EKLAVYA
2.1 Background
Eklavya is a volunatry organisation based in Madhya
Pradesh with the main objective of making education a joy for children and
promotion of science education in Government schools. Their main emphasis is on
improving the quality of education in rural schools. The organisation does not
run schools of its own. Instead their focus is on suitable intervention in the
regular school programme by providing alternative curricula and teaching
methods at the primary and middle levels. The teaching material developed by
them for classes 1-8 is widely acclaimed for its approach towards exploiting
the creative potential of children and making the process of learning and
teaching an integral part of the playful activities of a child. They organise
regular training programmes for teachers for effective implementation of the
innovative teaching material.
At present, Eklavya is working in 14 districts of
Madhya Pradesh. About 500 schools in these districts are implementing the
teaching material and methodologies of Eklavya benefitting about 1 lakh
children. About 2000 teachers of various schools have already been trained.
Eklavya works very closely with Madhya Pardesh Government and hence has been
able to have an impact on the education at mass scale.
Eklavya also publishes many magazines for children
as well as teachers. They publish many low cost books of general reading for
children and also produce and market educational toys.
2.1.1 Historical Background
The origin of activities of Eklavya dates back to
1972, when two voluntary organisations viz.
Kishore Bharati and Friends Rural Centre in Madhya Pradesh
joined hands to promote a scientific temperament in the society through
improved science education in schools. They launched a programme called the Hoshangabad Science Teaching Programme (HSTP)
in 16 middle schools of Hoshangabad district. Resource persons from various
premier institutes of India like Delhi University, TIFR, IITs, various colleges
of Madhya Pradesh and other places joined hands in this programme. The
popularity of this programme led to The Social
Science Teaching Programme (SSTP) in 1981. Eklavya got registered as a
society in 1982. The experiences from the HSTP and SSTP programmes made the
volunteers of Eklavya realise the dire need for basic reforms in the primary
education. For 3 years starting 1983, the group was involved in intensive
classroom observation and discussions with teachers and parents and an analysis
of their observations so as to translate it into a strategy and action for
change. Field testing of the Eklavya teaching material was also carried out. In
1986, started the Prathmik Shiksha
Karykrama (Primary Education Programme) acronymed to PRA_SHI_KA. The
programme was initiated in seven primary schools of Harda and Shahpura blocks.
In 1989, it was expanded to 25 schools and by 1995, the entire block of Shahpura with 130 schools had been covered
under this programme. At present, the PRASHIKA programme is being implemented
in 150 rural schools of Madhya Pradesh.
2.1.2 Ideology
Eklavya, like many other voluntary organisations has
social justice as its root concern. However, its main approach is to enable
social justice through appropriate education. Hence education is the core
activity of Eklavya.
Eklavya works with the main belief that with some
care and extra effort, it should be possible to provide interesting, meaningful and constructive opportunities to
children to acquire knowledge and to equip them with observational and
analytical skills. They feel that to implement this, one does not require
major structural changes and that the educational reforms can be brought about
in the existing set-up itself. Hence all their attempts are towards creating
inputs for education at the mass level for maximum impact and not run isolated
schools which can benefit only a selected few.
It believes that the educational curriculum and
methodology should never be imposed on children. It must be developed in close
interaction with children, their parents and the teachers.
All their educational material is child-centred
keeping in view what the child can enjoy and appreciate the most. Their
emphasis is on creating an interest for learning among the children in the
first few years of the primary education, to reduce the number of drop-outs and
increase the efficacy of education. They also firmly believe that curriculum
development and improvement in teaching methodologies is a continuous process
and not a one-time affair.
