AVEHI-ABACUS PROJECT

ANNUAL REPORT FROM JANUARY 2001 TO DECEMBER 2001 &  PLAN OF ACTION FOR JANUARY TO DECEMBER 2002

 

About the Parent Body; Avehi:


We live in a media-saturated culture. A culture of paradoxes, where the information explosion co-exists with shrinking spaces for public debate. The communications revolution has tended to serve the interests of the powerful. More than democratising access to knowledge, it has worked towards spreading consumerist cultural values.

 

In this scenario, the work of organisations and groups committed to media alternatives, to people-centred, participatory communication, acquires new significance. Avehi is one such organisation, working to facilitate community access to relevant media resources.

 

Avehi, an audio-visual resource centre, was launched in 1981 as an initiative of the Avehi Public Charitable Educational Trust. It was founded by individuals from various fields, committed to empowerment through education and to using the potential of audio-visual media to facilitate rational thinking, social awareness and social change.

 

Objectives

 

Avehi means ‘to know’. Avehi works towards promoting audio-visual modes of communication and alternative media for widening horizons, for raising the level of education and social awareness, for promoting values of equality, social justice, gender sensitivity, secularism, communal harmony and human rights.

 

Avehi’s media support activities aim at meeting the needs of educational institutions, non-formal education units, training institutions for human service professionals, NGOs, community based organisations, individual activists and others.

 

To meet this objectives Avehi’s activities are;

 

·        Review of incoming media materials for suitability

·        Dissemination of media materials

·        Production of new programmes or modification of existing ones

·        Training of community workers and other facilitators of change

·        Setting up of local resource centres

·        Resource mobilisation

 

The Avehi-Abacus Project:

 

The Abacus project was initiated by Avehi in 1990, to develop a supplementary curriculum for schools. Over the next few years, the Avehi-Abacus curriculum was used with about 10,000 children in schools and NFE centres. It was evaluated by several teams of independent researchers. The team which is in viewed in the project 1. About SANGATI of   is a group of experienced people from varied educational backgrounds. The founding inspiration behind the project is renowned educationist and theatre personality, Smt. Shanta Gandhi (Padmashri recipient, who has also been honoured with this year’s Sangeet Natak Akademi award for her lifelong contribution to theatre).

 

Avehi-Abacus works within the existing educational structure to make the school experience more relevant, meaningful and enjoyable for children as well as teachers.

 

Avehi-Abacus  focuses on the ‘content’ of school education. It is concerned with both, what is taught in school and how it is taught. The programme has designed and developed a foundation course to enrich and supplement the existing curriculum in schools and NFE centres and in teacher training colleges.

 

A)    The Avehi-Abacus Foundation Course for Children

 

The Avehi-Abacus programme for children works in two distinct ways:

·        In the formal school system, it works as a five-year foundation course from Classes III - VII. It fills in some of the gaps in the existing curriculum, particularly in the general and social sciences. It  provides links between what is taught in different subjects,  and helps children relate what is learnt in  school to their own life-situation.

·        In the non-formal system, Avehi-Abacus serves as a post-literacy programme for children between the ages of 8 and 12. It provides new information and  skills and supplements the regular curriculum.

 

In both the contexts, the programme attempts to develop children’s skills of thinking, analyzing and making choices. The emphasis is on values that will help them live and work together in a spirit of understanding and harmony.

 

B)    The Avehi-Abacus Foundation Course for Teachers

 

As the person directly interacting with children, the position of the teacher is one of tremendous influence and responsibility. Yet the teacher’s role in policy-making and curriculum development remains marginal.

 

The Avehi-Abacus programme recognizes the key role of the teacher. The foundation course for teachers serves to fill in some critical gaps in the area of pre-service teacher training.  It seeks to strengthen the teacher’s ability and motivation to go beyond the prescribed syllabus and become an active participant in the search for a more meaningful system of education.

