Single Teacher Schools - India

What Single Teacher Schools - India does

Swami Vivekananda Rural Development Society (SVrDS) operates the Single Teacher Schools program, a rural supplementary education initiative founded in 2006 by Sri S. Vedantam in Tamil Nadu, India. The organization runs 1,000 single-teacher schools across 12 districts, delivering evening classes (5-8 PM) to approximately 30,000 children aged 5-12 in villages where access to formal schooling is constrained. Classes are conducted in rented village spaces, temples, or teachers' homes, with a curriculum covering Tamil, English, arithmetic, basic sciences, character building, yoga, and hygiene. Approximately 95% of teachers are women recruited from the same villages where the schools operate, supported by a dedicated teacher training academy and independent social audits.

Beyond education, SVrDS runs several ancillary programs: the Swasth Jeevan health camps, the Clean India Programme (4,750 toilets constructed at Rs. 55,000 each, with 1,000 more under construction and cumulative spend of Rs. 2,517 lakhs), the Skill India Programme for school dropouts (Rs. 90 lakhs annual run-rate, with a Skill Training Centre inaugurated in July 2022), and Jal Shakthi (water-body restoration, Rs. 351 lakhs spent). The organization's revenue model is donation-based, structured around standardized modular packages — Rs. 50,000 per school per year, Rs. 55,000 per toilet, and Rs. 90 lakhs per year for skill training — with FCRA and 80G compliance enabling tax-deductible contributions from Indian and foreign donors. Named institutional supporters include KONE Elevator India (since 2017), Saint Gobain, TVS Motors, Five Star Business Finance (216-school sponsorship, October 2022), and India Development & Relief Fund (USA). Third-party validation includes a Governor Award for Outstanding Social Service (2023) and appreciation letters from the Prime Minister of India (2023).

Name

Single Teacher Schools - India

Legal name

Swami Vivekananda Rural Development Society

Website

https://singleteacherschools.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Swami Vivekananda Rural Development Society operates 1,000 single-teacher evening schools across 12 rural Tamil Nadu districts, delivering supplementary education to 30,000 children aged 5-12 through mostly local-women teachers in rented village spaces.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Primary Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Core Curriculum Small-Group Tutoring Centers (Math/ELA/Science/Social Studies) (EDANAHAA)

Keywords

• Rural primary education
• Supplementary education services
• Vocational skill training
• Community development programs
• Women teacher recruitment

Headquarters

HQ city

Chennai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Revenue comes primarily from donations and charitable contributions from individuals, corporations, and international donors. The organization operates 1000 schools serving 30000 children entirely through donations. Donation packages range from supporting one school for one year (Rs. 50,000) to larger infrastructure projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Single Teacher Schools operates 1,000 evening (5-8 PM) supplementary primary schools in rented village spaces across 12 districts of Tamil Nadu, delivering free primary education to 30,000 children aged 5-12 in Tamil, English, Arithmetic, and Basic Sciences. The program is complemented by four community initiatives: Swasth Jeevan health camps, Clean India toilet construction, Skill India vocational training, and Jal Shakthi water body restoration.

