[Research] "bridging the gap"??? (was Re: posters)

Sat Aug 21 22:10:26 IST 2021

Dear Jean and all,

This issue - what does a class 'N' teacher teach when students come on
school reopening is a very crucial, complex one, with a wrong decision
having perhaps even a greater harm than the school closure (which is of
course not advocating for continued  school closure, as that will  only
aggravate this issue, and this crisis could have perhaps been avoided or
mitigated by keeping Anganwadis and Primary schools open during most the
pandemic period).

I agree with Jean on his definition of the 'gap' and that the bridge has
to be for a much much longer period.  I had a chat with Dhir a month ago
and he said UP Govt has sort of accepted that next 2 years need to be
treated differently to allow for this 'bridging' - see attached mail
from Dhir. If we can push this thinking in more govts, specially ones
that may be receptive (TN? Kerala? Jharkhand?) it would be good.

I am copying *Venita Kaul* on this thread - we were having a discussion
this morning, on this  issue and she said she was planning to write an
article on opening pre-primary and primary schools. This issue (what
should a class 2 teacher do when students come into 'class 2, when
these  children may have never been to school earlier?') is related and
I would request her  (with her work in ECCE) to share some thoughts on
this, including in this or another article. Also attaching responses
from Sajitha and Jyotsna on same  thread, with their analyses.

Also copying *Mythili and Ranjani* who are facilitating the working
group on 'education support to schools and communities' for their 
ideas/ideation.

Finally, Niranjan, the language  of 'loss' and  'catching up' may do the
maximum damage of pushing out students (from marginalized groups) whose
learning cannot be 'bridged' in some arbitrary and short time. While
this is most applicable to the 5-8 year children it is also relevant to
the older children.  Basically we are on the cusp of large scale dropout
and a wrong decision here will exponentially increase that  drop out. a
situation not seen in our history of  education.