 

It is in this context that Abacus has prepared a Foundation Course for Teachers spanning two academic years of the D. Ed. curriculum. The Foundation Course aims to empower teachers with the skills and attitudes that are critical in implementing progressive educational policies; it seeks to make the teacher an active partner not just in the educational process but also in the larger process of social change.

 

The formulation of a  ‘Foundation Course’ for the teachers has made the Abacus initiative more  sustainable and fully replicable. It will equip teachers to extend the Abacus approach to other subjects.

 

For details about the target group see (Enclosure).

 

Brief summary of Activities from January 2001 to December 2001.

i.         It was decided to launch the LSQEP programme in with children and teachers in 2 BMC wards studying in Std. V (Enclosure: Minutes of the meeting.)

ii.       A one day (each) orientation workshop was conducted with teachers of G & F - North wards in order to understand their responses to initiation of the LSQEP programme. (Enclosure: Report of the orientation workshops)

iii.      The expansion of the programme to 25 BMC schools from D and G south wards with children and teachers of std. VII was concluded in April 2001.

iv.     Expansion of the programme in 35 NFE centres and 2 private schools continues.

v.       In October 2000 it was decided to expand the programme to G North and South ward for classes V to VII.

vi.     In-service training programme with teachers and supervisory officials of concerned schools were conducted. (Enclosure : Reports)

vii.    The Avehi-Abacus Course was adapted from 5 academic years to fit 3 academic years. (This includes re-writing/re-producing the sessions, supplementary material, teaching aids and children’s material.) The new series is called; ‘SANGATI’ (Harmony/companionship).(Enclosure : About SANGATI)

viii.  Evaluation process documentation of the programme in G-South and North ward is being conducted by the Research Unit, Education Department MMC.

ix.     Networking with other organisations in the field of education with common goals of making education, accessible, faire and qualitatively batter has taken concrete shape in form of the MMC-NGO Cell. The Avehi-Abacus Project has initiated a cell in the MMC Education Dept. with additional financial support from UNICEF. The MMC, Education Dept. and many NGOs have come forward to make this venture a fruitful space for interaction to address various issues related with education of children in Bombay .

x.       Publishing critical analysis of Maharashtra state text Books from class I to V done by Mr. Prakash Burte. This is being circulated and used as a tool towards strengthening efforts towards better education.

xi.     The SANGATI series was launched for larger circulation by Prof. Yash Pal at the Bal Vividha Mela 2002 (Enclosure: Report of the launch)

 

Objectives of the Programme  being implemented in G - South & North wards (The use of SANGATI series)

 

·        To help in enhancing the quality of education in MMC schools.

·        To help make education more relevant and useful to immediate surroundings.

·        To help reduce drop-out rate at the middle school level.

·        To help enhance the general academic performance of children by making learning enjoyable.

·        To help teachers refresh their teaching skills to encourage multi-disciplinary teaching, and make teaching participatory, enjoyable and qualitatively better.

·        To help teachers in self-growth and personality development.

·        To help towards making the school atmosphere more enjoyable, democratic and help children and teachers to make the physical surroundings hygienic and pleasing on their own efforts and initiative.

In short; to act as a viable resource in realising  MMS’s aims of 'every child in school every school beautiful, every child learning’.

 

THE SCOPE AND OUTREACH:

·        From January to April 2001: The project has worked as follows;

 

Agency

Std./ Age groups

Children

Teachers

 

25 BMC Schools

VII Std.

800

19

35 NFE Centres

Age 8 to 13 years

1800

35

2 Private Schools

III, IV, V, VI Std.

1000

15

 

·        June 2001 the project has terminated work with the 22 BMC schools from D-wards but continues to work with;

 

Agency

Std ./ Age groups

Children

Teachers

 

35 NFE Centres

Age 8 to 13 years

1800

35

2 Private Schools

III, IV, V, VI, VII

1200

18

 

Aksharnandan an esteemed innovative school based in Pune has also been using the Abacus curriculum from June 1998 in a manner integrated with their regular teaching and curriculum.  Six teachers will continue use the Abacus curriculum with approximately 150 children.

 

Shaishav an NGO working with school drop-outs; working children also has been using the material from1998.

