Programme Director, Pratham Education Foundation

Shailendra has been associated with Pratham since 2002. He began his career at the organization after completing his Masters in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. During his initial years with Pratham he was involved in developing micro plans for community based educational programs for underprivileged children within the 3-14 age group. He also worked closely with the state education functionaries, and the municipal school system in the city of Delhi in implementing government programme for universal elementary education.

In 2005, Shaiendra headed Pratham’s programs in Delhi and was part of the central resource group that provides technical support to all programs in the 20 states in which Pratham operates.

Shailendra was also a member of Pratham’s team to depose before Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development on the implementation of Sarva Shiksha Abiyan (SSA) in New Delhi to initiate Pratham’s Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) exercise in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Towards the knowhow dissemination efforts, he has been part of Pratham’s team that conducted Preparatory Workshop for ASER Pakistan, under the umbrella of South Asian forum for Education Development (SAFED). He has also petitioned the Rajya Sabha with suggestions to be incorporated in the Right of Children to free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2008. He regularly represents Pratham in consultative meetings convened by the State, Union government or statutory bodies on issues of Child Rights and Education.