To make good English-medium education accessible to urban children from lower income groups, DRF has set up 29 Pudami English Primaries in Hyderabad and RR Districts. Located in close proximity to where the children live, these schools involve the neighborhood community and parents in mobilizing the children. The teachers are also mostly drawn from the neighborhood, so that there is a greater sense of participation in the school’s functioning.

The Primaries are assisted by the ERC in curriculum design, academic monitoring mechanisms and preparation of training material for the teachers, in accordance with the National Curricular Framework. These Primaries – imparting basic training in English, Mathematics and Environmental Science – act as feeder institutions for Pudami Neighborhood Schools.

These are a novel initiative by DRF to bring quality education to all children in the neighborhood. The schools address the rising demand for English-medium education from marginalized / lower-income communities. Four Pudami Neighborhood Schools have been set up in Hyderabad and RR Districts. They have a combined strength of over 1000 children, drawn from all walks of life in the neighborhood, together forming one homogenous ‘Pudami’ community.