regards,
Guru

On 21/08/21 8:09 pm, Jean Dreze wrote:
>
> It seems to me that the "bridge", however designed, will have to
> extend to March 2023, not 2022. Because the "gap", for children who've
> been left out all this time, is not just one-and-a-half years (since
> lockdown began); it's one-and-a-half years + what they forgot of what
> they had learnt + whatever gap was already there before the lockdown
> began. I don't see a 3-month bridge course filling that gap.
>
>
> Jean
>
>
> On 21-08-2021 19:51, Niranjanaradhya.V.P Aradhya wrote:
>>
>> Hi Jean and friends 
>>
>>  
>>
>> You have raised an important issue. Since March 24^th to till date
>> nothing much happened to children who are in lower classes.
>> Therefore, I propose the following.  
>>
>> The children who joined class 1 in 2020-21 can be combined with the
>> children who are joining class 1 in 2021-22 since there levels of
>> learning are one and the same. These children will undergo
>> accelerated learning programme to learn basic things appropriate to
>> their age and grade in a combined manner to benefit both the age
>> groups and grades in 2021-22 for 200 hundred learning days as
>> indicated by RTE Act. During this period, teachers with special
>> curriculum and methods help these children master the competencies
>> otherwise they would have mastered in class 1 and two respectively.
>> At the end of 2022 academic year , a special programme for children
>> who got admitted to class 1 in 2020-21 ( though they have not
>> attended school)  can be designed with special curriculum to prepare
>> them for class 3, so that we can avoid loss of one year for no fault
>> of them.   
>>
>>  
>>
>> In the meal for all other grades from 2 to 10, the first 3 months
>> should be devoted to well-structured bridge course with a specially
>> designed curriculum to get familiar with age wise- grade wise
>> competencies before we start curriculum transaction  
>>
>>  
>>
>> Otherwise, the loss is for marginalized children who are first- or
>> second-generation learners. Therefore, while talking on behalf them
>> and demanding any solution needs a fair understanding and all benefit
>> should be given to children. The decision also should be in the best
>> interest of the children.  
>>
>>  
>>
>> Niranjan  
>>
>>   
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> *From:* Jean Dreze <jaandaraz at riseup.net>
>> *Sent:* 21 August 2021 1:20 AM
>> *To:* Guru <Guru at ITforChange.net>
>> *Cc:* niranjan aradhya <aradhyaniranjan at hotmail.com>; Sajitha Bashir
>> <sajitha.bashir at gmail.com>; mehendalearchana at gmail.com
>> <mehendalearchana at gmail.com>; research at educationemergency.net
>> <research at educationemergency.net>; Rishikesh <rishikesh at apu.edu.in>
>> *Subject:* Re: [Research] posters
>>  
>>
>> Dear Guru and friends,
>>
>> I am still tied up with the field survey, but doing my best to keep
>> up in the between with all the useful material you are circulating.
>>
>> The survey findings are alarming (no surprise here). In Latehar
>> district, in 5 SC/ST hamlets, we found that 75% of children were
>> unable to read a single word. Meanwhile, the schools are falling apart.
>>
>> I wonder what the "line" is on automatic promotion. Once again it
>> seems to suit privileged children, who are more or less on track, but
>> it is the kiss of educational death for other children. How can
>> children who were enrolled in Class 1 last year, and have never been
>> to school or learnt the alphabet, be in Class 2 now (Class 3 in a few
>> months), where they are given English textbooks (in Jharkhand)? Is
>> there not a case for a "bonus year" when all children are helped to
>> recover instead of sorting the winners and losers yet again? Just
>> curious - I am sure that you have discussed this.
>>
>> I am not clear whether "research at educationemergency.net"
>> <mailto:research at educationemergency.net> is a kind of collective
>> address so I am CC-ing a few at random!
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Jean
>>
>>
>> On 10-08-2021 11:05, Guru wrote:
>>> Thanks Jean
>>>
>>> We are in the process of translating posters to as many languages as
>>> possible as these can help in sharp and quick communication. We will
>>> share these with you as well.
>>>
>>> regards
>>> Guru
>>>
>>>
>>> On 10/08/21 7:03 am, Jean Dreze wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Dear Guru: Thanks for this and other mails. I am up to my ears
>>>> right now with the field survey (until 22 August), but I will catch
>>>> up as soon as possible. We will definitely help with media for one
>>>> thing.
>>>>
>>>> More asap,
>>>>
>>>> Jean
>>>>
>>>> On 06-08-2021 15:41, Guru wrote:
>>>>> Dear Jean
>>>>>
>>>>> I am attaching the posters that  my colleague made in our Karnataka
>>>>> 'Open Schools' campaign
>>>>>
>>>>> The campaign included a street protest, media articles, few press
>>>>> releases which were reported in local papers. It may have helped a bit -
>>>>> the Karnataka Govt kept high schools open Jan-March 2021.
>>>>> Through the State SMC Federation, Niranjan and others also organized
>>>>> district level protest meetings on school opening. A PIL was also put up
>>>>> in Karnataka High Court  on both opening schools and providing mid day
>>>>> meals. The CJ was sympathetic but  did not give a firm directive to open
>>>>> schools. (there is a general middle class fear psychosis)
>>>>>
>>>>> For this time, apart from posters, street protests, short videos
>>>>> (children, parents, teachers) in multiple languages, social media
>>>>> campaigns, apart from policy briefs, guidelines/toolkits for school
>>>>> opening will be required. And the idea of the national coalition is to
>>>>> share resources/ideas across groups working in different geographies.
>>>>>
>>>>> regards,
>>>>> Guru
>>>>>
>>>>> https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2021/mar/19/midday-meals-as-crucial-as-classes-survey-2278502.html <https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2021/mar/19/midday-meals-as-crucial-as-classes-survey-2278502.html>
>>>>> https://itforchange.net/press-release-open-all-schools-and-all-classes-local-hygiene-precautions <https://itforchange.net/press-release-open-all-schools-and-all-classes-local-hygiene-precautions>
>>>>> https://itforchange.net/press-release-open-all-primary-schools-now-to-avoid-a-learning-crisis <https://itforchange.net/press-release-open-all-primary-schools-now-to-avoid-a-learning-crisis>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
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