Give Them a Future: Tribal Education in India

Chilliguda Primary School is situated in the tribal hinterlands of Kashipur block in Rayagada District of Odhisha in India. It is one of the 18 Government Schools Agragamee has taken up for demonstration and up-scaling of its Creative and fun model of reading and literacy development in the tribal regions. Ishwar is the “Shiksha Sathi” or “Teacher Friend” for this School. He belongs to another village but he’s well acquainted with the language “Kui” and “Odia”. Kui is the mother tongue of Chilliguda villagers. Odia, the state language is spoken and understood by only a few people in the village. Most of the children cannot understand Odiya. Chilliguda has a multi-grade classroom that caters to students from 1^st to 5^th grade. Thus Ishwar faces the challenge of having to teach a bi-lingual and multi-grade classroom! 

During our visit to Chilliguda in April, 2018, there were 45 children in one Classroom. This is approximately 92% attendance. In this month government school opens at 7.00 am in the morning and closes at 11.00 Am after mid day meal. Reaching school at 7.30 am we witnessed Ishwar and children performing an action song together. Every child was laughing and learning language with fun.

Shiksha Sathies have been trained to use singing and dancing to engage children in their multi-grade classroom. Also because action songs help them to develop interest in language and enrich their listening and speaking skills. And it amends a relationship between teacher and children. Here we not only experienced programs vision but also how Shiksha Sathi experimented to use these action songs as energizers in early mornings.

Later, Ishwar told me that the name of this action song is “Chaka Chaka Bhauri” (Spinning like a top) from “Kau Da ke Ka” (The Crow Cries Ka) which is a workbook for Grades I and II. Children in his school love the songs in the book, as they are about forests, festivals and village life. He explains that as this reflects the joy and fun in their lives, they relate with it extensively. Ishwar mentioned that new admissions are taking place and the activities and songs in  the ‘Kau Dake Ka’ songs is very nice way to attract and engage the children in school, making them regualr and eager to continue schooling.

The seniors, 4^th graders and 5^th graders from the Naik community who speak Odia are now able to sing the rhymes of Kau Dake Ka  in both “Odia” and “Kui” language. Thus a remarkable cultural exchange has also taken place. Ishwar says that he enjoys his teaching job a lot. With the songs, and the Kau Dake Ka, it is very easy to get children to come to school. In fact they come to school before I do, and finish their prayer song, even when I am a bit late he says. They love their class work, which makes it very enjoyable for me also he says. 

Ishwar tells that teaching methods like this have increased children’s attendance. Learning from Ishwar, his fellow Government Teacher – Jai Singh has stopped beating the children. And these methods have also helped those children who shifted from residential school to his school overcome fear. Kishore one of the residential school students used to run away from his teacher and was unable to talk to him in his initial days. Now even on Sundays, Kishore comes to visit Ishwar along with other children, all of them eager to read and learn more about the world. They dont want to stop learning Ishwar says. It is intriguing to understand how Ishwar from a different and far off village, and the children have developed a deep bond of friendship. 

Links:

• provides updates of Agragamee's educational activities
• Agragamee website
• Our work in primary education

Mukta Gyana Kutira, Agragamee Vidyalaya are schools for girls from really poor families in the underdeveloped tribal districts of Odisha in India. These communities have never had school education, and find it very difficult to educate their children, as they cannot even monitor their classroom learning. Children from these communities do go to Government Schools, but they do not even learn to read and write at the end of middle school. Our schools provide uniform, a wholesome meal, text books, and a happy and fun learning ambience for children who would have otherwise never had an opportunity for school learning in their life. As part of our commitment towards these lovely but much neglected children, Mukta Gyana Kutira has developed a pedagogy of teaching for first generation school students which helps them learn with ease and fun. We have  been pleasantly surprised time and again at how effective this model is, when little girls of 11, 12 and 13 years write stories and reports detailing things even better than many adults! These stories find place in their newsletter, Danagar Katha or stories from the hills, monthly wall magazines, as also in the Mukta Gyana Kutira Annual Report. 

Given the context of their communities, where the literacy rates are barely above 0%, these are achievements we are really proud and happy to show case. We are giving below a report written by Rashmita from Grade V. We are also attaching along with the images of her original writing in Odiya as this is a translation from the Odiya language.

What we Learnt In School This Year: Report by Rashmita, Grade V

The name of our School is Mukta Gyana Kutira, Agrgaramee Vidyalaya, Kashipur. The teaching is good in our school. We learn five subjects in our school these are Language, Maths, English, Science, and Social science. Here Prayer is at 9. After finishing prayer, we have general knowledge questions, and newspaper reading. Then the students’ attendance is counted. After the counting we go to our class. The classroom teaching starts at 10.00 ‘o’ clock. First of all language is taught. This was previously taught by Trinath Sir. After he left Kanaka Guruma (head teacher) is teaching us language. The topics include Ama Jatiya Dhwaja Ude Farafara (Our National Flag Is Flying High), Upajukta Besa Pakai Aasa (Come with Proper Dress), Nuakhai (New Rice Celebration), Phula (Flower), Maniaru Madam Curie, Japanara Anubhuti (Experiences in Japan), Dukhidhana Nilamanire (O poor Nilamani), Jethae Para Upakare (One who is in Service to Others), Biswasta Sathi Yantra Mane (Faithful Friendly Machines), Nain` Gala Aape Matha (Our Heads were Bowed), Kal Veria Kanduchhi (Kal Veria is Weeping), Sukhila Patrara Katha (the Story of a dry leaf), Utkalputra Pyari Mohan (the Proud Son of Utkal Province), Dalapati Pada Tumaku Sape (I offer the team-leader position to you), Desabhakta Laxman Nayak (Great Patriot Laxman Nayak), Aame Bharatara Sisu (We Are the Children of India).

I find these topics very interesting. We read the lessons, then we do various exercises which include writing the story, answering questions, and identifying the difficult words, the opposite words and sentence formation. In this way I have learnt many things. At 11.00 clock we have Mathematic lesson. This subject is taught by Kanaka Guruma. The lessons includes introduction to Numbers, addition and subtraction with 7-8 digit numbers, multiplication and division, average, LCM and HCM, simple profit and loss, percentage, interest and decimals, bracket, time and distance, area and perimeter, geometry and circle. I liked all these topics a lot.

Then the English class starts at 12.00 ‘o’ clock. Earlier, this subject was being taught by Trinath Sir and after he left Jyoti Didi is teaching that. First, we read the English story, then we note the difficult words for their meaning. We practice writing these word to remember them. The next day, we write the words with their meaning on the blackboard. If we are not able to spell or read properly, our Didi writes the pronunciation in Odiya, so that we can pick it up easily. All this has helped me learn English quickly.

At 1.00 ‘o’ clock we have our launch. Then we play for sometime and when our teachers have finished their lunch we go to our classrooms. Science is taught every Monday, Tuesday and Saturday. Previously Trinath Sir used to teach us this subject but after he left Kanaka Guruma teaches us. Social science is taught every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Soma Didi teaches this subject. We note down the points, which helps us to remember and recall when asked questions the next day in the classroom by her. The school closes at 4 ‘o’ clock. We celebrate Republic Day, Independence Day, Children’s Day, teachers’ day, Gandhi Jayanti and Annual Function every year.

Rashmita, Class V, Village: Katali, Mukta Gyana Kutir Kashipur, Rayagada

Links:

• Our website
• Our engagement in Primary Education
• Join us in educating tribal girls