Chudar

Several studies show that most kids are enrolled in school, but learn very little. The ASER survey points out that of all children in the age-group 6-14, more than 99% are enrolled, but the majority lag behind in educational outcomes.

This problem persists from primary all the way to high school and the National Achievement survey by NCERT has also showed that Std.10 children have very low competencies in Mathematics, English and Science. The problem affects children from disadvantaged sections, who are often first-generation learners.

We believe that that every child can learn well, given the right inputs and environment. As part of Chudar, we develop innovative educational content in Language, Mathematics and Science to help improve children’s learning. As a first step, we have started 5 after-school centers catering to poor children from Chennai’s slums. The key principles in our approach are:

Focus on learning outcomes

Skill assessments

Technology-aided learning

Community contribution and participation

In each slum area, our centers have 3 local young women - (tutors) taking classes and reaching up to 50 children. The focus is on children from classes 3-8. We develop our unique content and methodology which is both synchronized to the state board curriculum and at the same time aids in learning concepts and skills. Our focus subjects is on Maths, Science and English – the subjects that most students find difficult in middle and high-schools.

The impact from our initiative is evident as we evaluate the skills of our "Chudar scholars" from time to time. Children become much more confident and enthusiastic about learning once they grasp the skills,

also, the Tutors (Local young women- from similar background) also find this beneficial, as our initiative empowers them, by training them in the skill sets, ranging from teaching, management, etc, this boosts their confidence and opens up doors to a brighter future for them.