A learning gap rarely announces itself. It doesn’t always show up as a failed exam or a tearful night over homework. More often, it hides in plain sight — in a child who goes quiet in class, who stops asking questions, who decides, somewhere along the way, that school simply isn’t for them.
For over two decades, P&G Shiksha has been trying to catch that moment before it sets in — before a gap becomes a label and a label becomes a life. At a recent event in Mumbai, they tried something different: instead of talking to parents about their children’s struggles, they let everyone feel those struggles for themselves.
Confusion by design
The activities looked simple enough on paper. But without context, without clear instructions, something ordinary became disorienting. Parents found themselves doing what children do every day: guessing, hesitating, looking around for a cue that wasn’t there.
Some parents described the experience as visceral – which brought about a mix of negative emotions… frustration, irritation and a feeling of helplessness. That feeling — helplessness wrapped in confusion — is what many children sit with silently, lesson after lesson. What adults often read as laziness or disinterest is frequently something else entirely: a child who doesn’t understand but doesn’t know how to say so.
The gaps that follow you home
For many of the parents present, the activities didn’t just build empathy — they unlocked memory. Several spoke about their own experiences of falling behind, and how those experiences had quietly shaped them long into adulthood.
Some parents also expressed about the weight they had carried while growing up thinking there was something wrong with them. The experience had changed how they show up as parents — now, when her child struggles, her first question is why, not why.
Shalmali Kholgade – Artist, Musician, and Songwriter shared her experience: “I was always into extracurricular but not academically strong… I remember not doing well in Maths and feeling like I wasn’t good enough. It stayed with me for a long time,” she said. A single teacher who finally helped her understand made a difference — but by then, the doubt had already taken root.
“These gaps don’t just stay limited to learning… they harden into labels that children carry for years. Many adults are still unlearning those labels much later in life.”Mansi Zaveri, CEO and Founder of Kidsstoppress
From fear to joy: The role of parents
Nakuul Mehta co-founder The Indian Parent Pod, speaking at the event, framed the challenge directly: “It’s not enough to send kids to school — parents have to identify the gap and erase it. When you erase that gap, it moves from hesitation and fear to joy in learning.”
That bridge is rarely built in classrooms alone. Jankee Parekh co-founder The Indian Parent Pod spoke about the pressure of parenting in an age of information overload. “Children today have access to a lot of information, but not always the understanding to process it. That’s where parents need to step in and guide and support them emotionally through that process,” she said.
The event reinforced what P&G Shiksha’s work has long suggested: the classroom is only one part of the ecosystem. What happens at home — the tone of a conversation after a bad test, the patience (or absence of it) when a concept doesn’t click — shapes a child’s relationship with learning just as much.
The programme that evolved with the need
P&G Shiksha launched in 2005 with a focus on access — getting children into schools. Enakshee Deva, Head of CSR & Communications at P&G India, describes how the mission has since shifted: “Today, enrolment has gone up and children are going to school, but the real need is to ensure they continue to learn. Our focus is now on improving learning outcomes — so that children not only attend school but also understand and apply what they learn.”
That evolution reflects a harder truth: getting a child through the school gates was never the finish line. What matters is what happens once they’re inside — and whether anyone notices when they start to fall behind.
After impacting 1 crore children across underserved communities, the programme works with educators and organisations to identify learning gaps early, before they compound.
“Impacting over 1 crore children is a milestone moment for all of us at P&G. But it’s also a reminder that many children are still facing learning gaps. That’s what keeps us going towards the mission of erasing the learning gap across the country.”Rajat Brar, Senior Director of Brand Operations at P&G India
Seeing it differently
What the Mumbai event offered, above all else, was a shift in perspective. Not a lecture about learning difficulties, but an experience of them. Not a plea for empathy, but a circumstance that made empathy unavoidable.
P&G Shiksha’s efforts to #EraseTheLearningGap is built on the premise that early support — offered before a gap widens, before a child decides they’re simply “not a maths person” or “not smart” — can change the trajectory of how they learn and how they see themselves.
Because sometimes, understanding a child’s struggle is the first step to helping them move forward.