In this issue of the Learning Curve, the pros and cons of the voucher system are discussed and the value of arts in the school curriculum is elaborated upon. The book ​‘Escape from Childhood’, in which author John Holt advocates for a broader definition of childhood, inclusive of political and economic rights for children, is also reviewed.

In this issue of the Learning Curve, the importance of community participation in education is explored and we read about Bindooben, a highly remarkable teacher in Gujarat. Paulo Freire’s ​‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed’, in which the author delineates the incredible potency of education as a tool for liberation (genuine revolution of the people) and its capacity to dominate people, is reviewed.

In this issue of the Learning Curve, we explore the various obstacles standing in the way of equity in the Indian Education system. Factors responsible for low access to schooling of disadvantaged groups like the Scheduled castes and the minorities are discussed.

In this issue of the Learning Curve, Jean Dreze talks about the beneficial aspects of the Mid-day Meal Scheme and the Spastics Society of Karnataka elaborates on the accommodations and modifications required to integrate children with special needs into mainstream schools.

In this issue of the Learning Curve, updates of the Foundation’s programs and research studies are detailed in some length. An article on School Development Planning explores the benefits of training head teachers in devising plans for their schools.

In this issue of the Learning Curve, the tricky exercise of measuring learning is addressed by experts in the field and the much neglected area of Mathematics Education Research is discussed for its utility in diagnosing the difficulties students face in assimilating Mathematics.

In this issue of the Learning Curve, teacher absence in India, one of the Education system’s most insistent problems, is discussed and observations from Chinese Mathematics Classrooms are documented for their potential to serve as lessons for India.

In this issue of the Learning Curve, the utility of researches in the development sector is discussed along with the outcomes of two such research studies, namely, ​‘Factors differentiating the successful schools from others in the Learning Guarantee Program’ and ​‘Impact of Computer Aided Learning on Learning Achievements’.

The first issue of Learning Curve introduces the reader to the Foundation’s Accelerated Learning Program, the Learning Guarantee Program and the Computer Assisted Learning Centres.

The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented situation, which resulted in prolonged school closure in India and across the world. Schools were fully or partially closed in India for over two years, among the longest periods in any country. Governments responded as best as they could, primarily through enabling education using technology. However, given the nature of digital divide in the country and the lack of readiness of teachers, these efforts were suboptimal at best. Further, while face to face learning was not possible, some efforts at teacher-driven community-based learning were made. However well-meaning, these efforts could not prevent the loss of curricular learning for the period schools were closed as well as loss of learning or forgetting what had been learnt before schools were closed. At the same time, the efforts of teachers during these difficult times must be noted. Despite these severe unprecedented challenges during the pandemic, it was the concerted effort of engaged and motivated teachers that provided rays of hope. As frontline professionals who are the best positioned to understand, empathise, and devise innovative and consistent approaches to the challenges faced by the children who come to their schools, many teachers across the country showed how the seemingly insurmountable problems of the pandemic could also be addressed. Like other frontline workers across government departments, many engaged teachers across the country ignored the ​‘fear’ of the pandemic and took it as their professional calling to devise ways and means to stay connected with the children from their schools and communities, offering what they only can do to help children stay connected with schools and learning processes even during multiple adversities they were facing. This volume brings together a series of studies done during the pandemic. It is an attempt to document and to highlight the unique challenges of the situation as well as efforts to overcome these challenges.