost and benefit. At Rs. 20,000 per annum for a school of 250 children, it is a cost-effective model for the public education system at the primary level. "The funding of British Airways is to help validate the concepts of this pilot project. It is a zero overhead programme in which all the funds are passed on to the children," he said.

According to Radhika Raikhy, spokesperson of British Airways, the airline has supported community and conservation projects around the world and offered assistance to programmes across its route network focussing on the key themes of education and youth development. In India, British Airways has been supporting various projects and the support to Sivasri coincides with its commencement of direct flight services to London from Bangalore.

"Sikshana" is a unique effort and aims at improving learning levels in the primary schools under the public education system, with quantitative targets and time schedules. These are achieved through wide ranging motivational efforts and adoption of modern management concepts. The programme aims at evolving a sustainable and replicable model in the long run for the mainstream education system.

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