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Keywords
Middle School, Alternative, Education, Urban Poor, Resource Center, Teacher Training, Learning Aids
Geographical Location
Kolkata, West Bengal
Languages
Bengali, English, Hindi
Philosophy/Beliefs
Our vision of an ideal society is where economics is guided by the concept of sufficiency and wants are limited; all work - manual and intellectual - is given equal respect (Gandhi); where humans live in harmony with nature, and creativity and diversity is encouraged (Tagore); where universal love and tolerance is actively practiced (Kabir). We believe that child education has to be in tune with this larger vision of society.
We see that today child education is pre-dominantly and unfortunately equated to schooling in standardized state directed curriculum. The agenda of unlimited growth, individual selfishness, reckless exploitation of man and nature, envy, intolerance, violence is no longer "hidden". Everyone is made to aspire a cushy white collar urban job in a mad scramble of survival of the smartest and the whole of education, in spite of brave resistance by some people inside and outside the "state" education system, is geared towards fulfilling this aspiration. Few succeed, most fail and because of information revolution we are in an explosive situation today.
Shikshamitra, like many others, is searching for a way out. How do we give high quality but diversifiededucation to every child? How to remain true to our vision of ideal society and yet ensure that education also has a livelihood component? How to see that education leads to happy, balanced, satisfied persons and yet who are willing to fight for justice and equity?
We believe that we have to have many partners in our struggle. The clock is ticking and solutions have to be found, tried out many times and replicated.
Objective/Mission/Goals
- Creation of an alternate model to existing middle and secondary schools regarding learning goals and methods; and where learning takes place through much more diverse avenues. To propagate an idea of an Open Learning Centre in urban context where all kinds of learners are learning various skills and concepts as per their needs, aptitudes and timing from diverse avenues.
- Setting up a School Education Resource Center which will collect, process, produce and disseminate relevant education materials; will facilitate the coming together of all possible actors to share, exchange and take collective action; and which will conduct training - workshops - seminars - studies - action research.
Shikshamitra, which started in Feb 2005, is a project of an older development organization Swanivarwhich runs 14 pre-primary and 4 primary schools and is currently doing an intervention in many govt ICDS centers, primary schools and secondary schools in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
Shikshamitra currently has 25 students who have become adept at self and group learning. There is a lot of stress on language - communications - thinking - original writing - art - craft - music - films - making saleable craft products - cooking etc.
Starting in mid 2007 Shikshamitra has started giving inputs to Swanirvar rural area and also to several NGOsin Kolkata and other districts. In 2006 Shikshamitra organized the Bal Vividha (a special children's fair) in Kolkata for the first time.
Resources Available
- Books for children (Bangla, English and Hindi) written by adults and children
- Text-books (Govt, and others); materials developed by other resource organizations such as Digantar, Ekalavya, DRCSC; Bangla translation of Digantar and Ekalavya Material (selected)
- Audio-visual teaching aids
- Books, Journals and Reports on Education
- TLM produced at Shikshamitra on teaching English, Bangla, Mathematics
- Some booklets for teachers
- Directory of vocational courses in Kolkata and its surroundings (courses for high-school graduates)
- Directory of Education Resource Organizations in Kolkata with a brief profile of each organization
Sudeshna Sinha
Shikshamitra
62B Alipore Road (first floor)
Kolkata, West Bengal 700027
Phone: (033) 2479 9271
Website Links
http://shikshamitra.kolkata.googlepages.com