The Haveri Model: A Blueprint for Scalable Educational Transformation
April 2025
Introduction
“When intent is matched with structure and ownership, transformation is inevitable.” This aptly describes the story of Haveri district—a region that emerged as a front-runner in implementing the Marusinchana Programme across Karnataka. Initially considered just another district among many, Haveri's success today is setting the benchmark for implementation excellence, stakeholder alignment, and measurable student outcomes. This case study unpacks how collective ownership, systems strengthening, and data-driven monitoring positioned Haveri as a model district for transformative learning.
Background
Located in the heart of Karnataka, Haveri is predominantly agrarian, with several rural and semi-urban communities. While not historically flagged for poor performance, the district had pockets of underperformance and learning gaps, especially post-COVID-19. Recognising this, officials from the Education Department in Haveri took the Marusinchana Programme—a state-led initiative to build grade-level competencies in Classes 6 to 9—as an opportunity to reimagine foundational learning. A district nodal officer was appointed, and a task force comprising Block Resource Coordinators (BRCs), Cluster Resource Coordinators (CRCs), and Master Resource Persons (MRPs) was activated. Their mission was clear: make implementation seamless, accountable, and impactful.
Cracking the Code: How Haveri Nailed Programme Implementation
The turning point in Haveri’s journey was its focus on systems and structure. Every step of the Marusinchana calendar was mapped to local processes—from timely teacher training and student baseline assessments to endline evaluations and classroom observations. Unlike in many districts where monitoring is sporadic, Haveri institutionalised it.
The district achieved high participation in training due to rigorous follow-up and strategic scheduling at the taluka level. MRPs not only facilitated these trainings but also maintained teacher morale, helping them understand the purpose and benefits of the programme. CRCs and BRCs were empowered with clear roles—ensuring accountability trickled down to the school level.
Weekly school visits were mandated for officials, and structured timetables were displayed prominently in classrooms and on head teachers' desks to improve adherence. Government officials were encouraged to observe classroom delivery as part of a state-led quality assurance initiative. In addition, the inclusion of competitive-type questions in Marusinchana helped students become exam-ready without rote learning.
Challenges Along the Way
Despite its success, the district faced significant implementation challenges. The volume of reporting requirements was high, with weekly Google Forms submissions becoming cumbersome for already-burdened Headmasters. Many Headmasters were busy with other administrative duties or training sessions, leading to delays in form submissions. Additionally, while the role of CRPs and BRCs was critical, their activation demanded intensive communication, constant nudging, and occasional escalation.
A bigger concern was the limited involvement of higher officials like BEOs and DDPIs, whose participation could have improved oversight and decentralised leadership. Communication challenges were met with quick fixes—frequent Google Meetings at short notice—but the need for more structured field-level coordination was evident.
People Behind the Success: Teachers, Headmasters, and Officials
The implementation was people-powered. Teachers appreciated the curriculum’s activity-based approach and the quality of the Teacher Handbooks (THBs) and Student Handbooks (SHBs). However, the late distribution of materials posed hurdles. Students, notably, preferred Marusinchana textbooks to regular state books—a strong endorsement of the programme’s design. Some schools even began using these as primary learning resources.
Teacher training stood out in execution. PPTs, mock activities, and hands-on lesson simulations made sessions engaging. District officials made unannounced visits to monitor training and ensure MRPs were
delivering quality sessions. Guest teachers were also included in the training loop and provided food allowances, ensuring full participation and smoother implementation.
Learning Outcomes: Early Evidence of Impact
Feedback loops showed promising results. Students who had previously struggled with sentence formation or conceptual understanding in core subjects were now attempting activities with confidence. Teachers reported higher classroom participation and improved peer learning.
Though formal academic gains from baseline to endline are being analysed, anecdotal evidence from school visits and teacher feedback points to a significant uplift in foundational skills. The SHB was particularly cited as a helpful tool during term breaks, aiding students in revision and retention.
Monitoring: Fueling Accountability and Excellence
Monitoring was embedded as a discipline. Nodal officers issued regular circulars to ensure school visits and created a healthy competitive environment among taluks. Tuesdays and Wednesdays were designated for field visits, with reporting deadlines on Fridays. These reports were shared with DSERT and NGO partners, creating a feedback loop that enabled timely course corrections.
Haveri clocked the highest number of Quality Assurance visits—190 visits for Classes 8 to 10 and a remarkable 603 for Classes 6 and 7. This consistent supervision led to the district topping the classroom delivery scores as well.
Fig 1: Haveri ranks the highest in QA visits with 190 visits for classes 8 to 10.
Fig 2: Haveri is the highest in QA visits with a staggering 603 visits for classes 6 and 7.
Fig 3: Haveri is the highest in classroom delivery report for class 8 and 9 and third highest for class 6 and 7.
Smart Problem-Solving: Adapting to Field-Level Realities
Delays in SHB/THB distribution were tackled by photocopying essential materials and creating community-level redistribution systems. The challenge of teacher transfers was managed by retraining newly posted staff through school-level sessions and curated YouTube video tutorials.
Form filling and documentation, which overwhelmed some teachers, were streamlined through early circulars and buffer timelines ahead of official deadlines. Subject Inspectors' roles in academic support were identified as needing improvement, and this feedback has been forwarded to state-level bodies for redesign.
Key Learnings
• Strong leadership and decentralised accountability were crucial to success. Clear scheduling, communication, and role definition kept stakeholders aligned.
• Regular monitoring and data sharing helped identify gaps and inform mid-course corrections.
• Student handbooks were valued for their clarity, structure, and utility in self-learning.
• Teacher morale could be further enhanced with incentive models, similar to other state programmes.
• System-level bottlenecks like late resource distribution and high reporting burdens need tech-enabled solutions.
Looking Forward: Scaling the Haveri Model
The Marusinchana Programme in Haveri has created a working prototype for other districts. Moving forward, the district plans to pilot an incentive model to recognise top-performing teachers and schools. The Nodal Officer is also exploring ways to automate reporting formats and integrate monitoring tools with school MIS systems.
Greater involvement of BEOs and DDPIs, along with structured retraining modules for transferred teachers, are being discussed. Haveri also aims to build a cadre of school-level “Marusinchana Champions” who can mentor peers and drive quality delivery from within.
Conclusion: Lessons from Haveri for Karnataka and Beyond
Haveri’s success story with the Marusinchana Programme offers a replicable, scalable model for educational reform grounded in collaboration, structure, and local ownership. The district’s experience proves that when vision is backed by systems and collective will, impactful change is not just possible—it’s inevitable.