 

·        From June 2001 to April 2004 :

The programme is being implemented in 180 BMC Schools from G north south wards.

All classes of standard V with all language mediums namely Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, English, Gujarati, Kannad, Tamil and Telgu are using the Sangati Kits.

Over successive academic years the programme will be expanded to Std. VI and later VII.

 

Given bellow an approximate summary of  projected indicative outreach.

 

Year

No. Children Std. V

No. Children Std. VI

No. of Children Std. VII

Total No. of Children

 

Year I    : 2001-2002

7,000

-

-

7,000

Year II   : 2002-2003

7,000

7,000

-

14,000

Year III: 2003 - 2004

7,000

7,000

7,000

21,000

TOTAL NO. OF CHILDREN

21,000

14,000

7,000

42,000

 

The 7000 number of children indicates only the children from BMC schools - G south&

G wards.)

Response to  the Materials being used in schools : (Also see Enclosures containing Children’s Worksheets, Teachers’ responses sheets).

 

The materials are based on the experience of the  Avehi-Abacus project gained over the last ten years. They have been developed through years of intensive field-testing and are now revised and upgraded  on the basis of feedback from teachers, students and experts in the field.

 

·        The teaching materials (session-plans) are self-explanatory and simple to follow.

·        They are invaluable as a source of extra information for teachers and children especially in absence of  reference books and libraries.

·        The visual material / aids used  in the class are loved by students and teachers alike. The innovative style and colours used immediately make the aids attractive and easy to use.

·        The use of appropriate aids allow subject matter to be retained and recalled easily.

·        They can be often used while teaching other related subjects.

·        The content and style of the material is secular, democratic, sensitive to gender, caste, class issues.

·        Teachers have reported a rise in their confidence level and their information base while using the material since they feel that it contributes to their personal growth as each.)

·        Teacher’s report improvement in children’s writing skills due to the interesting and relevant worksheets as well as their interest in class - activities.

·        Teachers’ also report that parent level of interest in school activities has risen because the SANGATI sessions link class-activities with home atmosphere.

 

The programme has the potential of  fulfilling three components recommended in the MMC schools: Environmental Sciences, Value Education and Work Experience.

The SANGATI kit comprises of;

* 2 Teachers' Manuals containing detailed plans for the 36 sessions background/ supplementary information; and  skill-building inputs for teachers. These manuals are printed in Hindi and Marathi. (Kits sent )

* Teaching Aids such as posters, flip charts, story books and board games. Printed in 4 colour these aids are attractive and interactive, providing scope for discussion. All aids are designed to be used in a variety of classroom situations without any external facilities such as projection, electronic equipment, electricity or any tedious preparatory work on part of the teacher. The text is printed in Hindi and Marathi on the reverse side of the picture enabling easy use.

Every teacher of Std. V in 2001-2002, Std. VI in 2002-2003 and Std. VII in 2003-2004 is/will be given a kit, which stored in the school and reused with new batch of children each year. The aids require minimum maintenance and the compact packaging makes storage easy.

 

The Students' materials includes;

*        Worksheets to help students develop their language skills as well as skills of observation, survey and assessment. These worksheets enable the students to apply what is learnt in the classroom, to include community/family experiences, in order to form a valuable learning resource. The response from the children is overwhelming. Since it helps them focus one relate with their own experience they are exited to complete are collect them in files.

*        Files for students to store the worksheets and supplementary material. Every student has been given a file at the beginning of the course, children will continue to use these for the next three years having in self assessment. The material collected in these files is also an important component in the process of evaluation and process documentation.

 

External Evaluation:
 

I.        Department of Sociology of Education, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Deonar, Bombay 400 088. TISS carried-out a ‘Rapid Appraisal’ of the work completed till  June 1995.

ii.       Ms. Sudipta Dhruva.(Consultant in personality development and ‘Creative Thinking’). 50 Ram Sadan, 3rd Floor, Brahmanwada Road, Matunga. Bombay 400 014 .