2.2 The Programmes – methodology and impact
Eklavya has been involved in many programmes like
HSTP, SSTP, PRASHIKA. For implementation of all these programmes, projects are
envisaged, which are funded by various sources. The project elements are worked
out by the concerned group. The group engages in extensive study of the
existing curriculum and methodologies of teaching, interacts with the teachers,
parents and the children and arrives at alternative teaching material and
methodologies. The material is then disseminated in the schools after adequate
training to the teachers, while its use is monitored very closely. Resource
persons visit the schools regularly, observe the way the programme is being
implemented, carry out detailed discussions with the teachers, which serves the
dual purpose of training the teachers and the valuable feedback for improving
the programme further. While the underlying ideology is the same in all these
programmes, of making the process of learning a joy for the children and hence
increasing its efficacy, each programme has its own thrust considering the
specific objectives of the programme.
2.2.1 Science and Social Science Teaching Programmes
The Science Programme has been most widely
implemented till now. This programme is meant specifically for middle schools.
Under this programme, Eklavya has tried to introduce the laboratory work in
science education from standard VI onwards. Earlier laboratory was introduced
only in class IX.. The objective is to impart science education through
experimentation. The teachers are expected to encourage the students in
observation, analysis of the results they obtain and conclusions from their own
experiments so as to understand the underlying laws of science. The students
are allowed to work with the equipment to get hands-on experience. The teachers
are trained for the purpose. They are told to act as a facilitator while the
students carry out experiments in small groups of four each. A low cost kit is also made available to the
schools for laboratory experiments. The kit can be even carried to the
classroom without the requirement of a separate laboratory space. The
descriptive part in the curriculum has been reduced considerably, the stress
being on ‘learning by doing’. The teachers are also required to take the
students out of the classroom and allow them to learn by direct contact with
nature.
It is found that through experimentation, the
students develop a habit of asking questions. This attitude gets transmitted to
other courses as well. It has been found that in schools where Eklavya’s
science or social science programmes have been implemented, the students tend
to ask questions much more freely in classes of other subjects too, once they
develop this habit in the science experiments. This is considered to be a major
achievement of Eklavya’s 30 years of involvement in Science Teaching Programme.
The books on science developed by Eklavya are in
simple Hindi and are written in a way that will create an interest in the
students to read the text. The explanantion of various concepts are introduced
in a practical way that the students can easily relate to. Frequent reference
to stories about scientists and other historical accounts related to scientific
facts make these books quite popular. Various customs are also analysed in a scientific
way so as to understand their importance. Overall, this induces an attitude of
reasoning and analysis against an attitude of blind faith.
The science curriculum is supplemented by bal melas,
science exhibitions, science quizzes and cultural programmes organised from
time to time in various centres of Eklavya to promote interest in science.
Scientific and educational toys made and marketed by Eklavya also help in
promotion of science among children. Libraries maintained by Eklavya and a
magazine on science called Srote add
to the above. Another magazine for children called Chakmak is also very popular among its readers.
In the Social Science Teaching Programme, the
emphasis is again on learning by relating to the facts. The curriculum allows
the student to analyse the historical facts to appreciate the importance of
historical studies; extensive use of maps and an understanding of their own
surroundings helps in doing away with the ‘rote’ element in the study of
geography. The SSTP is still at the stage of a pilot project being tried out in
a restricted number of schools.
An interaction with some students of class VII
reflected the spirit with which the above programmes are being implemented. The
students could clearly identify the difference between the methodology of
Eklavya adopted in their schools and that in other schools. They were able to
point out that they can now understand the science and social science subjects
and do not need to cram them while their friends in other schools have to resort
to memorising the material without being able to appreciate the content. The
examinations for the subjects taught as per Eklavya curriculum are open book
exams. Moreover the textbooks are much more interesting with their
‘story-telling’ approach. That creates a motivation for the children to read
the entire text despite the books being much more voluminous as compared to the
earlier ones.
On the other hand many teachers were found to
complain about the increase in work load for them due to the Eklavya
curriculum. They are now required to prepare their lessons before they come to
the class, since the children are prone to asking questions. They are also
expected to make use of stories for explaining the concepts and facts, which
certainly requires more effort on their part. It was found that some teachers
evade giving the creative inputs from their end and only read the textbooks in
the class from cover-to-cover. Even such teachers cannot refrain from
appreciating the textbooks for their approach that makes the subject
interesting and the positive impact on the children. However, at the same time,
they complain against the volume of the books, which is one of the factors
increasing their work load. Thus, the teachers at large, for whom teaching is
‘just another profession’, are unable to digest the increase in their own work
due to the curriculum of Eklavya’s and they express the same openly.
