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We provided them
some economic support. To promote social awareness, some input
on social analysis was given to the students of class VI by Sr. Jyoti from Ashna Nivas. Some days later these Students
were taken to some rag pickers clusters around Round. They were
briefed by Br. Varghese and during these exposure programs the
students met the rag pickers and interested with them and their
families. In the evolution session many students shared their
feelings and experiences. Some of them collected clothes for
these children. We plan to continue to expose the students to
such experiences.
We soon saw the need to provide some sort of formal education to
such kind of Children. Fr. Principal came up with the idea of
running a school for them in our school campus from 2.45pm to
5.00pm. There Marianist Brothers could send some of their
children to our school. We thought first of running this school
for the drop-outs and the needy children of the neighborhood.
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These were mainly Muslim
children and some tribal and background classes. We made a
survey in March-April with the help of the staff and students
and from X.I.S.S. They trained instructors and volunteers.
We started the experiment in April 2001. We employed some
teachers and tried to compose a syllabus. The first months were
really “experimental”. As none of us had any experience with
this kind of project, this first period was rather catholic. The
attendance was very irregular. We were short of copybooks,
pencils and other materials. Then Fr. Principal remembered the
“National Open School” system, which is under the patronage of
the Central Government and one branch of which exits in St.
John’s School, Ranchi. We affiliated with them. This project has
a proper syllabus and provides books. They have regular exams
up-to the Metric. Its certificates are recognized by all
universities.
We reflected on the experience of this first experimental period
and realized that we need a better structure and a more regular
attendance. We decided to recruit such children from the tolas
not too far away from our school, mainly tribal. We also decided
to educate the smaller ones (below 10 years of age) in the tolas
themselves. From the bigger child we put our buses at their
disposal to bring the bigger children to the school and take
them back. We also saw the need for a full-time Field Officer to
observe the teaching and other programs in the villages and in
the school.
Since 2002 January, the new system was in place and runs very
satisfactorily since then. |
