Meet 5 year old Shanvi, a student of MCD Co-Ed Primary School, Lajpat Nagar 3, New Delhi. Bubbly and cheerful, Shanvi always comes to school with a smile. But back in first grade, that smile hid a growing problem.
Shanvi was missing more than half of her school days. Because she wasn’t in class, she was falling behind. While her friends were starting to read, Shanvi was struggling to recognise even the simplest letter sounds. She had the spark, but without being in the classroom, that spark was starting to dim.
The school, one of the three Peepul supported ‘Exemplar Schools’ under a Public-Private-Partnership model with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), strives to create beacons of excellence in public education. Identifying the problem, Shanvi’s class teacher sat down with her mother to show her, rather than just tell her, what was happening. A quick reading exercise followed, first with Shanvi, and then with a classmate who attended school every day. While her classmate could read all the 42 sounds confidently and fluently from the Phonics sound cards, Shanvi unfortunately managed only a few. Seeing the difference in confidence and skill was a wake-up call. Her mother realised that school wasn’t just a place to go – it was where her daughter’s future was being built. Right then and there, she made a promise: Shanvi would be in class every single day.
Once Shanvi was back in her seat consistently, her teachers got to work. They gave her extra one-on-one time and celebrated every tiny victory. Within just a month, the “child who couldn’t read” vanished. In her place was a girl who could confidently call out letters and blend sounds into words.
When her mother came in for a progress check and saw Shanvi reading tricky 4 to 5 letter words fluently, she was moved to tears. Those weren’t just tears of relief; they were tears of hope.
Today, Shanvi is a different child. Her attendance has jumped to 74% and climbing. She’s no longer just “getting by”, she’s solving math problems, reading full sentences, and leading class discussions. Most importantly? She’s found her voice.
Shanvi’s journey shows that consistency changes lives. But we can only provide that “extra care” and those “booster sessions” with your help.