2.2.2 Prathmik Shiksha Karyakram
As it seems from the documentation on PRASHIKA, this is one of the most ambitious programmes of Eklavya which has seen a group of extremely dedicated persons put in intensive efforts for many years, into carrying out ‘field level research’ on the current state of primary education and working on the alternatives. In this small write-up it is difficult to sum-up the richness of experiences and understanding that the PRASHIKA members acquired in the process. It will be possible to quote only a few points stated so lucidly in the book ‘PRASHIKA’, which is the documentation of six years of experiences of this programme, including the conclusions drawn form three years of preparatory work for the programme.
An indepth understanding of the process of learning
and teaching made the group form many principles which became the foundation for
developing the educational material and teaching methodologies. Some of these
are reproduced here with respect to various elements or aspects of
teaching-learning process :
The Learner
· Productive and meaningful learning will result through a dynamic
interaction between the teacher and the children. It is a mistake to treat
children as empty receptacles in which knowledge is to be deposited.
· Two basic needs of the learner are a sense of security and a feeling of
self-worth. Learning is impossible without these. This requires a drastic
change in teacher-student relations. Treat the child as a responsible person
and not somebody who executes orders. We must have faith in a child’s ability
and encourage cooperation among children.
· A process of collective reflection, group discussions and attempts to
identify rational explanations will lead to sound learning.
· Learning is not a linear and additive process. It is not always
desirable to segment each bit of a complex whole and teach it step by step,
hoping that this process will lead to an understanding of the whole.
· Errors should be seen as necessary steps in the process of learning
rather than deviations from a norm.
· Knowledge in a sense is unified. Its division into different ‘subjects’
is artificial. The same text can often be used for many purposes such as
language skills, mathematical abilities or social awareness.
· The curriculum should be dynamic. It should not be confined to the
prescribed textbooks only. It must embrace the world outside the school as well
as the creativity of the child and the teacher.
Teaching Methods
· There is no one sacred method of teaching anything.
· Children learn what makes sense to them. Therefore, all learning should
be contextualized.
· A child’s freedom to experiment should be respected. Disciplined
children often lose their creativity, expressiveness and curiosity.
· Information-based teaching materials encourage rote-learning and hamper
rather than facilitate the learning process.
· Teaching material should be sensitive to the children’s environment and
to their history and culture.
Teachers
· Teachers, if given an opportunity, can be surprisingly innovative and
creative. They should not be rigidly bound by a preplanned programme.
· Teachers must be involved in planning curriculum, teaching materials
and methods.
· Interactive and participatory training is essential to acquaint
teachers with new ideas, methods and materials and to learn from teachers.
· A teacher’s role should be that of a facilitator.
Evaluation
· Evaluation should not pose any threat to the learner. Assessment
procedures should be pleasant and friendly.
· A one-shot examination surely becomes a threat. A variety of normal
activities, group discussions etc. conducted over a period of time should be
the basis of evaluation.
· Evaluation should not be used to filter children. Continuous assessment
constitutes essential feedback to the curriculum.
Intervention
· It is necessary to intervene in the state education system if the above
assumptions are to constitute the foundation of an innovative primary education
programme.
· The intention is not to create islands but to introduce innovation
within the existing constraints evolving micro-level models which can be
potentially expanded at the macro-level.
