Education Quality

Education of Satisfactory Quality
In the absence of other clearly identified, verifiable indicators of quality, the
Department has focused mainly on students learning achievement levels. The reliance
is mainly on the national sample surveys for classes III, V and VII/VIII by NCERT
conducted every 2-3 years. The first set of surveys conducted during 2003-04 have
provided the results during 2006 as follows

Class III findings

Class V findings

Class VII/ VIII Study was initiated during 2003-04 in 30 states/ UTs covering
105 districts, 4124 schools, 17,139 teachers and 1,01,066 students

Class VII findings
10 sates

Class VIII findings
17 sates

Quality should be all- pervasive
The quality of learning is dependent upon the quality of the planning process and implementation of a wide range of inputs or services in the school system. Thus the quality of personnel in the State and district SSA offices, competence and commitment of academic staff at the DIET / BRC / CRC, the quality of monitoring of teacher training programmes and the decentralized academic support systems, quality of governance in terms of appropriate deployment of teachers and process of recruitment of teachers, quality of the mainstream educational administration and supervision system, quality of school related data that would reflect the status of individual schools, clusters, blocks etc. Therefore it is important to enhance the quality of planning and implementation of all aspects of SSA. While most of
the activities are being implemented in almost all States and UTs, their impact is varied. This is mainly on account of the varied quality of implementation of the inputs being provided under SSA. In the second phase of SSA, beginning of the 11th Plan the challenge is for State and UTs to implement processes that will set quality control standards for each aspect of the education service delivery.

This approach has another implication. It will not be adequate to only set quality control measures only for activities funded the Annual Work Plan & Budget of SSA. This would extend to aspects of teacher placement, supervision and monitoring, databases of the Education Department etc. This theme of improvement of quality in the implementation of SSA / elementary education service delivery would be discussed in each of the sections in the report.

Basic learning conditions should be available in each school
Certain basic facilities must be available in each school including teachers as per the norm, usable space per child, textbooks and workbooks, furniture for students, a school library etc. The minimum facilities that must be available in each school should be clearly defined and notified. Each State and UT should define such standards for each school. It should be ensured that each school has these basic facilities at all points of time.

Another basic learning condition is the regular functioning of the school for the required number of days and hours each day. This would imply minimizing teacher time on non-academic work. Monitoring teacher attendance and their accountability for improved learning standards, needs to be made an integral part of SSA framework with clear outcomes. Frequent supervision by inspecting staff of the education department would help to improve the regularity of functioning of schools.

Deployment of teachers in a rational manner so that the PTR norm is maintained for each school should be ensured through effective State policies on transfers and deployment. The scourge of single teacher schools, schools with PTRs above 70 or 100 should be consciously ended.

How must we go about improving the quality of education throughout the nation?

How and when will we stop equating education to income generation, using a nationwide inadequate job supply as an excuse for our inability and even unwillingness to educate India's children?

The Corporate / Religious donors need to analyse whether they wish to start their own schools when there are government-run schools already in place.

Can the donors community instead work with the government and improve the Indian standard of education?

In areas where some government infrastructure is already in place, cannot the donor community use their money to help a wider and more expansive range of already-existing schools?

Education Quality : Government Interventions

Student Assessment
Measurement of students’ achievement levels through external assessment tests has become an important activity in several States. Such tests are being conducted either on a sample basis or even for all students. Such tests are used to rank performance of blocks and districts. Ranking of schools based on such achievement test results is also undertaken.

At the national level, the NCERT achievement surveys for classes III, V, VII/VIII are conducted every three years. The inordinate delay in publication of results and the rather simplistic listing of mean scores does not allow use of these survey results for diagnosis and corrective action.

Many of the State achievement tests, though carried out for the stated purpose of initiating remedial action, are used mainly to declare aggregated students’ performance and grade school performance. The remedial teaching activities that are initiated, based on such tests are centrally planned, usually at State or district level and do not serve the purpose of remediation of individual student’s difficulties.

