Tamil Nadu - Others   

How to make learning easy and fast

Meera Srinivasan

An NGO comes up with modules to improve the performance of rural children

CIRCLE OF WISDOM: Students of a government school in Yelagiri rendering a song as part of their learning. — Photo: S.Thanthoni .

YELAGIRI: Children of Periyamottur in the Yelagiri hills were all smiles, as the sun and the earth descended on their classroom. One child played the sun and the other, planet earth. They saw the earth move around the sun in its orbit and understood the concept of `Day and Night' in no time. Rotation, revolution, inclined axis and other related concepts became so much simpler.

Not just science, but also Tamil, English and mathematics have become more interesting, say students. Tribal children of several villages across Vellore district are a happier lot now.

"I can read very fast. Shall I read and show you?" gushes asks R. Nandini. The Class Five child's father works in a beedi unit in a neighbouring village.

It was no easy task to get these children to come to school regularly. Besides the distance and lack of transport, family circumstances play a role.

Several of them are first generation learners; their family members continue to deem the act of going to school a violation of the normal code of conduct: helping out the father on the farmland or the mother in the kitchen. Chithra, for instance, dropped out after she completed Class Eight, as her mother wanted her help in daily chores.

So when children set foot on school campus and began identifying anything remotely associated with the written script, it was a revolution of sorts.

However, K.S. Ramamurthy believed a lot more was possible. Hundreds of children are reaping the benefits of his initiative.

As president of the Society for the Development of Economically Weaker Section (SODEWS), a non-governmental organisation functioning in parts of Vellore district, Mr. Ramamurthy has designed and implemented modules to raise performance levels of children in these areas. The SODEWS covers areas including Ambur, Gudiyatham, Vaniambadi, Jolarpet and Tirupattur.

He identified nearly 20 volunteers to assist him. The SODEWS, Aid India, another NGO, and the Government of Tamil Nadu have been working together to integrate these modules with the existing school curriculum.

The content designed by Aid India includes mobile library kits and simple equipment to explain a hundred scientific concepts through experiments. "I am currently developing more exercises in English and Vedic Mathematics to improve their standards in reading ability and math," says Mr. Ramamurthy.

Children are divided into groups, based on their standard. Each of these groups is trained in a particular way to help them master one level before they are introduced to new concepts.

Children who read the alphabet comfortably, for instance, are made to form simple words with the letters they know. Similarly, children who can read words are made to build phrases and small sentences. Children who read sentences are made to read challenging sentences. "This will help them get familiar with concepts related to grammar and structures," he says.

Besides language training, the SODEWS is offering computer training. Awareness programmes on health and hygiene are also conducted.

M. Selvaraj Samuel, headmaster of the government middle school at Yelagiri, says the pass percentage in his school has gone up after the introduction of these modules. "Even our attendance has stabilised this year."

SODEWS volunteers work in tandem with school heads and teachers.

The volunteers take the teachers' consent and conduct classes without disturbing the school schedule.

"We supplement the Government's efforts. The Government is doing all it can and as citizens, we owe a lot to our future generations," Mr. Ramamurthy says.

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