Abstract

CBPS conducted a feasibility study for Room to Read, an education-focused nonprofit organization, in the areas of literacy and girls’ education. Since 2003, Room to Read has helped set up libraries in government schools, trained teachers on literacy instruction, and provided material, academic, and life skills support to girls. The feasibility study aimed to map the educational landscape in Karnataka to support a potential expansion of Room to Read’s operations in the state.

This report details the findings of the CBPS study. It discusses the educational background of Karnataka, identifying inefficiencies and the characteristics of the government schooling system. The report then discusses theories of reading and literacy, discussing the interdependence of reading on other components of language and other broader theories on reading acquisition and development. The report reviews the schemes currently in practice by both state and non-state actors in Karnataka on reading and learning across Karnataka and in some specific districts, as well as interventions practiced that have targeted school-age children for the same. It also details some observations made by the team as part of their fieldwork, before detailing its recommendations for Room to Read, or for any organisation looking to make inroads into this particular subject area.

Jha, J., Maithreyi, R., Minni, P., Ghatak, N., Padmanabhan, S., & R, S. (2017). Scoping study for starting interventions in Karnataka for Room to Read. Bengaluru: Centre for Budget and Policy Studies.