Mission Bartika for Establishing Learning Centres for Educationally deprived children of excluded communities in Purulia, West Bengal

The Present Context

Purulia was one of the most severely affected due to COVID-19. Jayshree Pathar (name changed) a class 10 student in a government run school wonders what is “average”, a simple calculation of average of two friends is beyond her comprehension. Jayshree is not alone. “The learning level of students of all classes from V to VIII is same and dismal. They can hardly write their names.” laments a teacher of one local government school.

SPADE –active since 1994 in the development field, works with the most vulnerable segment (women) in mobilizing and building their institutions and facilitating them towards empowering them and their households. It was found that the educational level of their children is generally poor – causing colossal loss to themselves, their family and the community as a whole. The lack of quality delivery in the school compounded with their socio-economic backwardness result into disinterest, dropping out of the education system, early marriages and trafficking.

To address this issue, SPADE in 2017, started its first supplementary education centre with a group of 45 students to provide a facilitating wholesome environment to learn – compassionate teachers, access to learning materials and a process where the learners feel interested to learn. 50 tribal children were receiving technology-based holistic education at the Supplementary Education Centre at Punura village in Purulia, West Bengal.

COVID pandemic has aggravated this scenario. A recent survey in India included a basic reading test: children were asked to read a simple sentence printed in large font (in Devanagari script). The findings were alarming: about half of the children currently enrolled in Grades 3-5 were unable to read more than a few words . In rural areas, 42 per cent were unable to read a single word. The “illiteracy rate” in the 10-14 age group among rural S.C./S.T. households in the sample  is more than four times as high as the average for all children aged 10-14, 10 years ago . Such are the combined effects of chronic inequality and the lockout.

As schools reopened, children found themselves “thrice removed” from their grade’s curriculum. This triple gap consists of (1) the pre-lockout gap, (2) the decline of literacy and related abilities during the lockout, and (3) the onward march of the curriculum in that period. Dealing with this massive disconnect requires major changes in curriculum and pedagogy.

Internationally, this generation of students now risks losing $21 trillion in potential lifetime earnings in present value, or the equivalent of 17 per cent of today’s global GDP, up from the $17 trillion estimated in 2021.

Response by SPADE

Education being a fundamental and basic service, SPADE thus swung into strengthening its Education intervention with a contextually suitable Learning Support Program for the most vulnerable children. The curriculum consists of teaching the fundamentals, assessing learning levels regularly, as a response to community’s need. Along with Punara Learning Centre, one more Centre at Mahespur village was established on May 2022.

Bartika Learning Centre has been set up at Mahespur Village, with the Learners drawn from backward community – first generation learners with little/ no supportive learning ambience at home and the community. The learners consist of students of class V to Class X of the formal secondary schools. During the enrolment, the cohort had severe constraints in reading simple sentences, not to speak of comprehension of any idea, coupled with gaps in basic numerical operations.

This centre is equipped with study room, Puzzles, White Board, Library – physical and on-line resources, on-line and offline topic based supports, and of course having two facilitators to guide them in practicing the learning methodologies that foster observation, analysis, presentation, thinking beyond, and so on. The learners study their own courses at the Learning Centre and the facilitators guide them if there is any difficulty. Learning to Learning process of the centres provides Joyful Reading, Writing and Numeracy; Facilitating Self Learning; Peer Learning; Experiential learning and Use of technology. The initial milestones are interest in learning enhanced, enhanced performance in leaning abilities such as in reading, writing, and numeracy reflected in the centre and also in their formal institutions, community participation and ownership developed for the centre.

These learners also undertake sports, and Bratachari – a comprehensive program of physical, mental, and intellectual exercises, based on folk traditions, along with physical exercise, art, dance, drama, music, singing and social service. The learners have free access to two computers and internet provided at the centre(with internet not very strong in this remote locality). There is one active local Advisory Group, comprising community seniors, to ensure Community Participation and Ownership in enrolment and retention of the learners, and also in overall management of the centre.

The Impact

SPADE has pulled out all stops to make Bartika yet another inspiring success story, which with your generous support have aroused encouraging response. During its operation, SPADE has been able to show following remarkable change

·        The children who had joined the centre at the beginning had no basic level of reading, writing, and numeracy, and most significantly without any inclination to learn.

·        Slowly over time, these girls and boys are regular in attendance and learning processes, resulting in much higher performance than their counterparts of their regular schools - in knowledge level, interest in learning, and attitudinal change in their approach towards study and surroundings.

·        The parents also encourage their children to go to the centre.

·        They are computer literate with internet surfing skills, and very active in many extracurricular activities such as game, drama, quiz, recitation, singing, drawing and so on.

·        Most importantly they have now “learned how to learn”, and their faces are full of smiles and inquisitiveness. The centre bubbles with the joy and enthusiasm of the students and beams hope as a beacon light to the parents and all in the community.

·        It is all but natural that these girls and boys will be the pioneering lot in the area, and are definitely going to reach college and further up with their footprints recognizable by all.

SPADE thinks this is the beginning of long a journey for the students of this area and therefore looks for continuing this fledgling effort till the centre attains a sustainable status with its resources and distinction maintainable by the community. And over the years, all children would chronicle a sea change in the community who will move out of despair to become active participants of the new world!

The Funds raised through this project will help us to establish a network of 20 BARTIKA Learning Centers in the deprived rural areas with a training and research hub to maintain and upgrade the learning capability, along with a library and vocational training center. A corpus of Rs.2.24 crores is targeted and the targeted amount of Rs.45 Lacs will help us to meet our plan for 2023-24.  

After this, SPADE will be able to provide education and learning opportunities to the community with :

1. Subject-based Coaching support to selected students: The teachers at the center will identify students weak in any particular subject and will provide personalized coaching.
2. Library with computers and Internet connection: The center will aim at inculcating reading habits among the children along with giving them access to computers and the internet. This feature will help bridge the digital divide and open a world of books to children
3. Study Rooms for the students: The Center will also provide space for self-study for children who do not have space to study at home.
4. Livelihood skill training for adolescents: The center will also identify young adolescents specially girls (above 16 years of age group) within the tribal communities and provide them vocational training and life skill-based learning.
5. Installation of Solar energy panels to provide uninterrupted electricity supply to take care of frequent load-shedding in these areas and will also be a demonstration site for the areas
6. The centre will be run by teachers well trained on pedagogy; activity-based teaching and learning materials and processes (TLMPs) to ensure quality education to children.