This is a sample description for Children. For the purpose of testing I will use the word Childrenchildrenchildren.

Children

This is a sample description for education. For the purpose of testing I will use the word EducationEducationEducationEducation.

Education

INDRAJIT DUTT

The Present ContextPurulia 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 SPADEEducation 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 ImpactSPADE 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 :<ol><li>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.</li><li>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</li><li>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.</li><li>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.</li><li>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</li><li>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.</li></ol> <img src="https://cfstatic.give.do/416897d4-278c-40f0-b3bd-97e89c544404.jpg" />

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

<ul><li>Sanyukta Mahato, a first-generation learner in her family, excels in Mathematics and Computers. She never missed a single day going to school. Her father, a rickshaw puller, has been very supportive of her education. Things changed for Sanyukta after the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The nationwide lockdown followed by the closure of educational institutions has kept her out of school for 18 months. With no access to digital technology and educational support, Sanyukta has been completely away from the learning process. And she is not alone, there are thousands of students across India who have a similar fate.</li><li>Twelve-year-old Nitai faces a grim situation at home. Son of daily wage earner parents, he is being pushed to work to support his family. His parents do not have the resources to afford a smartphone and do not find any merit in studying. They were rather pushing him to do some menial work to support the family.</li><li>About 40% of primary school students could not attend online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic owing to the digital divide, a report published by Pratichi (India) Trust found. One of the major findings of the study is that “There are two components to the digital divide — one is affordability, and whether the families of students can afford devices that are required for digital learning. The second issue is regular accessibility of uninterrupted data, which again has an element of expenditure.”</li><li>The report states that “For students attending State-run schools, institutional learning was the primary focus. However, the pandemic forced children to depend on their parents for learning support. Since many children are first-generation learners, the impact on learning for primary school students was more severe.”</li><li>Children dropping out of school and not attending classes is quite common in the Purulia district of West Bengal. Purulia district has a significant tribal population where not only illiteracy but also lack of awareness for the value of education is a major problem. </li><li>The disadvantaged parents show no interest in sending their kids to school. With COVID, the situation has worsened as the families have no means to buy smartphones to let children attend online classes, leaving the children totally out of contact with any educational activities.</li></ul>The community with whom SPADE has been working over the years is not at all aware of the fast-changing information and knowledge system to a new base causing huge disruptions in their life and livelihood paradigm. They are not only deprived of the benefits that may get from the revolutionizing technologies, ideas, and knowledge but on the contrary, falling behind very fast to become more marginalized and more vulnerable. Covid 19 laid bare the educational catastrophe of these communities to a tragic level! 
 SPADE a not-for-profit organization based in West Bengal is reaching out to the COVID-19 affected tribal communities in the Purulia district. Through its Supplementary Education Centre, the SPADE team is counseling parents and students, providing curriculum-based education, organizing extra-curricular activities, etc. SPADE targets out-of-school and dropped-out children specially those who do not have access to technology and brings them to its Education Centre for providing age-appropriate learning classes.At present, 50 tribal children are receiving technology-based holistic education at the Supplementary Education Centre at Punura village in Purulia, West Bengal. Currently, the Supplementary Education Centre does not have adequate infrastructure to support more than these 50 children. SPADE is seeking support to upgrade its Centre to retain the interest of the kids besides ensuring quality education through modern audio-visual techniques.The Funds raised through this project will help us provide education and learning opportunities to the community:<ol><li>Smart classes with access to digital tools: Children will have access to smartphones and computers to continue their formal education so that they do not fall behind in the school curriculum. These smart classes will also provide age-appropriate learning opportunities to support out-of-school children.</li><li>Subject-based Coaching supports to selected students: The teachers at the center will identify students weak in any particular subject and will provide personalized coaching.</li><li>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</li><li>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.</li><li>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. </li><li>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</li><li>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.</li></ol> 
 During its operation for 3 years, SPADE has been able to show 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!

Technology Based Education for Tribal Children in Purulia, West Bengal

COVID-19 aggravated learning gap of the children. A recent Indian Survey found: about half of the children currently enrolled in Grades 3-5 were unable to read more than a few words. In rural areas, 42 percent were unable to read a single word. It also says the “illiteracy rate” in the 10-14 age group among rural S.C./S.T. households in the is more than four times as high as the average for all children aged 10-14 10 years ago. Such is the combined effects of chronic inequality and the lockout. Purulia was one of the most severely affected. Jayshree Pathar (name changed) a class 10 student in a government-run school wonders what is “average”, a simple calculation of the 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 the same and dismal. They can hardly write their names.” laments a teacher of one local government school. The lack of basic quality delivery in the school with their socio-economic backwardness results in disinterest, dropping out of the education system, phone addiction, family tensions, unskilled laborers, early marriages, and trafficking. 
 SPADE swung into contextualizing its education intervention for the most vulnerable. Along with already running Punara Learning Centre, Bartika Learning Centre was established at Mahespur village on May 2022 adopting “Learning to Learn Framework” with the “Equality in Education and Skill” as goal. This  approach consists of teaching the fundamentals, assessing learning levels regularly, generating self-leaning attitude. 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.  ﻿Learning to Learning process of the centres provides Joyful Reading, Writing and Numeracy; Facilitating Self Learning; Peer Learning; Experiential learning and Use of technology. 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. 
 The initial milestones achieved are interest in learning enhanced, enhanced leaning abilities such as in reading, writing, and numeracy reflected in the centre and also in their schools. They are computer literate with internet surfing skills, and very active in many extracurricular activities such as games, drama, recitation, singing, drawing, etc. SPADE thinks this is the beginning of long a journey for the students and looks to continuing this fledgling effort to strengthen and expand in modest manner.  The Funds raised through this project will help us to operate 5  Bartika  Learning Centres in deprived rural areas along with establishing Bartika Research and Training Centre for consolidating and developing the teaching learning methodologies and also providing  Vocational Training to community. A corpus of Rs.45 lakhs (approx. US$47000) is targeted. We sincerely entreat you to be an active part of this journey to bring out sea change in the community who will move out of despair to become active participants in the new world!

