321 Education Foundation
Established in 2011 under the Indian Trusts Act, 321 Education Foundation is on a mission to ensure that all children from underserved communities can read with understanding and solve basic Math problems.
- Gold Certified 2023
- 80G
- 12A
- CSR-1
About
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Headquarters
New Delhi, Delhi
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Since
2011
The 321 Education Foundation runs evidence-based, high-impact foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) programs that aim to bridge the learning gaps i Read moren students in grades 1-8. Our programs address all key stakeholders in a student’s life - teachers, school leaders and parents - for optimum impact. All our interventions are based on our own internally developed PARaM framework. 321’s PARaM has shown efficacy across different ecosystems – government schools, budget private schools, as well as after-school centres. PARaM incorporates all the aspects of structured pedagogy as recommended by UNICEF. The PARaM acronym stands for the key tenets explained below: PREPARE teachers to become experts across domains of teaching and learning. ASSESS teacher and student performance to chart the best learning & improvement paths. REMEDIATE classroom delivery gaps in teachers by providing them with better teaching-learning tools such as the remedial curriculum. And MOTIVATE teachers & students by celebrating both the efforts made and the goals met.
Issue
3.2.1 works with children aged 6 to 12 from underserved urban and semi-urban communities in India. While these children are enrolled in schools, they are not learning at grade level. A significant proportion struggles with foundational skills, particularly reading comprehension and basic mathematics, which are critical to their academic progression and future learning. This learning gap has been consistently highlighted in Annual Status of Education Reports (India) and continues to be one of the most pressing challenges in the Indian education system. This lack of foundational learning leads to a loss of confidence and a sense of defeat among children. As they fall further behind, they are at greater risk of disengagement from education, increased dropout rates, and missed opportunities for future skill-building. This learning crisis not only threatens the educational trajectories of individual children but also jeopardises the country’s broader aspiration to leverage its demographic dividend. Without urgent and sustained interventions to address foundational literacy and numeracy, a large portion of India’s youth risk being left behind in an increasingly knowledge-driven world.
Action
Our programs directly tackle classroom- and managerial-level challenges that hinder foundational learning among children in underserved communities. At its core is a structured pedagogy remedial curriculum designed to meet students at their current learning level and systematically support their progress toward grade-level proficiency in language and math. Our model is tailored to be implementable by a median teacher — someone with basic qualifications — with the right training and ongoing support. We provide all training and resources in the local language spoken by the teachers, which increases accessibility, understanding, and ownership. The program is designed to simplify decision-making for teachers through clear instructional routines, assessments, and classroom tools. Teachers receive continuous capacity-building under our teacher capacity-building program, through training, observation-based feedback, and structured support, enabling them to deliver effectively even in resource-constrained settings. We set clear student and classroom goals and track progress through baseline and endline assessments and classroom observations. The focus on engagement with parents via Parent-Teacher meetings and learning showcases builds a shared sense of accountability and progress. Our programs are also aligned with national education priorities such as the National Education Policy (NEP) and the NIPUN Bharat Mission, which have created urgency and momentum to address foundational learning challenges at scale.
Cause Area
Sector
Sub Sector
Impact
Through its various programs, 3.2.1 Education Foundation has helped improve foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes for nearly 3,00,000 students, built the capacity of nearly 25000 teachers and supported more than 2000 schools.
Vision & Mission
Mission: We seek to magnify the spirit of every educator and every school so they can magnify the spirit of every child.”
Vision : We exist to catalyze India's re-emergence as the golden bird
Donor History
Nisaba Godrej Foundation, Central Square Foundation, Ugam Solutions, Motivation for Excellence, HT Parekh Foundation
Programs
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Teacher Capacity Building Program
PARaM is a framework designed by 321 to make a sizable, meaningful contribution towards solving the foundational literacy and numeracy problem in the country. ur Teacher Capacity Building Program is an in-classroom, teacher-led program focused on achieving grade-level foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) outcomes for students in primary grades.
The program is hybrid in nature and leverages technology to build the capacity of teachers and ensure consistent monitoring and evaluation of teachers’ efforts and student learning. It is a combination of predominantly online teacher training & support, interspersed with a few on-site interventions.
The program purports to create an army of FLN proficient teachers who are able to help each and every child achieve grade-level proficiency in English and Math. We aim to reach and impact half a million students in the next 3-5 years. The program stands on four pillars - Prepare, Assess, Remediate and Motivate - to deliver student learning outcomes.
The incorporation of technology in the capacity building of teachers through online content and tools is transforming the way teachers teach and students learn. A teacher who is comfortable with the usage of technology for her professional development is also capable of engaging students more dynamically. It is clear that teachers plus technology are playing a critical role in the future of education, and they will continue to shape the way we learn and grow. -
321 Remedial Learning Program
321's FLN Remedial Learning Program is an educational framework crafted to address foundational gaps in English and Mathematics for students in Grades 1 through 8. Developed by educators and curriculum specialists, this curriculum offers a practical solution to the challenges students face in mastering critical competencies in these subjects.
