Language barriers, poorly provisioned and ill-functioning schools are some of the reasons for the deteriorating quality of primary education. They result in learning deficits among children which if not identified and addressed appropriately carry forward and adversely impact their learning outcomes.

According to India’s Annual State of Education Report (ASER) 2017 report, 57% of 14-18-year-olds can’t do a simple division while 25% in the same age group cannot read the basic text in their own language.

To bridge these differences and improve the quality of education, our education projects operate supplementary learning centers (Anandgarhs & Child Learning Centres) in the primary schools as well as village/ sub-urban /urban project locations. The supplementary learning centers emphasize creating a joyful environment in the classroom /learning centres through facilitating teaching-learning based on activity-based learning, games, poems, songs, and teaching-learning materials. These activities have enabled the children to improve their competencies in academics and to speak and learn in their mother tongue while also learn the school language.

We also promote collaborative actions amongst the children, parents, teachers, community leaders, and relevant government departments to strengthen, maximize and sustain the overall impact. The open library session for the community, organized in the ‘Ensuring Quality Education with Ecological Sensitization’ project, is one such activity to gain the interest of the community. Once a week, our Anandghar volunteers converge in one intervention village where storytelling, singing folk songs, folk stories and puzzles are encouraged. Parents and grandparents are invited to discuss the need for education in the school, the importance of supporting children at home, and to ensure that every child attends school to learn how to write and read these songs and much more. This activity thus becomes a complement to community mobilization for improving children’s attendance in the schools.

The Panchayat Raj Institution and School Management Committee members are trained on Right to Education & Child rights and are encouraged to participate in the school development process. As a result, issues pertaining to school development are being raised and addressed in the village governance meetings. The School Management Committees and PRI members are instrumental in enrolling out-of-school children and increasing attendance of the children.

In the aftermath of the Nepal Earthquake in 2015, Aide et Action as a immediate measure focused on the construction of temporary learning centres in 15 schools which were damaged by the quake. These shelters functioned as temporary classrooms and also as space for other activities such as psycho-socio counselling, recreation and as a resource hub. Following the approval from the National Reconstruction Authority and Social Welfare Council, classrooms, labs, libraries and toilets were built in 21 schools.

The Teacher Resource Group, promoted by Aide et Action, helps to promote peer learning among teachers and build their capacities to develop low/no cost teaching-learning materials. We also promote and develop ICT skills among children to access a wider sphere of knowledge and learning.

 

KEY  HIGHLIGHTS IN 2017 Our Peer to Peer learning initiative in education projects has helped children evolve into leaders. They are mentoring other children who lag behind in academics and other extracurricular activities.  Our efforts to build capacities of teachers to develop contextually relevant and innovate low cost/no cost TLMs to teach has resulted in the better learning process in the classrooms. This has developed better relationship between teachers, children, and parents.  Facilitated the formation of 100 new mothers’ committees in intervention schools. These committees are taking a lead in retaining and re-enrolling children in schools. Through the mothers’ committees, we have been promoting the usage and disposal of eco-friendly sanitary napkins in the villages. We have trained 30 TRG members, 616 School Management Committee members and 11 Panchayat Raj Institution members on Right to Education Act which is resulting in better governance at schools. We have revived 8 Educational Cluster Resource Centres in Bandipur, Mudumalai and Kanha Tiger Reserves which are adding value to education through learning and sharing. 233 children from Baglung and Saptari districts were connected to the sponsors through the sponsorship activity. 1568 community members benefited from group meetings on the topics of child abuse and quality of living for children. Psycho-social training provided to 41 teachers and 15 social mobilizers working in the 21 project schools in Nepal.