EQUIP ProjectEQUIP ProjectEQUIP ProjectEQUIP Project

Problems addressed• 50% children in 5th standard cannot read a

paragraph in Tamil. 10% cannot even identify letters.

• 50% children in 5th standard cannot even subtract two 2-digit numbers.

• Science education is just rote memorization – no concepts, no experiments, no connection with the real world.

• Many 4-year-olds in balwadis cannot even match two identical pictures - something even 1-year-olds in middle class families easily do.

Reasons for this state• No School Focus on Basic Skills: Focus on exam mark &

textbook memorization and not on ensuring basic skills.• Lack of Learning Resources: No access to learning

resources. Schools and teachers have no libraries, no reading materials, no activity kits, no science experiment materials, etc. Balwadis have no learning aids or even simple toys.

• Ineffective Methodology: Teachers lecture and read out from books. There is no focus on activities or even demonstrations in class. No avenues for children to think independently or to work in groups or to learn by doing. Poor training of teachers. Teachers are not trained in practical ideas nor on good teaching methodologies.

• Low community involvement: Low community interest and involvement in education. Poor children have no access to a learning environment at home.

Two Pronged Implementation

Strategy

Improve Learning Quality in Schools

We work with teachers to bring about measurable improvements in specific learning skills like reading, maths and science. We train and motivate teachers, provide teaching learning materials and change classroom practices through regular visits and practical demonstrations.

Create Community Learning Initiatives

We mobilize village volunteers, train them and start village libraries, children’s learning centers, form science clubs, math clubs, sports clubs, etc. We also get the community volunteers to both help schools improve as well as to pressurize schools to deliver quality.

Results So Far• Primary Education:

– Improving Reading Skills of Children– Improving Basic Math Skills of Children

• Pre-primary Education– Visual Recognition, Counting, Motor Skills and Sensory Skills– Pre-reading and pre-writing skills

• Secondary Education– Science Education– Math Education– Life Skills and Health Education

• Community Initiatives and Community Learning Centers– Village Libraries and Children’s Clubs– Science and Math clubs– Support Centers and Summer Campaigns

450,000 children in 7300 schools improved their Tamil reading skills through our Padippum Inikkum Reading Campaign. Across 5 districts, children who can read went up from 54% to 85% within 5 months of our starting the reading campaign!

Padippum Inikkum• Group activity based reading program• Aim: Is to bring rapid improvement in reading

levels of a child• Structure

– Initial Evaluation and Categorization into 5 levels– Everyday 1hr level specific activities– Child-to-Child reading methods– Reading materials and story boards to make it a fun

event

Impact of PP• Reaches about 4,50,000 children• Teachers are taking more active

participation in these activities

Arivial Anandam• Do-it-yourself experiments for

children• Low cost science experiments as a

means to teach• Encouraging a child to think and

come up with their own experiments

Impact of AA• 1,30,000 Children in 900 schools

are benefitting currently• Children are able to relate real

world science phenomena and able to quote it in their answers, instead of memorizing and repeating the books

Eureka Public Library• Community based learning using “Library in a

Bag” concept• Aim is to use this as a booster to Padippum

Inikkum program• When community involves, the schools feel

responsible to deliver better quality education• In addition to library style learning, additional

activities with games, fun events and activities etc.

• Encourage formation of children clubs

Impact of EPL• This is still in experimental phase• 90,000 children in 2000 villages are

using this right now• Several constraints to implement the

program.. e.g. finding volunteers in villages is hard

• Providing reading materials appropriate for the age and sufficient amount is difficult

Proposal

Thiruvannamalai District

Relevant Statistics• 18 blocks• 1851 schools targeted• Fulltime district level coordinator• 3 offices• Aser 2006 SURVERY from 1st to 8th standard

– 14.6% could do simple division, – 32.1% could do subtraction – 86% could recognize numbers. – 13.9% children could not even recognize numbers

Reading and Math Stats

3rd-5th Std Children in the District

The Child’s Reading Level… % in Oct 06 % in Mar 07

Can Read Stories 24.68 63.37

Cannot read stories but can read sentences 19.38 16.58

Cannot read sentences but can read words 20.96 11.57

Cannot read words but can identify letters 14.69 5.93

Cannot even identify letters 20.29 2.55

Refer to word Doc. Proposal line items

Concerns & Issues• What will be the level of involvement of AfE in

this district ? Will there be exclusivity ?• How to ensure the sustenance of the project

when there are issues/problems with the coordination team in center

• If any other district runs into trouble, will that affect the materials provided to Tiruvannamalai district

• How to ensure “enough” reading materials are provided? How to define “enough”

Concerns and Issues• How to control the quality of the

reading materials• Random assessment of schools pre and

post program… Should we use NCERT or Asha Chennai/Honour?

• How to mobilize asha-wide projects in this district to adopt this program ?

• Project SURP, Project VISA, Project WARM