Strategy change in Asha Fellow Ravi Aluganti’s program

Introduction

Ravi Aluganti has been an Asha Fellow for the last 3 years. He works in Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh. His main objective is to make learning a child-centered activity rather than a teacher-directed one. Towards this end, he has created many teaching aids and associated methods of teaching which he implements in the 15 primary schools participating in his program. This proposal describes the changed strategy he proposes to adopt to improve the impact in this field.

The objectives and principles guiding Ravi Aluganti’s work are:

• To provide educational experiences that are truly joyful and realize the potential of every child
• To make learning a more child centered activity rather than a teacher directed one.
• To get children work with their hands, make them talk and discuss and most important, make them think for themselves.
• To make learning more meaningful to the child and the parents so that it ensures regular attendance and continuation of their education.
• To provide quality interventions in government schools where at present only underprivileged children attend. 
• Do the above while following the curriculum prescribed by the government.

Current Program

Keeping the above objectives/considerations in mind, Ravi Aluganti has been developing activities for children of classes 1 to 5 so that. The activities that are being developed in the following areas, but subjects are taught in an integrated manner wherever possible - (a) Language Learning, (b)  Mathematics (c)  Environmental studies and (d)  Art and Craft.

Currently there are 15(fifteen) primary schools in the villages around Madanapalle On every working day, Ravi  goes to two schools and spends half a day in each school getting the children to do the above activities. Sometimes the teachers also participate. He has been able to understand the children and work with them. He has built a working rapport with all the teachers.

Why change in strategy

The change in strategy has been necessitated as a solution to the following set of problems

· Insufficient interactions with children (Limited visits by Ravi, teachers absent/leave, large number of government holidays, long summer holidays)

· Teacher turnover (there are regular teacher transfers, takes time to build rapport with new teachers, teachers who get transferred take away the material that is given to the school)

· Teachers indifference (it is very difficult to motivate some elderly teachers - security in jobs and unions make some teachers lazy and thus they are not ready for new ideas)

· School timings are restrictive - Since we have to visit only during the school hours, we are not able to interact with all classes. Sometimes my visits clash with regular school programmes such as tests and exams)

· Lack of Continuity in activities (there is no guarantee that all teachers will continue the activities which we do with the children; one lesson or part of a lesson is learnt through activity the other lessons are done in the routine way)

· Change of governments/policies

Proposed programme

Many of the above-mentioned problems can be addressed if we create a system in villages where we have a constant touch with the children throughout the year. The reworked strategy involves the following features:

• We will Identify and train local youth in the respective villages who are educated and are willing to work with children. They should preferably have studied up to Plus-Two (P.U.C.) level, because at this stage (a) they would be open to new ideas when compared with persons having B.Ed or TTC, (b) they would be less likely to move out of the village, and (c) once trained would be an asset to the village. They will be called Animators.

• Each animator will teach children in the selected government school for half a day (post lunch). They will use innovative teaching methods.

• After school the animators will engage the children with various activities. The first hour will be exclusively for games and play. The second hour they will do various activities based on their lessons. The last hour is for homework or reading library books.

• This gathering will be held in the existing school building or a suitable place. We call these gatherings can be called Learning Centres.

• These Animators will undergo an intensive training programme with inputs from within and outside the organization. They will be regularly trained in activity-based learning and their progress monitored. Ravi Aluganti will attend to one/ two Centers everyday to help and give onsite training to the animators. On Saturdays, Ravi Aluganti and the 5 animators will meet in one place for trainings/ sharings/ setting weekly tasks and to prepare learning material.

• For a start, we would like to start Learning Centers in 5 villages out of the 15 that we are presently working with. After observing the functioning of the Centers for six months and based on the feed back from children, teachers and funders, we can think of having Learning Centers in the remaining ten villages.      

Costs involved

• Rupees 1000 per Village
• Rs 750 - Animators Honorarium + Rs 250 - Training materials, Stationery, etc

• Total of Rupees 30,000 
• 1000 Rupees X 5 Villages X 6 months

• Ravi Aluganti’s living and travel expenses are taken care of by Asha Fellowship till the end of Aug 2005

• Parents will be asked to contribute Rs 5/- per child per month during the first year and Rs 10/- during the second year. The amount collected will go to the animator.