Education

Our Journey in Educational Intervention in Rural Areas

In the initial five years of activities, Learning Space Foundation spread from its conception in Ganeshpuri to other neighbouring villages like Wada and Bhiwandi as part of an outreach program. LSF recruited and trained the educated youth of the village through creative means with an aim to fill gaps in conventional learning. 

Over the next 10 years, LSF focused on building an array of sustainable models for the early, primary and middle schooling years. Simultaneously, the infrastructure of schools with sanitation facilities, science labs, book libraries and computer labs in hundreds of preschools, primary and middle level schools across the two sub-districts of Thane in Maharashtra were developed.


SarvaPrathamik - Kaushalyapurna Shikshan
Imparting age-appropriate development skills through the English Language, to  early and primary rural learners

Due to the onset of the corona pandemic, rural children in India have been struggling to obtain a quality education. The Learning Space Foundation came up with an innovative solution to help bridge the gap during these unprecedented times. 

 

Meticulously adhering to the guidelines outlined in the National Education Policy in 2020, a new model was created that has been introduced to about 500 early and primary learners in remotely located villages of the Thane and Palghar districts in Maharashtra. This model truly deserves to be seen, heard and replicated. It also has an effective 360-degree assessment that grades a child in both cognitive and life skills.

In the year 2022, the model has been revised and called SarvaPrathamik. It is designed to be a wholesome developmental program where rural children can continue their educational journey beyond the COVID pandemic. 


By observing the efficacy of this program on the holistic development of the learner, LSF has begun implementing it in 17 villages throughout Wada, Bhiwandi & Vikramgad in the Thane-Palghar area.

The SarvaPrathamik learning system was designed to be a wholesome developmental model, for early & primary rural learners in Anganwadi & Zilla Parishad schools respectively. By empowering children, teachers, parents and the community it has brought good quality education for every child through offering an integrated form of learning and development to children in the remote villages of India. 

The model primarily aims at age-appropriate developmental goals in learning. It draws upon learning content from the Maharashtra Board Balbharati textbooks and delivers it to children in preschools and primary schools in compelling and interactive ways using creative handcrafted eco-friendly learning material.

This Early & Primary Learning Development project predominantly aims at the development of the child via focusing on age-appropriate skill enhancement. The developmental goals given below were targeted and achieved by the project in the year 2021-22;


A. Language skills

B. Cognitive & Math skills

C. Interpersonal Social Skills

D. Social-Emotional Skills

E. Physical -Gross and Fine Motor skills

F. Intrapersonal & Spiritual skills

Step4Girls - Bavishni

Our Mission

Our mission is to intervene in crises situations of rural high school girls, to bridge gaps in their education & health-care and act as a catalyst by empowering the rural girls with the power to live their dreams.

The Goal

Complete support for education, health care and nutrition for a sustained period of 18 to 24 months for a selected group of 125 high school girls hailing from very severely financially challenged rural families with no education or health care support from families, thereby improving their health status and reducing school drop-out/absenteeism.

Objectives

 

Ground Reality


What problems does a rural high school girl encounter while attending a day-long school?

 

Targeted Beneficiary Students

Early Child Development Center

Objective: To renovate and refurbish an abandoned room in Z P Chimbipada to cater as an Early Child Development Centre for children between 3 to 10 years old. The space is designed to enhance early education through different components of learning such as motor skills, creative learning, cognitive skills, language and mathematics skills, technology and performance-based learning while working on the social and health development of the child. The foreseen impact of the centre is estimated at 150 children in a circulating manner.


Previously Implemented projects 

English Language Development in Vernacular Primary Schools(ELD-VPS)

Since its conception in June 2011, ELDVPS has intervened with over 300 Zilla Parishad schools in Wada and Bhiwandi and taken 3785 children a step closer to achieving their dreams.

Learning Space recognised that children in Zilla Parishad schools do not have the requisite environment to learn English. The teachers are from local areas and therefore not satisfactorily trained to teach English because their own exposure to the language is limited. In addition, there lies a major gap in infrastructure and facilities making learning English difficult for children.

