Learning from the Ground Up: Tripura’s Journey to Better Schools
We’re celebrating the launch of the TSQAAF and everything it means for children in Tripura!
For the past three years, we have been working in partnership with the Government of Tripura, Samagra Shiksha Tripura and SCERT, Tripura to help 1400 schools embark on a journey of improvement. The vision is to enable schools where learning is playful, and all children have a voice and discover what they are good at. SBI Foundation and SBI Cards Private Limited have been supporting us turn this vision into a reality.
On July 4, we celebrated a big milestone in this journey! We joined our partners to launch the Tripura School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework (TSQAAF) and celebrate school complex stakeholders from across the state: educators who are quietly leading the charge toward quality education.
What is SQAAF?
We understand that is a mouthful, so let's break it down. The National Education Policy expects every state to have a School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework. What that means is, the state needs to put out a set of indicators against which schools can measure their performance. Think of it as a report card for schools. Schools will then be ranked - imagine gold, silver, bronze.
Adhyayan works with states to help schools not just assess their performance, but also improve it. To move from bronze to silver, silver to gold and beyond. This benchmark helps everyone in the system to develop a shared understanding of what good schools look like and to work towards it.
A Framework Rooted in Insights From The Ground
The TSQAAF is a quality framework built on what schools in Tripura have experienced and achieved over the past three years.
Together with SCERT, based on insights we have gained from our work in the state, we adapted the national Shaala Siddhi framework to reflect the realities of the region. Through meetings, feedback sessions, and hands-on support, the quality framework was made simpler, more accessible, and more meaningful for schools even in the remotest corners of Tripura.
“The TSQAAF will enable the State to identify the challenges related to quality education and infrastructure within school complexes and take appropriate corrective measures to address them.”
— Mr. Raval Hamendra Kumar, IAS, Education Secretary, Govt. of Tripura
When implemented across the state, the TSQAAF will help every single school in Tripura understand what “quality” looks like and how to take concrete steps toward it over time.
🏫 Adhyayan in Tripura: A Few Highlights
📊 642 schools have already shown improvement across core domains like teaching-learning practices, infrastructure, and student progress.
🛠️ 650+ schools evaluated 1,372 quality standards, and 93% of those saw growth.
👫 Nearly 3,000 support visits and 360+ complex meetings helped school leaders reflect, share ideas, and take action.
“Before, we only used books, but now we get to use tree leaves, globes, and even a telescope. We love looking at the sky with it!” — A closer look at change in a school
Conversations with students at Gardhang SB School told us about how the use of new materials has made learning enjoyable and interactive for them. These students also spoke about their mornings at school where, after the prayer line, they participate in quizzes. “We learn new facts about the world, and it’s really fun to compete with our friends.”
Another student talked about how their teacher Subrata Sir’s methods have made a big difference. “He explains complicated things in a way that’s easy to understand,” they said. The students were also quick to mention how comfortable they feel in class now. “Sir is more like a friend. We can ask questions without any fear because he never shouts at us.”
The majority of students at Gardhang SB School are from the tribal community, and the school faced issues with low attendance and drop-outs. The school leader, therefore, chose to work on improving attendance and eliminating drop-outs. The school leader also wanted to ensure that teachers plan their lessons with quality teaching, and decided to track student progress and ensure that every teacher maintains and executes lesson plans.
💡 The People Leading This Change
At the heart of this journey are educators who go the extra mile because they care.
“My school is in the interiors of Ambassa block. Today, I travelled 25 kilometres from my school and crossed two tributaries of the Dhalai river to be here today and learn the school review process. It will play a huge role in developing my school. I will go back and support all my stakeholders on this and help shape a better future for our children and the community.”
— Subi Debbarma, Kokborok teacher, Purnojoy Chowdhury Para JB School
Whether it’s designing improvement plans or supporting peers, leaders like Subi have helped schools grow.
“We are focused on identifying student challenges and addressing them. Our goal is to make school a place children yearn to come to, reducing the drop-out rate and bringing every child under the spectrum of education.”
— Ipshita Datta, Complex Leader, Satrugna Para High School, South Tripura
We are honoured to work with these system leaders 🌱
We have received a lot of support from state leaders in Tripura, Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha, Honourable Chief Minister of Tripura, Mr. Raval Hamendra Kumar, IAS, Special Secretary, Education, and Mr. N.C. Sharma, Director, Secondary and elementary Education, along with the District Magistrates of South Tripura and Dhalai. Further, both the State Administration of Schools and the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council have also supported us greatly towards igniting improvement in schools in the state.
For nearly 200 days a year, across their most formative years, children spend more waking hours in school than anywhere else. What kind of place should that be?
We believe it should be a space that feels like it was made for them: where joy isn’t a luxury, but a starting point, and every child, no matter their background, can feel nurtured, challenged, and cared for. That’s the vision that guides our work.
In Tripura, by working on systemic school improvement, we are trying to make sure that thousands of children have access to schools like that. The launch of the TSQAAF is a big milestone in this direction: it’s a step towards long-term, sustainable school improvement for schools across the state. We’re proud to walk this journey with our partners and the educators of Tripura.