KATHA LAB SCHOOL (popularly known in the community as KATHA KHAZANA), is the National Institute of Open School (NIOS) accredited low-cost community school, was started in 1990 in the Govindpuri slum clusters of New Delhi, offering high quality education to children ‘at risk’ starting from 3 months to 17 years old. The KATHA LAB SCHOOL, a centre for Innovations offering, apart from education, high quality care and skill based training to the students.  

The School provides:

1. Crèche and pre-school: Pre-schooling with focus on health, nutrition, immunization, and early learning.
2. K-12 schooling: Full school accredited by NIOS focuses on subjects Science, Social Science, English, Commerce, Arts, IT & Computer
3. Special needs education: Focuses on special needs of children ranging from motor skills, verbal and non-verbal communication, sanitary and other training for making them self-reliant.  
4. Vocational training: Provides vocational skills in Bakery, Tailoring, AC/Refrigeration, Carpentry etc. at early stages and ignite interest for other forms of employable skill set. 
5. IT and Robotics: To equip children for the future, school provides training in IT and Robotics integrated into their curriculum. Children develop Robotics models, IT enabled products such as apps and E-Commerce website.
6. Kala Nivas: The section focuses on activities in fine arts, theatre, music and dance and open doors for the employment.

The school focuses on the holistic development of the children using Katha’s innovative and specially developed methodology of imparting education through StoryPedagogy. Katha Relevant Education for All-round Development (KREAD) model integrates amalgamation of academic, vocational, IT and life skills imparted to all children to make the education creative, engaging and experiential. With skills in IT and vocational courses, the school provide the option to pursue dignified jobs and support their families. 100% pass percentage in the 10th and 12th board examination.

Highlights:

• Benefitted over 1 lakh beneficiaries so far
• 1,000 most at risk children enrolled annually with 50% girls
• Technology powered school focussing holistic education with an emphasis on digital and IT learning coupled with regular national curriculum
• A complete and practicing model of NEP 2020
• 95% average attendance
• 100% retention
• 100% students passed the NIOS board exams for Class X 
• 100% students passed the NIOS board exams for Class XII
• Early integration of IT, Robotics and vocational training to children through community based projects

Key Donors:

Per child cost for a year is INR 15,000

British Asian Trust, BT India, TATA Communications Ltd. CIANS Analytics, Divya Modi Tongya, Aviva Life Insurance, New Zealand High Commission, Barrington Education Initiative, Commonwealth Girls Education Fund, HDFC Bank, NTPC, ONGC, Yorkshire Building Society, Rotary Sweden

Katha Lab School

Katha-Lab-School_Report-by-Marmar-Mukhopadhyay