LSF developed custom E-Teach modules to complement the curriculum prescribed by the Govt. of Maharashtra for vernacular schools. In the E-Teach model of learning, the class teacher makes use of a TV, projector or a computer. The teacher is assisted by the EET content to explain objects/phrases as well as correct pronunciation. LSF facilitators support the teachers to make proper use of the equipment and aid their English teaching skills with classroom activities.

The content in E-Teach modules is formulated keeping in mind the needs of students as well as teachers alike. Standard use of English, correct pronunciation, sentence formation and other nuances of the language are covered in the module.  The LSF team’s primary focus is on teacher training to improve teaching skills. With the help of Zilla Parishad officials, LSF has been able to improve English language proficiency of teachers in over 300 schools, while improving the quality of English learning for 3785 students over a period of almost 9 years. 

Beneficiaries and Areas of Intervention

LSF’s focus is on the vernacular Zilla Parishad primary schools facing challenges in teaching. LSF facilitators participate in teacher training programs designed to improve their English proficiency and teaching skills. In this way, LSF bestows schools with the obligatory teaching material and necessary infrastructure to create an environment that fosters the growth and development of rural children.

Impact

These 3785 students are now able to

While the teachers are able to use their modules efficiently, their personal command over the language has improved greatly.

Early Learner's Development Program (ELDP)

The tribal population in Wada Taluka of Palghar district consists of farmers with marginal or no land holdings. They also migrate to work in brick factories, local farms and non-farming enterprises in the district. It is very common in Wada for the locals to migrate for work with the entire family. This socio- economic backwardness has left their children, between the ages of 0-6, malnourished. Therefore, the ICDS system (managed by Anganwadi workers) prioritizes malnutrition over any other areas.  It has been observed that even the equally important and critical areas of Early Childhood Education (ECE) are neglected.

Also, as per ASER reports the Taluka education system indicates poor standard of school readiness amongst preschool students and poor school transition amongst primary grade students. After decades of planning, during academic year 17-18 there are strong movements by the Central and State Governments to put a formal policy in place for ECE similar to the RTE enactment in 2009. In terms of standardization, the draft policy which is likely to be rolled out within a year,  addresses qualification, curriculum and play routines, infrastructure design (including learning materials), assessment methods, parental engagement and the process of monitoring & reporting. Despite the benevolent intentions, there are significant crevices which need to be confront before the rollout becomes feasible.

After identifying these gaps across the rural education setup, two non profits – Learning Space Foundation and Muktangan, initiated a pilot intervention in 2013 at Wada which started with 25 Anganwadis and 25 Zilla Parishad schools. This has now scaled to 271 Anganwadis in phase 2 spanning across 2017 and 2020. Through systematic tracking of the effectiveness of these alternative approaches within the pilot project, the goal is to share the outcomes in the form of a research document as well as develop the capacities of the partnering NPOs to scale in other geographies using the knowledge developed in the pilot.

Beneficiaries and Areas of Intervention

ELDP programme directly benefits pre-school children in the age group between 3-6 years of age who have enrolled in Anganwadis in the ICDS block of Wada. Along with them, Anganwadi workers and helpers (Karyakartis and Madatnis) also get the benefits of training and structured handholding by rural facilitators. Furthermore, they gain access to high-quality learning toolkits that add to the development of their teaching abilities. The ECE model aims to establish an impactful and sustainable model that can be carried forward by the trained Anganwadi staff even after the exit of capacity builders. Prior to all of this, the rural ECE facilitators are trained to deliver basic process training and implementation at the field level.

Impact

Around 271 Anganwadis, 271 Anganwadi Karyakarti (worker), 219 Anganwadi Madatnis (helper), 9 Anganwadi Mukhya Sevika (supervisor) and a total of 6643 children in the 3-6 year age bracket have been benefited by the ELDP programme.

After 5 years of intervention, the Anganwadi Karyakartis are able to install and independently implement the basic components of ECE and conduct everyday ECE activities result in  a better learning experience for students. There have been special efforts made for developing trainers from the group of Anganwadi workers and supervisors. A top-quality curriculum has been developed following pilot testing. Specialized toolkits contextualized for rural ECE have been developed which can be used to replicate the success of the development model created. .

