Government school teachers from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka were in the spotlight in Mumbai on Sunday as CEQUE (Centre for Equity and Quality in Universal Education) celebrated the first-ever Voices of Change festival. The one-day celebration at Sachivalaya Gymkhana celebrated teachers not only as teachers, but as innovators, leaders, and changemakers who are changing India's classrooms.
Visitors met teachers individually, hearing accounts of innovation, grit, and leadership.
In her welcome address, CEQUE Founder Director Dr. Anju Saigal had referred to teachers as "dream makers."
Addressing gaps in education
Speaking with The Free Press Journal on the sidelines of the event, CEQUE CEO Uma Kogekar narrated what motivated the formation of Voices of Change.
"Each child should be able to learn happily and with confidence, and studies confirm that teachers are the most influential single factor in determining student learning. And too frequently in India, teachers lack the support they require to ensure children progress," she stated.
The issue is stark in the figures. The ASER 2025 report revealed that 76% of Class 3, 55% of Class 5, and 33% of Class 8 students are unable to read a basic Class 2 text. In mathematics, over two-thirds of Class 3 and 5 children cannot do simple arithmetic. Teacher training is also an issue in 2024, as only 3.38% of the 3.5 lakh aspirants who appeared for the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test passed.
"Even highly qualified teachers are hit by systemic roadblocks: isolation, administrative tasks, multi-grade classrooms, and paucity of resources," Kogekar opined. "Upskilling opportunities are limited, and innovation motivation is often dampened."
CEQUE's Teacher Innovator Program was created to fill this void. The program helps teachers build foundational literacy and numeracy, build leadership, and develop creativity through contextualized training, mentoring, and peer learning environments. More than 4,000 teachers are now a part of this movement, generating ripples for tens of thousands of children.
It was that success that led us to start Voices of Change," Kogekar explained.
When asked about the impact hoped for by the festival, Kogekar was firm: "When students hear from the teachers themselves, something happens. Policymakers, donors, and the public seldom get to see the daily struggles and solutions of government schools. Not everyone can visit rural areas but Voices of Change brings those realities into the city."
She remembered how visitors were brought to tears when listening to teacher narratives. "It reminded them that teachers are not merely struggling with a shortage of infrastructure such as the teacher who organised finances to construct a school building, but are also designing cheerful, child-focused classrooms," she added. "We hope policymakers recognise that backing teachers is the most direct levers to enhance student learning."
Teachers as change leaders
For CEQUE, the festival is also about redefining the teacher's role. "The future of public education hangs on teachers not merely as teachers, but as leaders," Kogekar emphasized. "Top-down reforms have had difficulty closing learning gaps but when we enable teachers to lead, we observe change."
She indicated CEQUE's Communities of Practice, through which the teachers mentor one another, co-design lesson approaches, and resolve issues. "We work with 2,430 educators in three states, and more than 80% have enhanced a minimum of one level of ability in mathematics or language. Division skills in Grade V in CEQUE schools improved from 41% to 76%, and reading skills from 36% to 65%," she reported.
A short film based on children's voices for their teachers made the event's message come alive. As opposed to that, a moderated discussion between teachers and guests enabled the public to hear the realities of government schools more clearly.
Recognition, community, and connection
Although challenges for teachers in government schools persist; excess load in classrooms, non-teaching responsibilities, multi-grade settings Kogekar feels sites like Voices of Change can bring about real change.
"Recognition gives back dignity and motivation. Community, through our Teacher Leadership Circles, shatters isolation and establishes peer support. And connection, by taking teachers' stories to donors and policymakers, unlocks resources," she explained.
Her final remarks at the conference reiterated this vision: "Agar sikshak seekhe, to bachhe seekhe, agar bachhe seekhe, to India seekhe." (If teachers learn, children learn; if children learn, India learns.)
At day's end, what was evident was not only the struggles of India's educational system, but the creative strength and determination of its teachers. From constructing schools to devising new learning tools, these educators showed why CEQUE has dubbed them "dream makers."
By highlighting their stories, Voices of Change 2025 delivered a clear message: when teachers take charge, change ensues.