Ms. Dhruva carried-out the evaluation of the Expansion of the project in 25 BMC schools (Std. III) in 1995-96.

iii.      Research Unit, Dept. of Education, Bombay Municipal Corporation, 3rd Floor, Education Office, BMC, Dadar (E.), Bombay 400 014. Evaluation of the Expansion to 25 BMC schools (Std. III and Std. IV) in 1996-1997 was conducted by the BMC research Unit.

Since the Original report is in Marathi, we give below a synopsis of the major findings:

·        81% of teachers have found the programme useful.

·        89% also found it relevant to the school curriculum.

·        The learning material and the activity oriented sessions have made learning easier and more interesting for the child. The involvement of the children has increased, and so has their curiosity for learning.

·        It was also observed that absenteeism has been reduced.

·        External Evaluation was carried-out by a group of persons interested in education. The team consisted of Dr. Narayan Rangraj, Dr. Rahul Pande, Dr. Anjula Gurtoo, from IIT Bombay. Dr. Jitendra Shah VJIT, Bombay, Dr. Yogesh Dr. Laxmi Rangraj . ( Synopsis from Report enclosed Annexure 2)

·        The Research unit, BMC has initiated a process of evaluation. Base-line studies of Teachers’ Responses have been carried out. The Avehi-Abacus Project also is keeping observation records based on class-room interactions Teachers’ responses and children’s worksheets report will be ready for circulation at the end of the academic year.

 

Networking :

 

Since Phase II there have been concerted efforts to share experiences and resources with organisations  in and outside  Bombay.  Abacus has also strengthened linkages with the Educational Department of Government of Maharashtra.

The  details for networking strategies are as follows:

·        To visit and learn from work of other organisation in order to improve the ongoing work.

·        To join forces with campaigns for making formal education a more inclusive, democratic right to all.

·        To make concerted efforts in working with other organisations jointly and in co-ordination with BMC Education Department.

Abacus team members continue to interact and exchange resources and ideas with various organisations in the country. Some of these are;

·        BODH, Jaipure,

·        Digantar, Jaipure

·        BODH Bombay

·        Akshar Nandan, Pune

·        IIE, Pune.

·        Eklavya, Madhya Pradesh.

·        Eklavya Foundation, Ahemadabad

·        Centre for Environmental Education, IIM, Ahemadabad.

·        The Ravi Mathai Institute of Educational Technology, Ahemadabad.

·        Shaishav, Bhavnagar

·        URMUL Santhan, Rajasthan.

·        Lok-Abhiyan, Lucknow.

·        Pacchasaleya run by the Deccan Education Society, Zahirabad, Andhra Pradesh.

·        Sandhan, Jaipur

·        Children’s Right in Goa, Pnaji, Goa

·        Workshops/discussions with Government Teachers’ Training institutions and curriculum planning/research/policy making bodies affiliated with the government at State and Central levels.

·        The Avehi-Abacus Project will work more closely with the  In-service Training Unit of Dept. of Education, BMC.

·        Actively participate in the National Campaign for making Primary Education the Basic Right - the constitutional amendment in coordination with other active agencies working towards this common goal.

·        Initiation of ‘PAHAL’ a forum comprising of The Avehi-Abacus Project, Aga Khan Educational Services, Comet Media Foundation, Bal-Bhavan- Bombay, the Inspector of Schools-South Bombay.

·        Participated in a Study Tour to understand the urban education Initiatives in Kolkatta, West Bengal.

·        Presentation at a meeting convened by Indian Merchant Chamber Education.

·        Organised seminar on ‘Globalisation and Education’ alongwith Comet Media Foundation Aga Khan Education Services- India and Shikshantar (Enclosure 4: Summery of Earlier seminars and note on seminar held in Bal Vividha 2001)

·        Jeevanshala Prakalp, Yawatmal, Chandrapur

·        Deep - Pratishthan, Amrawati

Project Sustainability:

 

The Education Officer, Community Development Officer, Programme Officer UNICEF and Administrative Officers of concerned wards held a meeting to review the progress of the work. All expressed much satisfaction about the work being done in the schools and agreed to help more activity for better implementation. Some of the steps in this direction include

 

·        To continue the project with new batch of children in Std. V and forth coming batches.