Key Features :
Workbooks: The curriculum provides workbooks for Grades 1-3 and Grades 4-8, focusing on English and Mathematics. These workbooks are meticulously designed to cover foundational concepts progressively, facilitating mastery for all students.Teacher Guides: Accompanying each workbook are comprehensive teacher guides with detailed lesson plans aligned with the worksheets' content. These plans integrate best practices in language and math pedagogy, equipping educators with the tools to support student learning effectively.
Step-by-Step Mastery: Unlike traditional textbooks, the 321's FLN Remedial Curriculum ensures step-by-step mastery by scaffolding learning experiences and gradually releasing responsibility to students. This fosters a deep and enduring understanding of core concepts.
Customised Practice: The workbooks offer customised practice tailored to students' levels, allowing them to consolidate their learning and progress independently. This personalised approach ensures every student receives the necessary support to succeed.
Transition to Higher Levels: Completion of the Grade 1-3 workbook prepares students for Grade 2 level proficiency in English and Mathematics, while the Grade 4-8 workbook readies them for Grade 5 level proficiency. This sets students up for success in subsequent grades.
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321 District Level Program
Some key addressable challenges based on our surveys of the schools in the districts, and discussions with government stakeholders are :
● Unequal distribution of teachers across schools, resulting in schools with just 1-2 teachers or multigrade classrooms.
● Teachers receive training, but this does not result in significant improvement in classroom practices.
● Data on student learning and other metrics is getting collected and collated effectively, but this is not utilised for ground-level decision making.
3.2.1 Education Foundation's District Level program addresses the challenges mentioned above towards improving FLN outcomes and teaching practices at the district level through
● Capacity building of district-level officials (CRCs, CACs, BRCs)
● Appointing and building the capacity of contract teachers to address the teacher shortage
Impact Metrics
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No. of Schools Supported Through 321's Param Interventions
Program Name
Teacher Capacity Building Program, Student Remedial Program, District Level Program
Year-wise Metrics- 2024-25 506
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Number of Students Able to Read and Comprehend English at Grade Level and Able to Do Grade Level Math Problems
Program Name
Remedial Learning Program
Year-wise Metrics- 2022-23 8000
- 2023-24 15000
- 2024-25 25000
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No. of Teachers Supported Through District Level Interventions
Program Name
District Level Program
Year-wise Metrics- 2024-25 10000
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No. of Schools Supported Through 321's Param Interventions
Program Name
Teacher Capacity Building Program, Student Remedial Program, District Level Program
Year-wise Metrics- 2023-24 265
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Number of Teachers With Increased Proficiency in Facilitating Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
Program Name
Teacher Capacity Building Program
Year-wise Metrics- 2023-24 18000
- 2024-25 25000
Theory of Change
We aim to bring a long term impact through our FLN programs where teaching primary grades gains deeper respect and investment into teacher capacity building gains traction.
Milestones & Track Record
Established in 2011 under the Indian Trusts Act, 321 Education Foundation is on a mission to ensure that all children from underserved communities can read with understanding and solve basic Math problems.
To achieve this outcome, we run evidence-based, high-impact foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) program that aim to bridge the learning gaps in primary grade students. Our programs address all key stakeholders in a student’s life - teachers, school leaders and parents - for optimum impact.
Since inception, we have directly impacted over 25,000 teachers, 3,00,000 students and 2000 schools through our FLN focused programs .
With our training and learning program PARaM, 321 is at a pivotal stage of its growth with a mission to improve FLN skills for over half a million Indian children in Grades 1 to 5 by 2025; thus setting them on a path to effective learning in the immediate term and opening up equitable opportunities for economic advancement in the long term.
Leadership Team
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Malika Subramaniam
Associate Director - Program Implementation, Teacher Capacity and Student Remedial Program
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Viraj Surve
Lead - Program Design and Communications
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Samir Shaikh
Associate Director - District Level Program
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Anushree Pandey
Associate Director - Fundraising and Partnerships
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Nandita Shetty
Associate Director - People
Demographics & Structure
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No. of Employees
6-20
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Strength of Governing Body
3
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Diversity Metrics
50% women
M&E
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Internal, External Assessors
Yes
Policies
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Ethics and Transparency Policies
Yes
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Formal CEO Oversight & Compensation Policy
No
Political & Religious Declarations
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On Affiliation if any
No
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On Deployment Bias if any
No
Organisation Structure
Yes
Awards & Recognitions
Ashoka Fellowship and Echoing Green Fellowship to our Founder
Registration Details
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PAN Card
AAATZ0931H
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Registration ID
2415
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VO ID / Darpan ID
DL/2017/0168727
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12A
AAATZ0931HE20214
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80G
AAATZ0931HF20214
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FCRA
Not Available
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CSR Registration Number
CSR00000739
Other Details
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Type & Sub Type
Non-profit
Trust
Website
Financial Details
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2020-21
Program ExpensesRs.23,669,650Tip: Click on any value above to exclude it. -
2021-22
Program ExpensesRs.20,872,190Tip: Click on any value above to exclude it. -
2022-23
Program ExpensesRs.10,658,806Tip: Click on any value above to exclude it. -
2023-24
Program ExpensesRs.18,832,364Tip: Click on any value above to exclude it. -
2024-25
Program ExpensesRs.42,421,459Tip: Click on any value above to exclude it.