GIFT THE GIFT OF EDUCATION TO AN UNDER-SERVED GIRL

 Project Gyantantra Digital Dost

Gyantantra Digital Dost (GDD), is an interactive learning tool, to bridge the learning gap widely prevalent in the early grade schools across India, in a cost effective and scalable manner. GDD is an umbrella program designed to incorporate the essentials of the syllabus of NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) followed in Government Schools. GDD follows alternative learning methodology leveraging entertainment education. The  innovation is a perfect culmination of the NCERT curriculum, essential social and life skills, innovative and self-learning techniques. GDD is a sustainable, scalable and affordable solution. It assesses each child according to their learning levels and customizes the syllabus accordingly. It works as an assistant to the teachers which is non-judgmental, tireless and can provide individual assistance crucial for children’s basic education. This helps in enrolment of the students into mainstream schools.

In addition to core curriculum for Hindi, English, Maths and EVS, GDD also has very rich content on Life skills. Toilet hygiene module added recently in the curriculum. This unique virtual teacher is able to hasten the learning process and promises to not only bring child’s reading ability at an age appropriate level but also settle the child in an age appropriate grade at the end of the intervention period. Based on its innovative engagement methodology, GDD has transformed the conventional classrooms into student-centric advanced learning centres. It has changed the traditional teaching methodologies, revived student/teacher attentiveness and enabled efficient use of teacher time.  

 Project “Gyantantra Digital Dost” uses Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to innovatively address multiple problems associated with the quality of education accessible to poor in India that are as follow-

• Poor level of teaching and lack of trained teachers
• Inconsistency in teaching while teaching difficult concepts
• Lack of motivation amongst children of the illiterate and poor, to go to school
• Absence of practice and printed workbooks in the Government schools i.e. right of every child
• Lack of access to colourful storybooks, videos, and interactive multimedia learning content
•  

This unique virtual teacher of Gyantantra Digital Dost has been able to: 

• Accelerate the learning process
• Raise the child’s reading ability to an age-appropriate level
• Settle the child in an age-appropriate grade at the end of the intervention period
• Help children operate computers and use technology to learn at their own pace
• Utilize the computer lab to showcase various documentaries such as financial literacy, life skills workshops and educative presentations

 Background of the School 

The Rajbhavan Unit I & Unit II Schools are Free Primary Schools established in the year 1974 in Kolkata, West Bengal within the residential premises of Governor House. It aims to serve the children of the staff of Rajbhavan whose enrolment in the Primary level can take place smooth and easy.

The entire school has two parts-

1) Hindi Medium

2) Bengali Medium

Both schools have enrolment nearly 150-200 children. School has four rooms along with toilet and drinking water supply. At present, school caters both the children of staff and also the children of adjacent areas who are staying in the pavement or shanty slums nearby. The coverage area is big and also it covers the areas of Dalhousie i.e. BBD Bag, High Court, Stand Road, Decars Lane, Lal Bazar & Esplanade. Schools are co-educational and have classes up to Class IV after which they could enrol in secondary schools nearby.

In the past, the school witnessed serious absenteeism and drop out problem. Most of the students work as child labour in nearby tea shops, vegetable vendors and street food stalls. Few opt to fish out coins from the Ganges River bed using magnet as fishing hook. The river Ganges is very near to school where devotees throw coins into the river as a mark of respect during prayers, and these children get engaged to take out those coins which results in their regular absenteeism.

 Activities undertaken during project imlementation period:  

• Regular Gyantantra Udbhav learning classes in progress
• Pre- test conducted.
• Regular Monthly test, Mid-term test & Final Test conducted as per the schedule
• Learning level mapping and support provided to students
• Regular volunteering activities takes place, Volunteers organised children’s day activity with students
• Regular home visits were organised to track children
• Parent Teacher meeting held as per the schedule

 Achievements & Impacts : 

• Regular home visits and child tracking improved overall students’ strength
• Parent-teacher meeting has curbed the absenteeism
• Parents voluntarily visiting school to enrol their children for next session
• Children actively participated in art & craft, general knowledge-based quiz and presentations regularly
• Two Govt. teachers found to be too effective to run Gyantantra.
• Certificate distribution encouraged parent & children.
• Parents are themselves mobilising the children for admission to the school.

 Story of Change Name : Anu ( Name Changed) Grade : III

Anu (Name Changed) incepted her schooling in Rajbhavan Free Primary School - Unit II from lower Nursery and presently studying in class III. Belongs to a very poor family, migrated from Bihar where father works as a labour and mother, a housewife. Father runs family with his menial income of Rs 6000 per month which remains inadequate in meeting the family basic needs.

She was enrolled under Literacy India Gyantnatra Program in Primary School, Kolkata and underwent a Pre-test as per the stand procedure of the program. Her performance was found very poor on assessing her Pre-test score, scored 23 out of 100. Her basics in all three subjects were not clear, faces problem in framing 2-3 letter words in both the language also unable to solve the questions of addition and subtraction of carryover with 2-3 digits. Under the program, she was administered to digital learning interface for the process of teaching learning. Anu had no clue about digital learning; the concept was total new for her that attract her towards studies.

Continually learning with Gyantantra developed her interest for studies and she started studying with focus and determination. In less time she was able to exhibit a fair change in her performance and also the topics of great difficulty were cleared on learning with digital interface. She was able to attempt all the questions in Post-test, which were unattempted in the Pre-test and scored 91 out of 100.

Anu has now become a pro-active student of the class, participates in classroom activities that gradually has boost her confidence. She loves to do draw, read stories covered in GDD module. Inspiring from the doctor didi who visits her community (slum) often to help the poor, Little Anu also dreams to become  a caring doctor.

Links:

• Education which teaches Values