·        The training of teachers to be in July for early start of sessions in schools.

·        As far as possible not transferring existing teachers other to wards.

·        Teachers teaching Std. V this year (2001-2002) to continue with  same class next year.

·        In service Training unit of MMC to allot 3-4 periods to Avehi Abacus Project during their 12 days In service Training Schedule to integrate the Avehi-Abacus Project approach in regular work.

·        The supervisory level officers to help more closely in monitoring implementation of the project.  (Enclosure Minutes of the meeting to Review the LSQEP 5.11.2001)


To ensure sustainability of the Project, the Avehi- Abacus Project also envisages the following:

·        Strengthening linkages with State Govt. to initiate the  spread of the project in and outside Maharashtra.(by dissemination of the material, In-Service and Pre-Service Training of teachers etc.)

·        Encouraging more NGOs to use the material to share our work and also general financial support to meet  certain unplanned project needs and/or corpus building.

(The Avehi-Abacus Project will continue to remain in consulting capacity for all the above possible processes).

 

Conclusion :

To conclude, a brief summery of activities is listed in the preceding pages. In order to better understand the project it is necessary to get glimpses of the processes involved. We have therefore enclosed many reports of workshops, workshop designs, reports of meetings and of course the teacher’s and children’s own responses to the material they have been using. We request you to spare time and take a look at these. We look-forward to a closer interaction and invite you to see the classes in progress and meet with the team members. Enclosure as follows;

 

1.      Details of target group

2.      About SANGATI

3.      Minutes of the meeting held on 16.10.2000

4.      Brief Report of the Orientation Workshop - Mela held with Teachears of Std V classes from G-north on 15.11.2000 & F-north on 16.11.2000

5.      Orientation Workshop with Supervisory Officers

6.      Report of formation of BMC-NGO Cell.

7.      Report of Workshop with Teachers held in August 2001 (KIT I)

8.      Report on Mr. Prakash Burte Book - Discussion

9.      Minutes of the meeting to Review the Life Skills Quality Education Programme

10.  Bal Vividha Seminar

11.  Schedule of Seminar in 2001

12.  Note on Globalisation & Education Seminar

13.  Report of the Launch of SANGATI Series + Photographs + Newspaper Clippings

14.  Report of workshop with teachers held in January 2002 (KIT II)

15.  Worksheets from children of MMC Schools (G South & North wards) and Teacher’s Response Sheets

 

 

Enclosure - 1

 

AVEHI-ABACUS PROJECT

 

(following are excerpts from the Evaluation Study conducted by TISS).

Within the complex multicultural and sharply inequituous megapolis that is Bombay, the Abacus children belong to the distinctive subculture of an ethnically heterogeneous migrant slum community. Hindus and Muslims primarily from Maharashtra and U.P, but also from Bangladesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Bihar are settled in the four slum communities around the school. Most have migrated to Bombay in search of livelihood or of better opportunities, leaving behind some land, ancestral homes and extended families. Barring a few who are Brahmins, most of the Hindu children belong to the backward and Dalit castes. Most children can be described as belonging to the lower socio-economic strata (low income, low occupation, low education, poor housing conditions) of the society. Some are visibly poor – coming from families who have very meager resources and belongings. A few who are relatively “better off” and have better equipped homes would however definitely not qualify as being ‘middle class’.

All the areas are characterized by the typical features of a Bombay slum: congestion, narrow lanes of passage, garbage dumps around, lack of toilet facilities, water problems, single room dwellings which serve multiple purposes, poor ventilation and light and an “integrated” community life incorporating elements of co-operation, friendship, competition and conflict.

