Kaboodle is a dream come true for Anamika Singh whose mission, in her words, is to help augment the quality of education through the empowerment of teachers. Felicitated as a woman entrepreneur by the Hon’ble President of India for her contribution to the cause of education, she is also an experienced publisher with an enviable background in an MNC. She recently shared with http://www.indiainput.com, the vision behind her Edu Startup Kaboodle and the wonderful journey so far. Over to our conversation..
Dr. Namrata Mishra Tiwari
Q.: What is Kaboodle
Kaboodle is a mission and a philosophy that means ‘coming together’. It is not just a company; it is our commitment to reforming school education and being part of the bigger change. So what we do is help schools and educators implement a globally-aligned curriculum, streamline workload, and augment teacher training through its flagship programme, Kaboodle. We blend the world’s best methodologies such as Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio Emelia, and HighScope to offer a master pedagogy, which is attuned to global standards of education and aligned with India’s National Education Policy and the National Curriculum Framework. We do this by using a three-pronged approach: curriculum, technology, and continuous professional development of teachers. All these specifics are connected by love, care and a desire for positive social change.
Q.: Do you believe Kaboodle can bring about a change in the education system? How?
Absolutely, I have no doubt about that. Kaboodle is well-suited to disrupt the status-quo. Our cutting-edge programme aims to produce concrete change.
One of the ways that it will do so is by decreasing the weight of children’s school bags – the learning materials that we offer are not only globally-aligned with the best curricula but also are minimised into a single book (for each class) and practice-based worksheets.
Secondly, we aim to unburden teachers by offering them an interface/platform that would allow them to keep a track of their work as well as students’ progress.
Thirdly, our programm aims to build capacity among teachers and upskills them to deploy creative and experiential methods. Together, these interventions will produce a cumulative change. But this can’t be achieved alone. There must be belief and support around to sustain this change-making initiative. For that to happen, we need to first acknowledge that change is a must and that everyone has to be part of this change. At Kaboodle, we are humbly contributing to that change.
Q.: What inspired you to start this venture?
The idea to start Kaboodle germinated from our years of experience in the school education system. We realised that there was something seriously lacking despite a booming industry globally as well as in India. Rote learning, for example, still takes place in a majority of schools, although some institutions are showing a great potential for collective change. Teachers are overburdened and not much attention is given to their training. Workload is increasing. There is a huge disconnect between administrators, teachers, and parents. Our venture seeks to address and overcome these issues and create a learning environment in schools that is rewarding for schools, educators and students alike.
Q.: How was everything before Kaboodle?
I believe that in order to raise good human beings, we must invest in holistic education of children and make efforts to realise it. Before I began this journey, I felt I was in a comfort zone, working in a multinational company that was disconnected with such concerns. I felt the urge to do something and take the initiative. That’s how Kaboodle came into being. Leveraging over two decades of my experience in book publishing and interactions with schools and educators enable me to create impact.
Q.: A few years down the line, how do you foresee the future for Kaboodle?
The future of Kaboodle is intertwined with the future of education. We can’t separate them from each other. Our projection is that Kaboodle will become a part of the national curriculum in the next five years, given the need for a comprehensive system that addresses a plethora of issues together. Kaboodle fuses what disparate industries like publishing, EdTech, and training institutions do separately. We aspire to create a common ground from where a multitude of issues is addressed not only in relation with India but globally as well.
Q.: Are you happy with the syllabus changes happening in schools 
or is there room for more?
There is change happening, of course, but it is piecemeal. Some schools are taking a step forward in bringing innovation but the system as such remains the same. Even if changes are happening, they are purely academic in nature. It is time, that we shift focus to skill-based education that instils among students necessary life skills, financial literacy, and social-emotional intelligence to name a few. What we need is a collective commitment towards not only shaping curriculum but also methods of teaching. You could have the best of the books, but, if teachers are lacking in training and student engagement, it is a waste. That is why, the reforms have to take place in a relational manner, which is to say that all bases have to be taken into consideration.
Contact Kaboodle:
Phone: +91-9911197898
Email: anamika@kaboodle.in
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anamika-singh-3b16a2200/