It is important to enhance capacity at school and cluster level for carrying out continuous and
comprehensive pupil evaluation. This should be the major focus of training programmes. Assessment has to be an integral part of the quality improvement process in the classroom. While the measurement that helps in grading and ranking and identifying trends could be useful in generating greater awareness on school performance and accountability issues, it is important to ensure that the frequency of such testing does not become counterproductive and that measurement does not become an end in itself. Also, the interpretation of results of school or cluster/block performance has to be done carefully taking into account the socio-economic situation of students, school conditions like PTRs, language background of
students etc. This is an area where more work is required. NCERT is presently working on the
development of a Systemic Quality Index that could help in better interpretation and utilisation of learning achievement surveys.

There is a need to distinguish between measurement for the following two purposes and to provide explicitly for them in the SSA framework for the 11th Plan period:
(i) Assessing performance of individual students
(ii) Assessing and grading effectiveness of schools and teachers and assessing trends in learner achievements in a given area.

National surveys of achievement levels, to provide an overall sense of direction of learning outcomes should be conducted through an arrangement that is able to provide quick results and analysis.

Ensuring that basic skills are learnt in early primary classes
Based on the feedback from some achievement surveys and internal assessment by some States, there appears to be a need to ensure that the basic skills of literacy and numeracy are definitely learnt by all students in the early primary classes of I and II . A major reason for the learning deficits in the later primary classes of 3 to 5 is on account of the inadequate foundation for these basic skills in the early classes. There are several initiatives in the country that have tried to develop appropriate materials and methods for this purpose. These need to be shared with others. Development of strong ‘reading with comprehension’ skills should be a priority. Training of teachers on appropriate early language teaching methods, a good pre-literacy, pre-numeracy curriculum, assignment of good, child-friendly teachers to the early primary classes would help in achieving this objective. SSA guidelines need to provide expressly for such inter relation in the programme design.

Another major area of reform in the quality area is the teaching of language at the primary stage. Language teaching methods in our classrooms focus on literacy from the first day at school with little scope for development of oral skills, improving vocabulary, use of language in various forms and comprehension. There is no clear strategy for developing good reading skills early. The language teaching practices of alphabet recitation and copying are even more inappropriate for children who come from a different language background, i.e. for whom the school language is really a second language. Our pre and in-service training programmes should prepare teachers in good second language teaching strategies

English has now been introduced as a subject in Class I in 18 States. In most other States it is introduced by Class III. This is a response of the system to people’s aspirations for their children to learn good English. Though inappropriate, early introduction of English in the primary school curriculum is here to stay. There needs to be a lot of emphasis on improving the teaching of English at the primary stage.

This would involve development of an appropriate curriculum and materials, methods of teaching of English relevant to our varied situations, training of teachers and even recruitment of teachers who have adequate skills in English etc. A preliminary analysis
of English language teaching practices and materials used across the country indicates serious inadequacies. This needs to be taken up seriously by the States and UTs and also supported at the national level through research, dissemination of good practices. The use of Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) and computer-aided learning (which is being tried out in some States) could be useful tools. NCERT and CIEFL could play an important role in overhauling English teaching at the primary stage

SSA - Quality of Education

Education Quality : NGO Interventions

Naandi Foundation - Supporting Schools for Quality Education
SOS: Our Education Initiatives

Government schools account for 70 per cent of school-going children in Andhra Pradesh* (AP-DPEP, November 2002) and an equal percentage rate in terms of school dropout rates.

Most of the children enrolled in the government schools are from extremely poor families and are in need of support to avoid dropping out from school.

Naandi is addressing this need and providing necessary support by:

• Providing nutritious meals to children so their attention shifts from hunger to the classroom,

• Conducting health camps and relevant follow ups so they are fit and able to take an interest in the lessons,

• Improving the school environment and infrastructure, so coming to school becomes pleasing and attractive,

• Counseling communities and convincing parents to let their children continue in school,

• Bringing innovations into the curriculum and introduce new curriculum pertaining to arts, games and value education and make it more child-friendly to ensure they learn.