Throughout the process, there has been systematic documentation of pedagogy, design processes and appropriate implementation strategies adopted. Reports, case studies and other empirical evidence that could be used as a reference have also been recorded so that they can be replicated in development of other blocks by government and other nonprofits.


Computer Literacy for Schools

Over the past nine years, a computer literacy program run by LSF has set up 15 eLearning centres in 15 Zilla Parishad schools in Palghar, Wada, Vasai, and Dahanu. The program has enabled 3031 children to develop vital computer skills which qualify them for future opportunities to pursue higher education in the field of Information Technology.

Children at an early age like to become familiar with computers and engage willingly in the process. With time, technology becomes an integral part of their pastime and entices them to attend school.  Thereafter, children are able to learn basic computer skills as well as advanced IT applications.  Likewise, they can attend computer lessons and develop their own know-how to a higher proficiency.

The program not only focuses on learning computer skills but at the same time, soft skills such as eliminating the fear of handling technology and developing presentation skills. The broader objective of the program is to motivate tribal students to consider higher studies in the field of IT and empower them to pursue their dreams by imparting a skill critical for today’s workforce.


Beneficiaries and Areas of Intervention

Children from classes 5 to 9 from Zilla Parishad schools are taught computer skills to build a solid foundation at an early age. Fifteen centres across 15 schools have been set up which include a separate eLearning lab equipped with 10 computers and wireless internet.

These children have never been exposed to computers before and the LSF team spends time initially creating familiarity with the technology. Once acquainted, with the aid of qualified teachers, children start to learn basic and advance computer programs with ease.

LSF also takes into account the availability of electricity in the region and has installed UPS systems where required to endure power failures.

Impact

It is utterly gratifying to see 3031 children from Zilla Parishad schools participate in the eLearning program.  Many of them have fostered a practical level of working competence in with computer software such as MS Office, being able to produce small presentations as well as carrying out basic tasks (e.g. sending and receiving e-mails) whilst browsing the Internet. One of the key contributions of the students has been in converting the school’s hard copy data to soft copy databases by applying the skills they have acquired.


E-Kit for Primary schools

About E-Kit for Primary schools

The E-Kit installation project is one of our latest partnership projects being promoted by the Rotary Club of Downtown Sea-land. LSF is the implementation partner covering 155 schools in the Wada block of Palghar. The Rotary wanted to enhance the teaching and learning experience at Zilla Parishad schools. They took a step towards digitizing education by installing 120 32" Smart LED TVs at these schools. The smart TVs have been updated with syllabus-based content and the teachers are provided training to make use of the E-Kits effectively.


Beneficiaries and Areas of Intervention

E-Kit’s are installed in the primary classes of Zilla Parishad schools. As a result, children get accustomed to the digital learning process early in their life. Teachers of these schools are taught to make use of the kits so as to make them an integral part of the learning process.

Impact

Continuous training and extensive installations across 120 Zilla Parishad schools have enhanced the learning environment for 76901 children across the Wada block. As a result of the ongoing efforts:

Anganwadi Rejuvenation Project

The project focuses renovating the existing infrastructure of Anganwadis by making them well-suited to the rural environment.

The objective is to provide a healthy, hygienic and joyful environment conducive for children to play & learn.

Beneficiaries & Areas of Intervention

The Anganwadis have minimal infrastructure, lack functional electricity and sanitation facilities. Many of these centres are now deteriorating and in urgent need of repair and refurbishment. On the other hand, rural parents, of late, are becoming conscious of imparting education to children from an early age to ensure a foundation for mainstream education.

This project involves transforming Anganwadis by providing support in the areas of:

Impact

A well placed Anganwadi becomes the backbone of effective application of all ICDS programs in the fields of health, hygiene and education.

The project has been implemented in 125 Anganwadis in Wada & Bhiwandi Taluka benefiting 5000+ children & 250+ Anganwadi teachers and helpers.