Srivathsan Ramaswamy, an alumnus of the London School of Economics and SRM University, is fiercely convinced about the need to address learning gaps at the foundational level first to be able to do the same for higher education. He believes that one teacher can change a student’s life. His diverse roles in the development sector have included curriculum development, programme design, capacity building, and education policy.
‘Every child and individual have both purpose and potential. It is the role of education and teachers to help them find it’, says Srivathsan. As a Curriculum Specialist in science and mathematics, Srivathsan crafted immersive learning experiences to help children learn while doing. As a Teaching Fellow with Teach for India, he designed inquiry-based lessons and managed an after-school centre for underprivileged children to engage them meaningfully. Srivathsan has co-authored and edited close to 60 books on literacy and numeracy for both students and teachers.
Srivathsan joined Madhi Foundation in 2018 and has since driven strategic initiatives to enhance foundational learning outcomes in Tamil Nadu. Initially serving as Manager of SCERT Engagement, he collaborated with the State Council of Educational Research and Training to improve textbook quality. Later, as Senior Manager of the Foundational Learning Improvement Programme (FLIP), he oversaw a technology-driven initiative across 37,000 public schools, leading to his appointment as Co-Founder & Chief Programme Officer.
In his current role, Srivathsan emphasises data-driven decision-making and rigorous monitoring to do justice to the scale of the issue Madhi tries to solve. He also focuses on evaluation frameworks to track outcomes and refine strategies for continuous improvement because he believes that the proverbial needle needs to move steadily and consistently.
