The primacy of literacy and numeracy at primary school changes towards a focus on subjects at later stages of schooling. The higher cognitive levels of students at those levels as well as the historic growth of knowledge bases make the subject matter an important factor. What is to be taught? And how is it to be taught? These two questions with their inter relationships continue to challenge the scenario of Indian education. Eklavya’s efforts towards a holistic change in school education from mid 1980s to 2002 had addressed both these questions along with examination reforms (open book exams) and teacher training.

In the last decade we have been attempting to address these questions further especially as subjects are not static bodies of knowledge, but keep changing through new evidences and interpretations. Knowledge is born out of historic and social processes and has been conventionally shaped for schooling through the roles played by the state, nationalism and citizenship and these continue to be shaped by privatization and commercialisation. Hence the nature of the content of schooling is a negotiation on various influences.

Eklavya has been part of the processes of text book writing in various states of the country. NCF, 2005 with its emphasis on the child and the local in the construction of knowledge, has opened up renewed efforts on text books in the country both at the NCERT and at the state levels. We continue to collaborate with these efforts.

Our efforts on educational change are guided by the dynamism of the subject matter, social realities and pedagogy. ERMB focuses on curricular critique, research, discussions, development of educational materials and text books and the training of educators and teachers. The group is organised on the basis of four subject areas- Science, Social Science, Mathematics and Language.

The group also seeks to build field level models that can impact social realities. It has currently embarked on a project to explore issues in tribal education.

DEVELOPING MODELS FOR QUALITY EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN AND TEACHERS IN TWO TRIBAL BLOCKS OF MADHYA PRADESH
20015-18
Project Supported by – Jamshetji Tata Trust, Mumbai
 

Eklavya has undertaken a project for developing models of quality education for children and teachers in two tribal majority blocks of Madhya Pradesh- Shahpur in district Betul and Tamia in district Chhindwara.  The project is planned for three years, from October 2015 to September 2018. It aims to provide support to the education of children from 3 to 16 years by organising number of activities with the teachers, school administrators, community members, youth and parents. It also aims to build the capacity of educators and team members in various organisations by creating and conducting courses on education related issues.

In the first year of the project over 60 village communities were reached and engaged in the two blocks, support centres, libraries and activities were initiated for children of aanganwadis, primary schools, middle schools and hostels, teaching learning materials and books were reached to children, teachers and parents, training programmes were organised for youth volunteers and regular follow up processes were instituted. The academic coordination unit organised baseline studies, regular planning, review, capacity building and documentation support to the field teams. Through this project Eklavya hopes to build a model of comprehensive educational support processes for the 3 to 16 age group. It will rely on its earlier experience of many programmes like out of school support centres, libraries, teacher training on the one hand and also try to build new models for working with early childhood care, hostel students and middle school level out of school support processes.