EDUCATION
Education is a core theme in NANAK’s work. Our projects, trainings and workshops look into early childhood development, adult literacy, and remedial education particularly for students from under-privileged backgrounds, information access, knowledge sharing, etc.
“Children are the foundation of sustainable development. The early years of life are crucial not only for individual health and physical development, but also for cognitive and social-emotional development. Events in the first few years of life are formative and play a vital role in building human capital, breaking the cycle of poverty, promoting economic productivity, and eliminating social disparities and inequities.” - UNICEF
In several parts of the country, children need home-tutoring and personalized attention. Many, especially those from socio-economically backward sections of society cannot afford this. To support such children in the studies, with an aim of making them more independent, NANAK runs remedial classes in several of its centres including Bishunpur, Majhui, Deo, etc. We also recognize that in small places, particularly remote rural villages, education centres become community hubs. Our aim is to capitalize on this and this is why we seek to bring about positive behavioral change in an entire village community through a school. The primary school we have set up in Majhui, Bihar is a case in point.
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1. Dr. RadhikaRaman Public School Project
Dr. RadhikaRaman Public School started on 2nd of April 2014 at Majhui village, registered under the SarvaShikshaAbhiyaan, it aims to provide low cost and high quality holistic education and personal development to the children of Sasaram. The school was established by the joint effort of the DrRadhika Raman Trust and the Network and Alliance for Non-Profit Activity and Knowledge (NANAK). Located at Majhui Village, the school is open to all sections of society and takes classes from Standard LKG-VI.
The school offers children in the area the following facilities, at a very nominal token fees :-
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Community Library and Information Centre: Through a partnership with READ India and Takshika Educational Society, a fully-equipped and technologically advanced Library and Information Centre has been set up within the school premises. The library includes a range of books on different subjects and for all age-groups, computers, tablets, internet, along with a trained librarian for support. Library periods are included in students timetables and all students are encouraged to form a habit of reading. After school hours, the Library and Information Centre is open to all people from Majhui and neighbouring villages.
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Early Childhood Development Centre (ECD): The ECD provides a fun and active learning environment for children from LKG and UKG. It is a colourful learning space with educationaltoys and books , and is supported by an ECD instructor and facilitator trained in early childhood care and education. The ECD has been set up in collaboration with READ India.
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Transport: Transport/linkages for all students from Majhui as well as neighbouring villages at a nominal cost.
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Audio-Visual Classes: Innovative teaching and learning material andour classes are interactive with special focus on audio-visual learning through projector/computers. The school also shows educational movies to students and villagers every Saturday.
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Computer training: All students have the opportunity to attend computer classes under the guidance of a trained teacher.
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Extra-Curricular: Students are encouraged to explore and discover their creative passions. Timetables include lessons in music, dance, art, physical education, reading, etc. We also regularly hold events, competitions and marches/drives on social and environmental issues, for instance a tree plantation drive on World Environment day, special assemblies on Independence Day, etc.
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Community cultural events: Cultural events for the entire village and school community. In the past these have included and International Women’s Day celebration, Teachers Day, Independence Day, etc.
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Community awareness-generation programs: Community-awareness generation programs for the benefit of village residents. These include health camps, anti-alchoolism drives, hygiene workshops, educational workshops, awareness camps by Banks and government partners.
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Exposure Visits for Students and Teachers: Meritorious children and children of senior classes, as well as teachers, are given opportunities to travel to other states and get leadership training/personality development training
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Support for Higher Education: Children connected to the school, including their siblings, are facilitated to enroll for higher education/technical education (such as engineering, medicine, etc) Scholarships are provided for need-based cases to make technical education affordable.
2. Support to SheelKunj Community School MoblieCreche and Learning Centre For Children Of Construction Workers
NANAK is supporting a mobile crèche for children of construction workers in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. The centre gives a chance for children of construction workers to holistic development. Construction workers work long hours under physically stressful conditions, earn minimal wages, and are vulnerable to exploitation-this makes it difficult to devote time to their children, especially in their early childhood care. The first few years of the development of the child is very critical as it affects the physical and motor development of children.
NANAK is providing technical and gap-filling support through resource persons, experts, and learning aidto the project, with partner SheelKunj Community School. The centre has two teachers, one male and one female. So far 40 students have been given remedial education through this project.
3. Durgawati Learning Centre
The Durgawati Learning Centre is located in Kirpalpur village, Kaimur District, Bihar. Kirpalpur has a total population of about 840 (Census, 2011). NANAK opened the centre on 2nd October 2015, with support from Taskhila Education Society (TES). The centre provides free-of-cost remedial classes for children in the area, currently over 117 children from socio-economically backward sections benefit from these classes. The centre also runs 6-month computer courses at a nominal cost. The centre currently has 8 computers and a trained computer teacher.
There is an ongoing demand from other students in the area to attend these remedial classes, and NANAK is exploring the option of hiring an additional trainer and running two sets of classes, contingent on resources.
4. Bishunpur Learning Centre
NANAK Bishnupur is a small village of approximately 800 people located in the outskirts (around one kilometer away) of the Majhui village in Sasaram, Bihar. The village predominantly comprises of people who are socio-economically backward (Census, 2011), nearly all from the OBC Bond caste. The majority of villagers survive on agriculture and livestock, with a few inhabitants also involved in the weaving industry. A section of the villagers are engaged in weaving, and supply carpets etc via middlemen. These villagers are not attached to any government weaving scheme, nor do they have registered ID card. Adding to the lack of education, there is a lack of awareness of basic entitlements and rights as well as government schemes.There is a dire need in the village for good education as well as increasing connectivity to jobs in the formal sector.
Keeping this in mind, NANAK established the Bishunpur Learning Centre ( the only facility of its kind in the village) on 17 February 2014, which runs remedial classes for children in the area, and also has a library open to village residents for use. Classes run from Monday to Saturday from three to five ‘o’clock, and a majority of student are between the ages of three and ten. A trained teacher, who holds a Bachelors in Education conducts classes. A key component of the classes is moral and civic education, lessons in personal hygiene, and personality development. NANAK also placed a small library with coaching books for competitive exams.
5. Support to Savera Learning Centre for Children
NANAK supports the Savera Learning Centre in Delhi, which serves children from underprivileged background in Delhi. The centre has 41 children aged 8-14 years. NANAK also resolves to provide the centre with learning material and resources such as computer, books, training and workshops for teachers.
6.Support to AmrapaliCommunity Library and Information Centre
NANAK contributes funds to a Community Library and Information Centre run by Amrapali Cultural Foundation in Delhi. The funds go towards buying books in higher education/organizing workshops on topics of social relevance/support to students for higher education. NANAK regularly conducts monitoring and evaluation trips to the centre, including one in January 2016.
