By Ashwini Batra | Project Manager
The Learning Centre
The Kaliyachak Girls’ Learning Centre operates on the premises of Samaj Kalyan Mandal, in the village Kaliyachak, District Nalanda, Bihar. Samaj Kalyan Mandal is a 40 year old, community-based organization. The Centre has classes from Class 1 – 6 and runs six days a week from 6.30 am to 8.45 am after which the girls return to their chores at home or attend the government day school in the village. The students come from Kaliyachak and the neighbouring hamlets of Saristanagar, Aganu Bigha, Mal Bigha, Linepar, Nauliya Bigha, Bhadauan and Bhat Bigha.
Approximately 75% of the children attending the Centre regularly go to the government school later in the day. The rest go home to help with household chores.
Student Enrollment
Class 1 has the maximum number of children this year, and has seen new admissions throughout the year. The girls' ages range from 5 to 10 years in Class 1. Most of them are first generation learners. Their parents have enrolled them in the government schools’ age appropriate classes for which they are simply not prepared. After being assessed most of these students find themselves in class one at the learning centre. The wide age gap and large number of students in this particular class is making it a challenge for the teacher.
Goals for 2024
Last year began with fresh goals and intentions for the Learning Centre. Three goals specific to the year were:
Saturday Is an Activity Day
Recognising that most of these girls do not have real leisure at home as they help with the housework, care for their younger siblings and assist in farm work, we decided to dedicate Saturdays to art, music, reading books, exercise and games. Unsurprisingly, Saturdays have become their favourite day of the week.
Improving Reading Skills
Interactions with the students showed that most of them read very hesitantly, not completely comprehending what they are reading. Hindi, the medium of instruction and the language in which the books are written, is a second language for them. Their mother tongue is Magahi, and though it does have similarities with Hindi, it is an entirely separate, older language. To familiarise themselves with Hindi, the students are encouraged to read aloud in class. They take turns to read aloud paragraphs of the lesson being taught in class every day.
Reinforcing our own observations of the students, the ASER (Annual Status of Education Report); Pratham, in their 2023 report has found that in Bihar, while the percentage of class 3-5 children, who could read class 2 level text was 32.8 in 2018, it decreased to 30 in 2022. Similarly, the class 6-8 students who could at least read class 2 text was 63.1% in 2018, it dropped to 61.3% in 2022.
Regular Assessments of the Students
The teachers conduct monthly tests and mid-term and final exams to monitor the progress of the students. The monthly tests were introduced this year in order for the teachers to keep a closer eye on the students’ progress. 90% of the students are first generation learners and regular assessments are important to ensure that they are keeping up.
Nutritious snacks
The practice of offering the children nutritious snacks everyday continues. This is especially important and significant given that child malnutrition is crippling Bihar. The National Family Health Survey conducted in 2020 has revealed that the statehas 43% stunted, 23% wasted, and 9% severely wasted children. While the students do require a much more wholesome diet for their day, our health assessments show that the snacks do provide them significant nutrition. They also follow a deworming regimen and have been administered three months of multivitamins (B Complex +) during the year. This will be resumed in the New Year.
Parent-Teacher Meetings
Parent-Teacher meetings were held in August 2024. One meeting was with the parents of class 1, as it has the largest number of students, and another with the parents of children from classes 2 to 6. A total of 70 parents were present for the meetings.
The agenda for both meetings covered the same points, but since class 1 is the first point of contact with the school system for the family and therefore unfamiliar to them, it was held separately. In this meeting, we encouraged the parents to be more involved and participate more proactively in their wards education.
It is important to understand that schools in the villages are very different from the schools in the cities. Here attendance fluctuates according to the agriculture cycles of sowing and harvesting when more hands are required in the fields. Festivals and traditional religious practices take precedence over school attendance, especially for the girls. Consequently, completing the year's syllabus becomes quite challenging. It is only consistent reinforcement about the importance of being regular and punctual at school that we hope will convince the parents and help their daughters benefit from an education.
For the full report and additional pictures, please click on the link for the December report.
Thank you for your continued support for the Kaliyachak Girls' Learning Centre!
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