Product overview

Single Teacher Schools operates as a supplementary education program for remote villages in Tamil Nadu. The core offering is 1,000 Single Teacher Schools providing primary education to 30,000 children across 12 districts. Programs operate evenings (5-8 PM) in rented village locations. The portfolio includes four complementary initiatives: Swasth Jeevan (health camps), Clean India Programme (toilet construction), Skill India Programme (vocational training center), and Jal Shakthi (water body restoration). The organization runs under Swami Vivekananda Rural Development Society (SVRDS) with 95% women teachers. All skill training programs are offered free of cost.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Single Teacher Schools (STS) Supplementary Education Supplementary primary education program delivering free evening classes (5-8 PM) to children aged 5-12 in remote villages of Tamil Nadu. Curriculum covers Tamil, English, Arithmetic, and Basic Sciences, with emphasis on character building, discipline, hygiene, and yoga. Operates 1,000 schools across 12 districts serving 30,000 children.
• Swasth Jeevan (Health Camps) Community healthcare initiative providing free general health check-ups, eye screening, cancer screening, cervical cancer vaccination, and health awareness to villagers in STS-served areas. During COVID-19, distributed Kabasura Kudineer, masks, and food grains.
• Clean India Programme (Toilet Construction) Sanitation program constructing toilet-cum-bathroom units (Rs. 55,000 each) in villagers' houses across STS-covered districts under the Clean India Programme.
• Skill India Programme Free vocational training at the Sriperumbudur (Ulundai) Skill Training Centre covering computer courses (basic, web designing, Tally, digital marketing), electrical, plumbing, welding, carpentry, mobile servicing, AC & refrigeration, two-wheeler mechanism (with TVS Motors), and coaching for TNPSC, bank and railway exams.
• Jal Shakthi (Water Body Restoration) Water body restoration program desilting temple tanks and small village ponds (Rs. 2-3 lakhs per pond) to revive village water sources, benefiting rural communities across Tamil Nadu.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.34% of children enjoy coming to Single Teacher Schools
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Rotary Club of Madras EastminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Provided school desks and solar lamps to 70 village schools in Sriperumbudur district worth Rs. 9.56 Lakhs. Collaborated on providing infrastructure support to STS schools.
• KONE Elevator IndiacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017Partnered with STS to work with 600+ students in 20 villages around Sriperumbudur since 2017. Associated on health awareness, sports activities, and Teacher Training. KONE looks forward to continue collaboration.
• Saint Gobain India Pvt LtdcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored eye camps (121st Eye Camp at Pennalur village, 120th at Thodur village) and volunteering programs at Kachipattu village. Also supported toilet construction at Pondhur village (20 nos). Conducted career awareness program and science exhibition for students.
• Gift of Sight, USAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored eye camp for children, providing vision screening and treatment support for village children.
• Malladi Drugs and Pharmaceuticals LtdminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored cervical cancer vaccination camps (11th camp August 2024, 10th camp July 2024). Also sponsored toilet construction at Nemili village (10 nos TCB).
• Rotork Controls Pvt LtdminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored cervical cancer vaccination camps (9th camp June 2024, 7th camp April 2024) at SVRDS Training Centre, Ulundai.
• TVS MotorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for training in Two-Wheeler Mechanism at the Skill Training Centre. TVS SCS Global Freight Solutions Ltd also sponsored pond desilting at Kolathur village (Vinayagar Temple Pond).
• Meenakshi College for WomenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStudents and lecturers visited Single Teacher Schools for educational exposure and community engagement.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Teach For India: Indian arm of Teach For All placing young leaders in low-income schools for two-year teaching fellowships. Comparable on improving rural/under-served primary education, but operates via placement into existing schools rather than running its own.
• Gram Vikas: Odisha-based rural development nonprofit working on water, sanitation, health, and education in tribal villages. Comparably holistic (education plus water/sanitation) but focused in a different state.
• CRY (Child Rights and You): Large Indian NGO funding partner NGOs working on child education, health, and protection. Comparable as a funding intermediary but operates via partner projects rather than direct school operations.

Direct peers

• Pratham Education Foundation: India's largest education-focused nonprofit, running supplementary learning programs and Read India campaigns targeting underprivileged primary-age children across multiple states. Most directly comparable on mission (rural primary education) and scale.
• Barefoot College (Social Work and Research Centre): Rural development nonprofit training village women as teachers, solar engineers, and health workers. Strong comparability on women-led village education model and integrating education with water, health, and skills programs.
• Doorstep School: Mumbai-based nonprofit bringing education to underprivileged children who cannot access formal schools, using mobile classrooms and street teaching models. Closely comparable "school-goes-to-child" delivery philosophy targeting school dropouts and working children.
• Akshaya Patra Foundation: India's largest mid-day meal NGO serving millions of government school children daily across many states. Comparable as a large-scale, donor-funded, education-adjacent rural program with strong corporate CSR backing.
• Nanhi Kali: Program supporting underprivileged girls' primary and secondary education through after-school academic support, similar supplementary-hours model targeting rural/urban-poor Indian children.
• Muktangan Education Trust: Mumbai-based NGO running municipal school teacher training and supplementary education programs for underprivileged children. Comparable focus on teacher quality and supplementary primary education delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Smile Foundation: Large pan-India NGO running education, health, and livelihood programs for underprivileged children and families. Comparable on multi-program model and corporate CSR partnerships; broader geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/single-teacher-schools---india

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Single Teacher Schools - India