Naandi has signed up with corporate bodies such as American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham), Microsoft, Dr Reddy's Laboratories, and Coke, who are not only contributing financially but provided volunteers who are supporting schools, interacting with the students, staff and parents to work out solutions to improve the schools, making representations on their behalf to the education department and ensuring the schools get help.

Teachers are being recruited to better the adverse student-teacher ratio in the schools. Teaching staff is being trained and encouraged to introduce activity-oriented classes.

More learning opportunities are being given to the children through computers, by encouraging sports meets, by taking them on exposure visits to museums and planetariums and involving them in creating art and craft materials.

Toilets, whitewashed classrooms and infrastructure facilities are gradually being improved. Efforts are on to conduct campaigns to involve the children's families into taking more interest in the schools.

Achievements:

• The pilot has already been successfully implemented in 12 urban government schools in Hyderabad.

• What started out as a Naandi initiative with support from corporate volunteers has gathered momentum and turned into a movement. Adding dynamism to this program are companies from the AMCHAM such as Coke, Agrotech, Adaptec (India) Private Limited, D E Shaw India Software Private Limited, Orillion India Software Pvt Ltd, and Portalplayer Private Limited, who have adopted a few schools in Hyderabad. Their money, mind and time-share have helped meet the basic food and health needs of the students. These inputs have helped to ensure an increase in student attendance.

• Several health camps, summer camps and art camps have been held with a high turnout and enthusiastic participation from students and teachers, and supported by corporates.

Future Focus:

Naandi is replicating the model in a phased manner in all the 880 schools in Hyderabad, and upscaling it to schools all over the state and the country.

Parikrma Centres for Learning

The Parikrma Model is put in practice through Parikrma Centres for Learning. These are Centres that go beyond just a School. These are multi-purpose facilities that host various programs for the parents and others from the communities.
With the community and family forming a close part of Parikrama Foundation program, it is important to be structured to make it easy to integrate the family and community into our program. Thus Parikrama Foundation Centres are located close to the slums, where children walk to school and the parents are accessible to the teachers and administration of the Centres.
Imparting quality education is our core competency. Parikrama Foundation have out-sourced to and partnered with other NGOs and organizations for, the other 3 areas of healthcare, nutrition and family care.

Parikrma Centres for Learning
At the moment we have 4 such Centres located in Bangalore for 620 children.

Half Day Programe

Change your world in ½ a day

Science says that each one of us, even the poorest of the poor from the slums, is made up of billions of atoms that once belonged to geniuses. Well, here is an opportunity to unleash that genius in a slum child, which otherwise would be lost to our generation.

And all it takes is just ½ a day.

Parikrma Humanity Foundation is a nonprofit organization with a mission to unleash the potential of slum children in urban India. In 2 years, Parikrma has grown to 4 Centres for Learning with 620 children. Over these two years we have been able to create a successful model for imparting quality education to slum and orphaned children. Our program keeps children engaged in our schools with a drop-out rate of less than 1% and with 96% attending school everyday. We have expanded our work to cover over 25 slum communities, helping create stable homes for the children who come to Parikrma.

Last year Parikrma Humanity Foundation received the Derozio Award for excellence in Education and Human Enrichment from the ICSE board. This is an honour given to the best school among mainstream ICSE schools across India.
Our aim is to make the Parikrma Model accessible to as many of these children as possible.
This is where Parikrma Humanity Foundation need your help.

Change Your World in ½ a Day

All Parikrma Humanity Foundation need is just ½ a day of your entire year's salary. In return Parikrma Humanity Foundation will make you a stakeholder .. You will get to know the impact you ½ day is making on the children and communities that Parikrma serves.
And what is more you will receive a free ticket for 2 to a rock concert that will inspire you.
The concert is slated for December 3, 2005.

Change Your World in ½ a Day - 2004

The "Change Your World in ½ a Day" program, was launched last year. 3945 people from 56 companies contributed to the program. This contribution allowed us to provide our entire program which consists of a high quality ICSE English education, 3 meals a day, all healthcare and family care for 120 children of the entire Jayanagar Centre for Learning for one full year.

Imagine, all this with just ½ a day.

In 2004, ING Vysya Bank sponsored all the costs for running the ½ day program. Given its success they have once again agreed to partner us and sponsor the program and the rock concert (Incidentally, at the ½ day rock concert, over 7,000 people attended a truly spectacular event), ensuring that every single paisa of your ½ day contribution will benefit the children.

This year our objective through the ½ day program is to raise funds to provide for 300 children for the entire year. This means that we will need over 8,000 people to make that a reality. Your ½ day donation is invaluable to this. Of course you may choose to donate more than just ½ a day. Please do. Every rupee more will further our goal of helping these children become valuable, contributing members of our society.

Azim Premji Foundation : Policy Planning
The Government of Karnataka and Azim Premji Foundation have set up a Policy Planning Unit (PPU), as a joint initiative, as a part of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Government of Karnataka and Azim Premji Foundation. (Memorandum of Association between the Government of Karnataka and Azim Premji Foundation)
The PPU is conceived to be involved in managing and evaluating the educational macro-planning at state level and the micro-planning at district, block and habitation level. This body will have autonomous status and consist of specialists from different disciplines, but related with education sector and identified officers from the Education Department, as well as senior researchers from Azim Premji Foundation. There are three broad areas that would be considered by the unit, while working on excellence in education.

. Administrative and Technical Capability. The task here is to understand and analyse the present state education policy and planning, in order to frame the future one. The unit will support the state education administrative wing in building up the capacities for planning and administration in the education department.

. Academic Capability. All issues pertaining to academic improvement and all-round development of the child are part of this capability.

. Social/ Community Mobilisation Capability. While there is an increasing thrust to engage communities in the schooling process more effectively, it is important to ensure social mobilization so that society participates in ensuring that every child realises the right to education.

More details about the Policy Planning Unit

Projects in progress

• IT Training commences in Mandya district on March 7, 2005
• Public Expenditure Management in Education Department of Government of Karnataka - "Prakriya Manthana Adhikarigala Tarabeti (PRAMATA)
• Trimester System Study
• School Development Monitoring Evaluation
• Evaluation of Mahiti Sindhu Scheme
• Evaluation of Free Text Book Scheme
• Contact Information

Information Source
http://www.azimpremjifoundation.org/html/ppu.htm

Information Date
April 06, 2006

Azim Premji Foundation
Launch in Madhya Pradesh
The Learning Guarantee Programme has been launched in Datia and Vidisha districts. A team of 12 academicians from Rajya Shiksha Kendra and three Azim Premji Foundation members developed competency based question papers. Competencies were listed down on the basis of the curriculum and different ways in which these competencies could be tested were investigated. Resources like TIMMS, ASSET and AAA question papers, Homi Bhabha Science Centre and Eklavya were referred to and innovative questions introduced. These were field tested and the findings from these tests shared with experts and the required changes incorporated. These test papers have been distributed among the schools to familiarize them with competency based assessment.

Participation of over 60% schools
Orientation workshops were organized for all the Jan Shikshaks (Cluster Resource Persons) at Datia and Vidisha districts. The Jan Shikshaks communicated the programme to 2,677 schools in these two districts. Each school was given communication material viz. mailer, poster and sample of question papers. The sign of enthusiasm in participation can be gauged from the fact that 1,663 schools in these two districts have come forward to participate in the programme.

Capacity Building - Input to schools
The programme has a component of capacity building for school headmasters, teachers, Jan Shikshaks and Block Resource Coordinators to enable schools to initiate reforms in classroom processes to meet the challenge of competency based evaluation. The eminent education expert, Prof. A.K. Jalaluddin, is working with the Foundation for this initiative.

Information Source
http://www.azimpremjifoundation.org/html/LGPinMP.htm

Information Date
April 06, 2006

Partnership
Arushi Society has been involved to help us during the communication exercise of LGP in Datia and Vidisha districts. Ten programme executives and 40 volunteers from the 10 blocks of the two districts would be involved in this exercise.

Information Source
http://www.azimpremjifoundation.org /html/SP_LGP_Madhya_Pradesh.htm

Information Date
April 06, 2006

WIPRO CARES
Summer Camp for Children
The idea of interacting with the children of the school using creative and innovative ways such as arts, crafts and other fun activities appealed to the Wipro Cares volunteers. It had two fold objectives: First, to stay in touch with the children that they were involved with during the summer break. Second, to make the summer holidays enjoyable for these children, who would otherwise have to spend time playing with mud and sand outside their homes, when their parents go to work.

The activities also brought forth the hidden talents of these children (and the volunteers!) be it story telling with hand puppets, painting or clay modeling.

group of volunteers took on the additional responsibility of organizing the camp, with the support of the administration. They planned out different activities every Saturday.

The summer camps also helped these children develop their skills, confidence and motivation to succeed not just in classrooms but in life.

Vikram Sarabhai Community Science Center
The objective is to improve the science and math education at the middle school level in government schools. This age group has not received much focus in previous efforts.
Vikram Sarabhai Community Science Center, an organization of eminence in the field, is planning to work with clusters of 10 government schools each in four different parts of earthquake affected Gujarat.

With the school science and math curriculum as a basis, the idea is to rejuvenate the teaching and learning of these subjects by improving the conceptual understanding and pedagogical grasp of teachers through training and resource support.
The project specifically includes provision of science and math kits to every school, and setting up science play grounds for each cluster of 10 schools. The final objective is to achieve significantly improved learning levels of all children.

The center will continually share its experiences and generate dialogue with the Gujarat school system to influence the government to take on the project on a larger scale

Vasundhara
The motivation behind the Science on Wheels program is to promote science education through a development of logic, systematic observation and experimentation. It seeks to make learning science an enjoyable experience, help students learn analytical thinking, encourage them to question the world around them. In 1999-2000, the Science on Wheels program was organized 96 times in 60 schools. It is extended now to the upper-primary.

Additionally, they have Perpetual Science Workshop, which is a set of posters and activities designed to continually engage students in sciencerelated activities through active learning. And, Sunday Science School, which is a new consecutive 7-sunday science course/forum where children will be able to participate in science related experiments and activities that cannot be pursued in a Science-on-Wheels like mobile-laboratory set-up -- activities which involve large, fragile models etc.

Vasavya Society for Rural Development
This project will have emphasis on "learning" rather than mere "teaching". Education should be a matter of pleasure for the student. It is the positive, congenial atmosphere which enables learning process. It is the involvement of teachers, Village Education Committee, Gram Panchayat and other people's organization that ensures good education. A sense of belonging, ownership and concern for quality education of their children among the parents are essential prerequisites for making the school strong and dynamic.

OBJECTIVES

• To improve the quality of education
• To inculcate aptitude for learning in the student
• All round development of the child
• To strengthen the teachers and their ability to teach and equip them better
• To improve school infrastructure

Organization Description
Vasavya Society for Rural Development (VASORD). Under a central government scheme Kaakanoor was one of 11,000 villages in India to receive the benefit of a watershed program. The program bore fruit after VASORD's involvement over the last four years, and it has brought prosperity to the village of 2000 people by making agriculture sustainable once more.

VASORD has worked closely with the people of Kaakanoor by introducing them to non-conventional energy resources, such as biogas, as well as an afforestation program. In the course of implementing these schemes successfully VASORD has gained the trust of the villagers and has demonstrated its commitment to convert Kaakanoor into a model village in the area. Their new mission is to improve the conditions in the local government school. This school provides education in classes I to VII under the AP State syllabus to about 300 children.

Tamil Nadu Science Forum : Educational Video CDs from AID - India
Over the years the TNSF has built a teachers network of over 600 teachers and have resource people who can train teachers in their area of expertise. These areas include (but are not limited to) problems with math teaching in primary schools, low cost science experiments, health education. Since the core group has limited time they are unable to reach out to enough villages without diluting the content. The VCDs were thought of a way to boost field programs and used as supplementation in the training program.

They can be used in group viewing, no only in teacher training programs but also by teachers in schools to enhance their teaching in class. The idea is not to replace the teacher or trainer.

The videos on specific classes eg Physics for VIII: It is not attempted to cover the entire book and put it on a video. From earlier experience and available material it is clear that this tends to overburden the students who already have to read the text. Instead, experimentation based techiniques are shown which clarify and get the children to ask questions about their understanding of the topics. The topics covered are chosen from experience from the "hot spots" that children in the past have encountered.

The program will be used in the 8 districts that TNSF has worked with in the past as well as the 100 blocks that the TNSF is extending a variety of programs to.

Two videos VCDs have already been made, one is the "Powers of 10 the atom to the universe". This is a 15 min video that introduces the children to scales of 10, starting with a leaf progressively zooms out by a scale of 10 times till it shows the entire universe. It then zooms in by a power of 10 each time till it reaches the atom. This video was demonstrated at a teachers meeting at Madurai and the VCDs were lapped up right there. I have shown this video to children at schools near Chennai and the response has been phenomenal.

The other video is "Childhood from birth to four". This explains the different sections of a children childhood. This was meant to be viewed by adolescent girls and women. The video gives an understanding of the requirements of mothers and children with special emphasis on addressing popular beliefs that cause a children to be malnourished in villages.

The video camera has been provided by AID (Associaltion of Indian Development) and the primary costs of making the videos is in editing and conversion to digital format. The editing is done in both the video stage and in the digital stage with video clipings, and animation are added to make the video more interesting to watch.

Once the first VCD is cut, it is distributed at the price of cutting a CD. (only around Rs.60, which is very affordable for a community) The difference in availability of VCDs with other educational materials lies in the fact that TNSF is non-profit organization and is not trying to make money of these VCDs.

Team for Education and Action
TEA is planning to implement a project for "improving the quality of elementary education to prevent children from becoming child labourers" in the working area. Initially they are planning to work in five villages with five government primary (classes 1-5) and elementary (classes 1-8) schools. In total they will be working with 644 school going children.
The aims of the project are:
- To Improve the quality of education
- To strengthen the PTA (Parents Teachers Association) and VEC (Village Education Committees) in the five villages
- To create an awareness about the child labour issues among the school teachers
- To provide Child Rights Education for children
- To organise health camps for children
- To organise science clubs and environment education programmes for children.
- To mobilize local resources for the improvement of school education.

Swami Vivekananda Educational Society
The school has built up separately Library for the Primary & High Schools. The laboratory of the High School is shared by the Primary School also. The growing population of the school needs better library & laboratory facilities. Therefore, the present equipment & books have to be supplemented with more equipment and useful books. The library consists of more than 10,000 books in various areas of knowledge - like Science, Social Science, Mathematics, Literature, Arts etc. The laboratory has equipment and Chemicals worth more than one lakh rupees. Practical classes and demonstrations are conducted as and when the occasion demands. A proposal to procure more equipment to our school laboratory and books to the library in enclosed. We hope that Asha will extend their helping hand in the area also.

Project Type: Formal Schools
Asha works with formal schools for children in rural as well as urban areas. The schools provide full time schools for children with the syllabus prescribed by the government. The formal schools being supported by Asha are typically located in areas where there is no other schooling available. The children attending these schools pay little or no fees and come from low socio-economic backgrounds. Some of the formal schools incorporate good teaching and learning techniques to ensure that the education the children receive is effective. Asha has helped support the financial needs for schools including school infrastructure and building cost, land cost, teacher salaries, educational materials, transportation and other requirements.

Primary Focus: to go to formal school
this project focuses on getting children to attend formal school

Sutradhar :
Sutradhar is a resource center which aims to provide access to educational innovations to several schools.
It aims to support and multiply the impact of educational innovations, leading to a qualitative improvement in the state of children's education.

Sutradhar opened in November 1995 in Bangalore. It is set up as an open-access resource bank of creative educational ideas and materials. Over the last decade, many innovations have been developed by educators working in different settings, but these are not widely known or easily available to others who could benefit from them. By pooling and promoting these innovations, a comprehensive resource centre like Sutradhar aims to multiply their impact, thereby minimising waste. While Sutradhar currently serves Bangalore and Karnataka, it aims to reach out nationwide.

Neel Bagh : Sumavanam
The children who attend the school are in the age group of 5 through 15 years. Sumavanam is in a remote part of A.P. and it provides quality education to 20 children who come from economically deprived neighboring villages. The school is based on the teaching methodologies of David Horsburgh of Rishi Valley.

The schools are able to arrest drop out rates by making children enjoy learning. This is done by providing an unique environment of co-operation, self and peer supported learning, along with crafts and hands on learning tools for lifelong support. These children, unlike most schools in this part of the country, have shown a great desire to attend the school, learn to read and master the subjects. The older children take part in teaching the younger ones. The students are also engaged in extra-curricular activities such as, painting, needle work, carpentry etc. They are extraordinary in their craft work and have great concern for the environment. They have taken part in putting out forest fires and have saved small animals in and around the school.

Purpose / Goals Objectives
To provide economically deprived rural youth with quality education -Empower them to better their lives and their environment -Introduce effective new and innovative teaching methods in a rural school .

About Sumavanam
Neel Bagh trust in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) runs Sumavanam village school. This school was started in 1974 by David and Nicholas Horsburgh, eminent educators who have written text books for grade schools. Mr. T. M. Narasimhan, a former scientist of National Aerospace Laboratory, India, is the present managing trustee of this school. He and his wife Usha moved to this area in the 1980s in order to set up the school. They were instrumental in turning an arid landscape into the green school campus that exists today.

Sikshana
Sikshana is all about improving the Quality of education in the State - run schools so as to provide an opportunity for children from the lower strata of the society to raise their living standards.

Sikshana is all about improving the Quality of education in the State- run schools so as to provide an opportunity for children from the lower strata of the society to raise their living standards. In the process, we expect to make a dent on the negative image of the Public school system. The exercise is also aimed at developing a sustainable model which lends itself to replication at higher levels.

Poorna Vidhya
Over the years a number of efforts were made to improve the facilities and services offered to children in Govt. run schools. Despite these the quality of learning offered in many schools is far from satisfactory. A number of evaluation studies on classroom processes in govt. schools have stated that,

Low achievement levels of children passing out each year.
Continuation of drill and other monotonous teaching methods Inadequate lesson planning.
Concept of organizing small groups for peer learning and individualized attention to learners has not taken roots.
Non-availability of learning material for self and group learning material.
Facilities such as library books are not available to children on a regular basis.
Long hours of children's productive time being un or underutilized. Large combined classes with one teacher or the other busy with other tasks
Lack of art, craft, music, sports activities on a regular basis for all round development of children.

Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra
Primary Schools, High School, NFE Centres and Bridge Camp Schools

Objective : To provide quality education to the poor children

Donor Partner: Prakash Bhai Shah, Mari Homes through AVI, Jharkhand Education Project Council, Hazaribag and NEG/IGSSS Germany.

Area: Jharkhand & Bihar

Achievements
NBJK runs these centers in the slums and in the remotest areas of Jharkhand and Bihar so that the poor can avail the facility of quality education. These NFE centers act as a bridge for the poor drop outs to enter the government schools. Some of the NBJK schools hold regular computer classes, have well-equipped science labs and their libraries have the latest books and magazines to make their education at par with private schools in the cities and towns. To provide a channel for the student's creativity, extra curricular activities are also organized frequently in all the educational centers of NBJK.

Besides running schools NBJK links the poor and vulnerable children to the government schools.

Education Centers run by NBJK