Project Siksha

In order to achieve our goal of fostering holistic education, we recognise the vital role played by three key components: the school, administration, and community. It is crucial that we foster convergence among these pillars to drive positive outcomes for students.

The school is responsible for in-class learning, whilst administration ensures the smooth functioning of the school system. Community and community institutions play a pivotal role in holding schools and parents accountable for the education of children. By bringing all three together, we create a complete ecosystem around students.

NEP 2020 and NIPUN Bharat emphasise the need for involving communities and institutions in strengthening the education system. To reach every child, we must adopt a collaborative and convergence model.

Engaging at the grassroots level, our interventions encourage active participation from all three components, yielding immediate effects both inside and outside the classroom. We observe improvements in attendance, student engagement, and the use of social and cultural aspects to enhance learning.

We are partnering with Pratigya, who have implemented this solution in 60 schools and actively work towards enhancing foundational literacy and numeracy through direct engagement with children and school teachers. 

The classroom intervention is in 3 stages:

Stage 1: We assess schools based on criteria such as access to education, student-teacher ratio, learning outcomes, and willingness to collaborate for quality improvement. Additionally, we evaluate various school processes, including classroom teaching, teacher training, School Management Committee (SMC) functionality, and parent participation in meetings. We will conduct a detailed assessment of students’ foundational literacy and numeracy skills.

Stage 2: Following the assessment, we will develop a learning improvement plan in collaboration with school teachers. This includes lesson plans, monthly teaching plans, and co-teaching to enhance sustainability and provide training opportunities. We introduce innovative pedagogical practices, such as worksheets and literacy and numeracy corners, aligning with the NIPUN Bharat initiative. This integrated approach combines traditional teaching methods with activity-based learning to improve outcomes.

Stage 3: In the final stage, our engagement expands from the classroom to the entire school. We focus on school sustainability through teacher training and community-school interventions. Establishing resources like literacy corners or libraries, as per NIPUN Bharat, ensures the smooth functioning of the school and enhances students’ learning outcomes. The library exposes students to diverse texts, fostering improved reading, comprehension skills, and a love for reading.

At this stage, our programme aims to foster collaboration and convergence among the community, school, and administration to maximise student learning outcomes. We plan, implement, and evaluate together, working towards our shared vision of educational excellence.

At NaariSamata, we recognise that inequity in education poses one of the greatest challenges in our society. While policies aim to provide education for all, systemic gaps and weaknesses hinder its optimal impact at the grassroots level. Our mission is to support the education system and nurture young Changemakers within communities, working together to address this pressing issue.

Through our transformative project, we strive to build a more equitable education system that empowers every student to unleash their full potential. In 2020, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, an assessment revealed that children from tribal villages were struggling to meet basic literacy and numeracy benchmarks. This served as a catalyst for the launch of our programme, which establishes learning centres where trained locals provide remedial teaching.

Initially, we appointed five community teachers to work in five different villages in Odisha: Badabil, Mahulpada, Tasada, Uskela, Bandhberna, and Khuntgaon. Our initiative aims to improve learning outcomes and ensure access to quality education for children in these underserved communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the challenges faced by children, especially those lacking reliable internet connectivity. In this post-pandemic era, our programme has become even more critical for the region. By leveraging a network of community teachers, we bridge the education gap and enhance learning outcomes for children in these tribal villages.

Our Vision: Advancing Educational Equity

• Cultivate gender-equal classrooms, fostering an inclusive learning environment.

• Reduce the alarming rate of school dropouts among girls each year.
• Design an experiential learning-based curriculum with a strong focus on Social Emotional Learning (SEL).
• Prioritise and empower girls from marginalised communities, ensuring their access to education.
• Encourage and empower girls to become Changemakers within their communities.
• Bridge the learning gap in basic literacy and numeracy, providing essential foundations for every child.

At NaariSamata, we are committed to driving meaningful change in the education landscape. Join us on this transformative journey as we create a brighter future, where every child has equal opportunities to thrive.