The Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) conducted an evaluation of each intervention to determine which one had the best impact on student performance. Based on a representative sample of 500 elementary schools in 42 provinces, the IPA team formed 5 groups from 100 schools. The first four groups corresponded to one intervention, while the last group did not receive any. The students’ skills in terms of reading, listening and mathematical thinking were assessed before and after the intervention. The comparison of the results of each group has shown higher cost-benefit ratios for the reinforcement sessions, at a cost of USD$ 20.2/student: class sessions have increased students’ abilities by 0.142 standard deviation; sessions outside school hours, have done so at 0.133 (at an equivalent cost); the division of students into small groups according to their abilities has increased their capacities by 0.133 standard deviation at a cost of USD$19.4; and finally, teacher training of 0.083 SD for a cost of US$ 12.6. Introduction to Basic Technology (IBT) is a vocational reinforcement and development program that targets rural youth between grades 8 and 10. It is mainly financed by the NGO Lend-a-Hand India (LAHI), and the program involves, for its implementation, several grassroots social organizations and local authorities. The curriculum was designed by the Vigyan Ashram research centre in 1987. It was adapted in 2005 in the framework of the launch of “Project Plan 100”, whose objective was to implement the IBT methodology in 100 secondary schools in rural areas of India. Based on the hypothesis that practice-based thinking is the source of intelligence, IBT is based on a “learning by doing” approach. Classes include a variety of technical topics grouped into four categories: basic engineering, energy and environment, agronomy and hard sciences (mathematics, medicine).

Students are divided into groups of 10 to 15 people. They meet once a week for 4 or 5 hours during school hours. The schools provide the necessary rooms and equipment while asking for a small contribution from the students (between 20 and 100 rupees). Instead of hiring qualified teachers, the IBT program prefers micro entrepreneurs who live in the local community. They train them as instructors and offer them a small monetary reward for their participation. However, it requires a teacher who is necessarily involved to link the activities of the sessions to the formal curriculum.  On a monthly basis, an LAHI professional visits participating schools to advise instructors and monitor the progress of activities.

Since its launch in 2005, the IBT program has qualified 7,000 students in 80 public schools in five provinces of India (Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat).