Koshish-Milap Trust is providing formal education support to the school going (KG to 5th grade) Mujmahuda slum children. Our goal is to make children competitive, confident and independent thinkers; as well as to reduce school dropouts.
Working Strategies
- Location: The facility is within the slum area, making it convenient for the beneficiaries.
- Methods: Synthesize and apply the best methodology relevant to the local population.
- Educational material: Books, stationery, etc., are provided free in the class.
- Differential instruction: Address individual needs by restricting class size smaller than 20 students.
- Cognitive focus: Replace rote learning with conceptual understanding.
- Behavioral: Replace corporal punishment with love, logic and discussion.
- Learning materials: Develop and use teaching aids as needed: variety of charts and flash cards (e.g. story charts with and without pictures, addition, subtraction, classification, comparison, ascending/descending orders, phonics, writing, etc), strips (e.g. phonics, math concepts, reading and writing), and aptitude tests for math and science.
- Manipulatives: Try to demonstrate with real objects such as weighing balance, coins, clock, etc. to clarify the concepts through developmentally appropriate hands-on experience.
- Technology: Use of audio/visual aids such as video clips, charts, etc. to clarify specific concepts such as nature, dams, plants, animals, water sources, earth, mines, public places, etc.
- Reading material: Translate/develop reading material in Gujarati and provide them to the students for extra reading.
- Field trips: Educational tours are arranged for students, e.g. garden, zoo, museum, planetarium, library, university, dairy, police station, jail, market, post-office, fire-station, bank, religious places, ocean, etc.
- Extra curriculum: Arrange extra curricular activities for arts, crafts, sports, and festival celebrations.
- Parents: Arrange parental meetings and encourage their involvement.
- Training: Regular training and meetings with teachers. Teachers are provided specifically developed lesson plans.
- Sponsorship: Bright and needy students are sponsored to private schools.
- Analysis: Documentation and analysis of past experiences.
- Subsidized: Spending about Rs 7000 per student annually, but charging less than 10% (Rs 600 per year) as a token fee.