Aarohi Bal Sansar, a middle school, seeks to provide an affordable quality education to children from poor families in 14 villages in the Himalayas. The school provides a loving learning environment for around 180 children, and employs one local teacher for every 14 students. ABS uses a project-based learning strategy rather than rote learning, that applies the curriculum to local life in a way that builds a relevant understanding for students, helping them to develop into responsible citizens.
State schools in Uttarakhand have a poor reputation in terms of chronic teacher absenteeism, extremely unhealthy teacher to student ratio (1:50) and lack of comprehensive teaching methods. There was a need for a quality school in the area so enrollment at Aarohi Bal Sansar is constantly growing, placing ongoing pressures on our staff, infrastructure and scholarship programs. Presently the school's budget is running on a year-to-year basis. This project aims to establish a more long-term funding.
Providing quality education requires teachers that are well trained and committed. Teacher attrition to state schools has been an ongoing problem. Aarohi Bal Sansar needs to raise the salaries of its teachers that are nearly a third and sometimes nearly a fourth of their state school counterparts. ABS also wishes to grow their library, supplement children's nutrition, support extra-curricular activities, and invest in infrastructure to accommodate the educational needs of children in the region.
A strong financial backing for the school will allow for ongoing improvements in teaching capabilities, educational outcomes, and multimedia resources. The school will be able to retain and invest in its 18 teachers. Each year 10-20 young students will graduate 8th standard with the knowledge they need to pursue further studies or contribute to their community. ABS strives to design a Vocational Training program to promote skills development for students who don't carry on to higher education.