 

Our enquiries  into childrens’ family living, occupational profiles, relationships and attitudes revealed that most children lived in families comprising of five or six persons - usually a  nuclear family or supplemented nuclear family in which close relatives such as paternal uncle lived with the core family group. Most families live in one-room homes which are over- crowded - especially at night during bedtimes. Ventilation is poor. Some basic household things, a few items of furniture and a few electric items are present in each home - the number of possessions depend on the relative economic condition. The fathers of most children are self-employed or employed in the unorganised sector doing skilled, semiskilled jobs. Dhobi, garland maker, cook, mill worker, samosa maker and vendor tailor, chakki owner, bhelpuri vendor, clerk etc. are some of their occupations. The mothers especially the women from U.P. and loving and protective wile fathers are strict and shout or beat. Older brothers too are strict, boss around and the younger children are afraid of them. In most homes, there is some amount of family conflict and wife abuse. There are problems of infidelity and desertion. Yet, close ties and relationships exist between individual members.

 

With their immediate neighbours, relationships are based overtly or covertly on considerations of religion caste and region.

 

The children are obviously growing up in a social atmosphere marked by antagonisms, hatred and violence. Apart from the communal tensions, there are regular quarrels and conflicts between neighbours belonging to the same communities and within individual homes. The poverty stricken and over crowded living conditions seem to be ideal breeding grounds. At times, the hostilities erupt and other times they are submerged.

 

In general (we observed that) children are inside their houses only at mealtimes, sleep times and work times. During the rest of the time, the boys in particular are out in the open spaces. On some occasions they get together and go for a jaunt to places like Chowpatty beach. Girls are fond of going for social visits and to the movies. T.V. watching is a top favourite activity with all children. Some of them have a television set at home. Others visit the neighbours to watch their favourite programmes - which are Hindi films, Hindi serials and; Hindi film song programmes. Depending on the space available, they play some games.

 

The families are without exception religious though the form and nature of religious practice vary - for some praying and worshiping at the temples, mosque, or church is important, for other daily pujas/prayers at home by the parents, usually by the mother is the general practice. There is a great faith in magical healing and the problem solving powers of ‘sadhus’ and ‘babas’

 

All the children - except a couple of them said that they liked to go to school. The main reason was because they had lots of friends and they had a good time. For most, studies especially English, Maths and Marathi, were difficult. What they enjoyed were the music, drawing, and stitching classes and playing games during the recess. Children who get pocket money spend it on the eats that are available at the hawkers who stand outside the school.

 

When asked about their future, most  children couldn’t say anything. Some said they would like jobs in Bombay. In case of the girls it was fairly clear, irrespective of how well they were doing at school, that they would all marry between the ages of 16-20 years to boys of their father’s choice. All the girls seemed well attuned to the fact that they would marry very young. Their reference point was their village and caste practice which they could not/would not challenge and which was perhaps meaningful for them. None seemed averse to the idea of early marriage - only they would get married a couple of years later then their village counterparts. Some of the older girls in their families - those studying in 8th/9th standards were already engaged to be married. Futures thus, appear predominantly shaped by the shadows of the past and constraints of the present. Though they are now firmly part of the urban society and culture, their ideas, beliefs and loyalties are still rooted in the rural community life back home.

 

 

Enclosures as follows:

 

1.      Details of target group

2.      About SANGATI

3.      Minutes of the meeting held on 16.10.2000

4.      Brief Report of the Orientation Workshop - Mela held with Teachears of Std V classes from G-north on 15.11.2000 & F-north on 16.11.2000

5.      Orientation Workshop with Supervisory Officers

6.      Report of formation of BMC-NGO Cell.

7.      Report of Workshop with Teachers held in August 2001 (KIT I)

8.      Report on Mr. Prakash Burte Book - Discussion

9.      Minutes of the meeting to Review the Life Skills Quality Education Programme

10.  Bal Vividha Seminar

11.  Schedule of Seminar in 2001

12.  Note on Globalisation & Education Seminar

13.  Report of the Launch of SANGATI Series + Photographs + Newspaper Clippings

14.  Report of workshop with teachers held in January 2002 (KIT II)

15.  Worksheets from children of MMC Schools (G South & North wards) and Teacher’s Response Sheets