Mysore-based People Education trust (PET) runs a teacher resources centre where teaching staff from a dozen government schools are initiated into intricacies of computer-aided learning. The PET centre provides a collection of subject-related CDs and multi-media presentations to teachers, opening for them a window of knowledge beyond school text-books. PET is backed by the Azim Premji Foundtion. The idea is to teach teachers so that they can motivate school students to pick up out-of-books learning skills.

The teacher resources centre functions two hours daily (4-6 p m) from a two-room block at Mandi Ahmadiya Higher Primary School. For a trust that has been functioning since 1993, PET is well aware of its modest accomplishment and concedes it has a long way to go in bringing about school education reforms. It’s a tall order for any individual group or agency.

Dr. H A B Parpia, guiding force behind PET, doesn’t sound optimistic when you suggest networking of volunteer agencies working in the field of school education. I had in mind ‘Pratham’, Pygmalion, and a host of other projects (I don’t know about) focused on improving learning skills of school children. Dr.Parpia says anyone is welcome to join hands with PET – ‘e-mail your suggestions so that I can put them up in our executive meeting’. When I mention I would put this on the web Dr.Parpia asks, “How many people access your site?’ He has a point.

Pygmalion, which takes its resources to class-rooms, may have resources that PET can benefit from. So can the former, from PET’s resources. Such synergy among NGOs can only work to the advantage of the cause of education they all seek to promote.

Schools, particularly the government ones need computers; and there are agencies that could arrange to gift them. Dr Parpia says his experience hasn’t been very encouraging – ‘We have a room full of donated computers that are decades old and can only be junked’.

Schools need to be Internet-connected , and BSNL can think of providing free broadband connectivity to match the gift of those who donate PCs to government schools. A joint approach by related NGOs have a better chance of lobbying BSNL. Pooling of resources through NGOs networking would not minimize the work being done by individual NGOs. They retain their distinct niche value, which can only be enhanced by sharing with other NGOs, working in other school projects.

Networking need not necessarily entail exploratory talks, committee meetings, and MoUs. Mutual resource sharing and a common minimum programme can evolve through online interaction among interest groups and an open-source forum by way of an NGOs group blog, in which anyone can put across suggestions, exchange project ideas, volunteer services, and seek help from others. Would like to have the thoughts of the likes of Mr Ashvini Ranjan, Dr. Bhamy Shenoy (Pratham), Mr N S Soundar Rajan (Pygmalion), Mr T V Raghottam Rao (Lions Club), and Mr ‘Tiger’ Solanki (Rotary).

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 Pygmalion project,