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Calcutta Society for Professional Action in Development, popularly known as SPADE, was established in Calcutta in 1994 as a Non Profit Society. It provides technical, professional and managerial support-services to different Developmental Stakeholders. During the last decade, SPADE has established itself as a major Non-Government Organization playing an important role in the field of development. This was made possible by a team of volunteers and professionals who committed themselves to provide technical, professional, and managerial support-services to the Development Sector.From 2000 onwards, SPADE began to consolidate its focus on two major themes- Self Help Group Management and Disaster Management including Community Based Health Promotion wherein SPADE is now a prominent player in the State and beyond- being a multifaceted organization providing Field Facilitation, Documentation, Communication, Capacity Building, Community Mobilization, Awareness Promotion and Advocacy. Gradually SPADE prolife rated its activities from Kolkata to few other districts and now has field offices at East Medinipur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Nadia, Purulia, Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas and Sepahijala District of Tripura.Also, SPADE has conducted various Mega Studies in the field of Disaster, KABP Study, Status of SHG and Allied Institutions, Socio-Economic Impact of Tista Barrage in West Bengal, Bihar, Tripura with support from agencies like Oxfam, UNICEF, CARE-West Bengal, Water For People- India, Rural Development Department, Govt. of Tripura, NABARD-Tripura, etc.SPADE has provided support as a Resource Center to organizations like GOAL India, Oxfam-Kolkata, Action Aid India– Bhubaneswar, Irrigation and Waterways Department-Government of West Bengal, UNICEF- Kolkata, NABARD (West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura) Panchayat &amp; Rural Development Department– Government of West Bengal, CARITAS– Germany, Women Development Undertaking- Govt. of West Bengal, State Urban Development Agency, DC Handicraft– Ministry of Textile, Government of India, etc. Major activities of the organization are– providing Capacity Building Support in areas like Self Help Group Promotion and Facilitation, Promotion and Management of Clusters and Federations, Promotion of Climate- Friendly Green Energy Products, Facilitation in Micro Planning and Livelihood Promotion through Skill Training on different trades, Facilitation support in Micro Enterprise Development, Farmers’ Producers’ Organization etc.All programmes of SPADE are executed through different groups of professional engaged for the purpose. SPADE's focus is primarily on Institution Building, Capacity Building, Livelihood Promotion and in all these areas SPADE works at various levels such as Community Mobilization, Field Facilitation and Handholding Support.

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Indrajit Dutt

Calcutta Society for Professional Action in Development

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PROBLEM STATEMENT In the face of Covid and beyond, multiple smiles were wiped away from the faces of children as they struggled to keep up with the increasing learning gap. At SPADE India, our mission is to ensure every child has access to high-quality learning, we aim to do this by: -	Ensuring every child learns in safe and joyful classrooms-	Children graduating from grade 3 and above consistently develop age-appropriate literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skills as per the NCERT and global standards. We intend to achieve this by: -	Building capacity in all enablers to lead school transformation and impact a child's life and learning-	Empowering educators to deliver high-quality foundational learning inside classrooms and cater to social-emotional needs. PROPOSED SOLUTION What do our children and educators need? In our 3-year journey of transforming our schools and understanding the needs of our enablers, we have come to realize that high-quality learning spaces need to be led by high-quality educators who are equipped with excellent tools, skills, and mindset. Ultimately every child must have an excellent educator for an excellent education and we ensure that every educator:-	Creates a joyful learning environment inside classrooms -	Grows in a community that brings collaboration, excellence and a shared vision toward the children -	Acknowledged and celebrated for their role in influencing a child’s life is acknowledged and celebrated-	Able to create an ecosystem in the classroom that can bring to life learning of the head, heart, hand, and soul. OUR EXPERIENCE &amp; IMPACT The Centres, besides classrooms equipped with whiteboards, have added educational facilities like Library that provide online and offline learning support. Both have employed trained facilitators for enabling students to practice relevant age-specific learning methods to their advantage; hone skills in observation, analysis, and presentation, and nurture their ability to think. Students are also given extra attention with personal care through Doubt clearing in any subject. Though hamstrung with faltering internet connectivity (a common feature in such remote localities in India) the Centres, each having one computer have got the learners even more engaged. Beyond classrooms, students perform:-	Prayers-	Upkeeping of classrooms and courtyard-	Practice punctuality-	Inculcation of fundamental civic senses ad duties-	Leaming teamwork-	Sports and performing creative activities like the Bratachai course, a highly effective and acclaimed form based on folk art, dance, drama, music, and song. SPADE, for better administration of Bartika, has formed an active local Advisory Group, comprising community seniors to ensure Community Participation and Ownership in the enrolment and retention of the learners, and egalitarian school management as well.

Technology based Education for Underprivileged children in remote villages at Purulia, West Bengal

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