21 May, 2006 Meeting Minutes
Attendees:
Anita, Anitha, Gaurav, Harpreet, Lalit,
Murali, Santhosh, Sanjeev, Saravanan, Sree
1.
GSK -
Gramin Shiksha Kendra update.
(http://www.ashanet.org/projects/project-view.php?p=603 )
Plan on running meaningful education model schools with
around 100-150 children in each school. They also have an outreach program to
educate the community about education and let them know that they can change
the system as such. Three model schools will be running to act as a metric to ramp
up the other schools. Last year one was started, planning to start the second
this year.
Updates:
Started with 65 kids up to 115 due to demand from the
communities. 5 teachers who have been trained at Boodh. They had an exhibition
in the school sports, farming on the 4 acre of land. Identified 7 new teachers
and have started the training program for them. Operating of a semi-permanent
structure and so far storage has been provided as a permanent structure.
Child parliament (Bal Panchayat) was set up in the school.
One member from the Bal Panchayat is also invited to present any issues that
children have in a Panchayat meeting. As part of the panchayat the children
have an editorial which acts as a newspaper for local news from the villages.
Q: What is an alternative education school?
A: Does not use standard pedagogy or rote learning.
Critical thinking on what education is. Look into methods of teaching as well
as what is taught. In many cases, learning through questioning, experiments and
projects rather than rote learning.
Bodh and Digantar have provided a base curriculum (grades
I-VIII) and GSK plan to build on this curriculum by being inclusive of the
community and holding discussions with them.
Q: Is the government working on alternate education?
A: Government involvement in alternate schools in more in
terms of policy changes. These schools work as models and the government can
replicate components from these schools in the government schools e.g. teacher
training from Bodh.
Q: What are the other aspects in the education apart
from what we are familiar with?
A: Teaching and art professionals. The children are allowed
to grow at their own pace and also in expressing themselves. Taught with
activities and projects.
Q: What are the other social issues that the school
works on?
A: Group worked in the area before education,
infrastructure development Ð caste issues are still strong in the villages.
Kids of all caste come to school and this has been accepted. The first teacher
parent meeting went difficult because of the parents not wanting to be in the
same meeting as the lower cast parents.
Another thing that goes for it is the Zilla Parishad being
very involved with the school.
The budget for next yr for two schools was briefly
discussed. Some clarifications on items in the budget:
Coordinator Ð Academic: Handles the school as well as the
curriculum
Accounts and few other items will be common to all 2 (later
3) schools.
Q: Site visit to the project?
A: In August Murali will be visiting. Early June will be a
detailed monitoring group.
Pics and stuff from Vineet who visited the project before.
Q: What about the women and the social situation of the
village?
Q: Issues that come up in the child parliament?
Q: Can we get the books from the curriculum?
Q: When you have a conf call dial us in?
Q: Can they come up with the matrices for tracking the
project?
Q: Local teachers?
Q: Government teachers pay?
Q: Travel expenses?
Q: (b) School Support: What is this?
Q: Learning Material, is any material reused from last
year? Will this be a recurring component year to year?
Murali to get answers to the questions above.
Comment:
We should look to have some women teachers in our schools.
Founder of Bodh will be in Austin to give a talk on the
status of education in India and the different models of education on June 9th
please plan to attend.
www.workanhour.org
Work
an hour is the annual online fundraiser of all of Asha. Projects that require
support from many asha chapters across the world are being presently discussed
and we as a chapter also need to discuss some of the projects and choose one
that we want to support through the event. We need a coordinator from the
chapter who will keep us updated of the discussions and plan the publicity.
-
Anita, Harpreet
Y
Gee Mahendran is a comedian in Tamil Movies. He has a drama troupe that will be
giving performances in the US. They do 10 odd commercial performances and one
performance free for a non-profit. They have chosen Asha Austin to do the free
performance for.
We
will be required to support the conveyance of the 12 member troupe possibly from
Houston to Austin and an upper bound on this charge is $1200.
The
event is around the weekend of 22 July. However, the event can only be on a
weekday since 22nd (Sat) event in Houston and 23rd (Sun)
event in Dallas.
Sara
spoke about the two plays that we have an option of. Trailers are available for
both plays. Check: www.ygeem2006.com
They
are both comedies one is called Tandramukhi (spoof on Chandramukhi) and
Kadalika Narem Irak (Spoof on Kadalika Narem Illai)
There
was a question of whether we will have a large enough audience since it does
cater to a specific audience. Murali mentioned that in a pervious event of Y
Gee Mahendran in Austin 500 people or so had attended. We will need to spread
the word to Texas A & M, students had come from there for the event last
time.
Our
costs would be:
-
Hall & AV equipment
-
Conveyance for artists
-
If required - engineer for AV equipment, security on day of event
-
Publicity and overheads in ticket sales
-
Based on feedback from group, it would be best to get Friday Ð 21 July 06. A
second option is Tuesday. Follow up and confirm date - Sanjeev
-
Is there a break/interval. Ð Sanjeev [No, it is a 2 hr drama with no break]
-
What will be the travel arrangements and from where. Ð Sanjeev [Not sure, by
road]
-
Check if Tamil Sangam is interested in helping us coordinate the event also
check with Tamil Cultural Organization (UT student group) - Santhosh
-
Get feedback from friends and Tamil Sangam regarding which play they would like
to see. Ð Santhosh to coordinate
- Things of interest [approx what we are looking
for] (a) Capacity [300-500], (b) Equipment [Audio Ð 6 mikes, video is
optional], (c) Food [allowed to sell], (d) Cost [??], (e) Does a sound engineer
need to be paid for, (f) Can there be cash transactions at the event [Do we
need to pay for a cop/security at the event?]. Ð everyone to look into the
halls they have attended.
- Texas Ball Room is good, cheap option since it
covers the equipment - Anita
- AID and Tamil Sangam previous events -
Santhosh
-
Anitha Ð Hall where operas are held (may have subtitles :0)).
- UT for halls Ð Anita