Rural bihar’s children are getting learning support

Bihar used to be a centre of learning, and the whole world looked up to it. Not anymore. This tradition of learning was destroyed long ago. Ever since, the state has trailed in terms of education standards. Today, Bihar has inadequate education infrastructure, absentee teachers, and to top it all, ignorant toppers. In spite of high commitment shown by students and their performance in competitive exams like Indian Civil Service, or in centres like IITs, reports suggest a deteriorated reading level in Bihar.
The husband-wife duo of Jacob and Susan, who hail from the South Indian state Kerala, is now trying to do their bit to change this situation. Jacob is a postgraduate in International Affairs, with experience working with children from vulnerable communities across the country, and overseas. Susan is a postgraduate in Economics, with a Bachelors of Education degree and years of experience as a teacher in reputed schools in Kerala.

“One of the things that was common between us was the desire to play our role in supporting the most vulnerable children in our society. I think this is what connected us in the first place. It was only a matter of time before we started something. Then Doctors for You provided the perfect platform, and without much ado, he brought me in. Thanks to DFY Management,” says Susan.

The CPCE learning centre also runs various child welfare programmes like creating and supporting play spaces for kids, painting and story writing competitions, and activity-oriented workshops. Most recently, CPCE organised an exhibition of paintings done by kids associated with the centre.

“What is the use of an education system where children from Class X cannot read with confidence or present themselves,” asks Susan. CPCE is working towards improving the quality of education, with focus on basic skill sets like speaking, reading, and basics of science and maths, which may help students make better informed choices about the avenues for them.

The duo started their work in November, 2015, and have already received huge reception from the community. A learning support programme that started with about 20 students has some 580 students registered, and more than 380 make use of the programme everyday.

“We have different programmes, each intended to cater to the needs of separate age groups, to help children with separate learning levels,” Jacob explains in detail.

“Our curriculum is woven in such a way that it is about helping children develop into happy, confident, and considerate young people. This also leads to a rise in motivation levels of children to not stop learning.” All the classes have multimedia (audio-visual) support, followed up by discussions and interactions.

Almost all the programmes conducted by CPCE are led by volunteers recruited from the community. This is needed for long-term sustenance of the project. But the centre is occasionally supported by volunteers from outside, both national and international.

Source: The Better India