PRASHIKA has tried to implement the above principles
in the materials and methodologies developed
by them. They have outlined various techniques to help the child develop
language and mathematical skills in the first two years of schooling, with
minimal resort to the use of books. Even in classes III-V, books are to provide
guidelines for the teachers rather than be treated as ‘textbooks’ to be
followed from ‘cover-to-cover’ in the rigid sequence.. Eklavya team has
developed a set of highly innovative books called ‘Khushi-Khushi’ books which can serve as guides for the teachers as
well as work-books for children. The
distinctive feature of these books is their doing away with the traditional
approach of compartmentalising the material into lessons aimed at covering a
given syllabus. A single book serves as a source of creativity for children, be
it in learning language, mathematics, or social sciences in an integral
way. The structure of the books allows
the teacher to pick up any page considering the ability of the student. It also
gives a flexibility of allowing different children to do different activities
at the same time in a class.
While enormous amount of effort went into
conceptualization of how and what of
primary education and development of the books, it appears that the amount of
effort required in ‘sensitization’ of teachers and hence an effective
implementation is indeed mammoth and many times higher than what could be
achieved by PRASHIKA programme. Despite sincere efforts by PRASHIKA team, it
was recognized by the team itself that it was difficult to make the teachers
implement the above principles in the true spirit. A large number of teachers
were found to accept the need for participatory learning. However, there were
many reasons for their inability to put it into practice to a large extent.
Prime among these are the mindset of the teachers as well as children in not
being able to look upon the child as a contributor to the learning process and
the difficulty associated with giving freedom to the children which can lead to
a noisy atmosphere. The teacher finds it difficult to accept a state of
‘indiscipline’ nor can he/she handle it. The limitations of the teachers
themselves in evolving creative methods and also their own level of
understanding of the subjects also acts as a hindrance in promoting an open
atmosphere for learning. Most teachers could not be trained intensively since
most often their presence in the schools was indispensable.
The ‘rote learning’ which according to PRASHIKA
methods, must be completely done away with, is still being widely used in the
schools, where PRASHIKA curriculum has been implemented. Large groups of
children are made to repeat texts to facilitate its memorisation. This practice
has been prevalent for many years. Despite PRASHIKA’s sincere efforts, it could
not make the schools do away with the practice. The teachers insist that this
helps in improving the pronunciation in children. Even the parents supported
the practice, and hence PRASHIKA had to accept it as a part of the school’s
activity.
The ground reality in the primary schools of rural
areas is indeed very grim. In one of the schools, there were only two teachers
to handle the entire school of five classes. Both the teachers had an agreement
with each other to take care of the entire school for half the month. Thus,
each teacher had to be present in the school only for 15 days in a month. The
practice of ‘mass learning by rote’ was a very convenient one for the teacher in
such circumstances.
Many teachers also grudge the increased expectations
from them due to the Eklavya curriculum.
They are unable to appreciate intermingling of various subjects in the
same workbook. They are not used to exercising any freedom in the way
curriculum can be handled and hence get more perturbed by the new methodologies
and feel uncomfortable. Most teachers have been insisting that mathematics
lessons be separated from the other subjects in the workbook.
The experiment fell short of its own goals in
involving the teachers in the process of curriculum development. While teachers
were involved to a great extent in the curriculum development for class I-II,
for classes III-V, this could not be due to the time constraint. Shortage of
manpower was recognized as an important reason why PRASHIKA’s methods and
materials could not be fully implemented in more than a handful of schools.
The PRASHIKA team was sensitive to the limitations
and problems encountered in the field level implementation. Despite the
problems, it was felt that at least a fraction of the teachers had been
influenced and had been able to convert
their classes into a joyful experience. It was also found that among the 25
schools covered in the second phase of the programme, fifty percent of the
children really wanted to come to school. This can be considered as a major
achievement of the PRASHIKA programme. The programme was also successful in
creating a state-wide debate on need for change in primary education, which is
a step forward in itself.
2.3 Source of Funding
Madhya Pradesh Government has been the major source
of funding for all the programmes of Eklavya.
Apart from that funding is received from MHRD, DST, Indian Council of
Social Science Research and many other Government Departments.
Eklavya’s educational toys and publications which include books and magazines for children as well as adults are also able to cover a part of the cost of the organisation’s activities.