Bengaluru - Based Ngo Took Initiative To Build Model Schools For Children
Update: 2022-05-01 14:45 IST
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The pandemic-induced lockdowns affected the way children were educated. While those with access to online learning tools were able to navigate the extended gap in physical sessions with reasonable ease, pupils who attend government schools and come from low-income families were disproportionately affected. Furthermore, Bal Utsav, a Bengaluru-based education NGO, seeks to change government schools.
The NGO provides inclusive, creative, and internet-driven education through its flagship programmes, iShaala and Sampoorna Shaala. The major noticeable distinction between these two is that an iShaala supervises around 100 pupils, whilst a Sampoorna Shaala manages around 500.
Bal Utsav has initiated a pilot project to transform the Mandal Parishad Primary School (MPPS) in Nizampet, Hyderabad, into a model school named iShaala.
Bal Utsav co-founder Ramesh Balasundaram stated that the infrastructure, teacher development, scholarships, and water, sanitation, and hygiene are the four aspects needed to accomplish their goal. The goal is to show that exceptional public education can be achieved through model schools by maximising resource utilisation.
They not only apply a fresh coat of paint to lift the spirits of youngsters, but they also construct bathrooms to ensure that schools have essential infrastructure. They even engage temporary 'para-teachers,' whose salaries are funded by the NGO, to help with the student-to-teacher ratio. Teachers are participating in 'teacher development activities.' In a similar manner, more janitors were hired.
Bal Utsav has also worked with major edtech companies to give free smart television sets in schools with pre-loaded curricular information. The children and teachers are then given a 'learning licence,' which allows them to use their cellphones or tablets to access the curriculum.
Bal Utsav is constructing a sanitary pad vending machine as part of the WASH initiative. Each adolescent female would receive four pennies every month, which would buy 12 pads. An incinerator has also been erected to safely dispose of the used pads. Scholarships are also available to high-achieving kids who aspire to pursue further education.