Coming first with fourth 'R'

WHAT BRINGS success in schools? The three `R's - reading, writing and arithmetic, of course. In that case, what would the result be if a fourth `R' is added to it? Greater success? That seems to be the message Rob McCauley is carrying across the whole of the world - add a fourth `R' to your course and you are bound to achieve big. And the fourth `R' is the computer, so integral a part of a student's life today. ``There is definitely a high correlation between children with computer skills and their success in academics,'' he asserts.

The Fourth R Inc., the U.S.-based company floated by McCauley involved in the worldwide venture of providing computer education to children between three and 17 years of age, has made inroads into India with about 45 franchisee learning centres countrywide.

For enthusiasts, Fourth R India offers both short and long term courses, as also primary computer application programmes in the areas of Word Processing, Graphics and Animation, Desktop publishing, Databases, Spreadsheets, Multimedia projects and presentation, Internet usage, Information Science, emerging technologies and the like.

Emphasis is, side by side, given to ``social and ethical values.''

And Chennai has a reason to be happy too. The Fourth R India headquarters is situated here. With large-scale expansion planned for the year ahead, Chennai will have a greater role to play, assures Rob.

The focus now will be penetrating the school system. ``Our target is to reach out to at least 200 schools and set up at least 100 franchisee learning centres all over India. Chennai by next year, will have a strong role in supporting our ventures in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and, don't be surprised (he smiles), Pakistan.''

With a lot of stress on localisation, Chennai is all set to get a leverage once the plans fall into place.

The local centre will then have greater autonomy in drawing out its own courseware.

If it is any consolation, India is among the top three performers on the Fourth R map.

``Probably part of it is due to the popularity of English in the country and part of it due to the strong IT ties it has,'' says Rob.

So what's your dream, Rob? Well, some day through the Fourth R, the world is made to get smaller and all the kids of the world know each other.

Quite a tall order, but achievable if you have the passion, he notes.

By Saptarshi Bhattacharya

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