An education support programme offers students in government schools a holistic approach, helping them imbibe lessons through practical and hands-on learning, and boosting their confidence through peer learning.
“It’s important to learn through experience,” ace student-turned-teacher Urmila Suthar told me.
On a recent visit to explore the nuances of an education support programme called Shiksha Sambal (SS), this 20-year-old teacher from Ajoliya ka Khera village near the city of Chittorgarh in Rajasthan, made a huge impact on me. She was passionate about teaching in a way that went beyond textbooks.
“If I read about the fort in Chittor, I may not understand its history or significance properly. However, if I go there and walk around, and listen to the stories of the guide, I will not only know the history better, but also enjoy the learning process,” she said.
SS is a joint initiative of the Government of Rajasthan, Hindustan Zinc Limited and Vidya Bhawan Society. It provides academic support in Science, Maths and English to over 14,000 children in 64 government secondary and senior secondary schools across five districts of Rajasthan. On the face of it, the programme’s focus is to strengthen conceptual knowledge and help improve the results of board examinations.
However, as my conversation with Urmila quickly makes evident, it does much more than this – engaging deeply with questions of learning and pedagogy. Urmila – who is currently pursuing a dual bachelor’s degree in Science and Education – credits Shiksha Sambal for expanding her perspective on education.
The programme has many components, including regular teaching in government schools by teachers trained by SS, winter and summer camps for intensive learning and home visits by field staff.
The 35-40 day long free residential camps in Udaipur are a popular offering. The idea of these summer camps is to engage intensively with students and provide them with academic inputs and help them experience an alternative learning environment.
Urmila, who was 15 years old and had just joined class X when she heard about the summer camp in 2016, confesses that she was tempted by the idea, but also really scared at the prospect of staying away from home on her own.
In a context where it is unusual for girls to stay away from the supervision of their guardians for long stretches, many of her school classmates and their parents shared these reservations.
However, Urmila’s mother, 40-year-old Raju, who never got the opportunity to go to school herself, encouraged her to go.
“I didn’t care about what people would think or say. I wanted my daughter to study and become independent,” Raju tells me at their home. “This was an opportunity for her to learn, see the world and grow.”
So, in 2016 Urmila became the only girl from her village to attend the summer camp.
A shy girl, Urmila says that the safe learning environment at camp worked wonders for her. Working in small groups of four to five peers helped her overcome her hesitation and become more comfortable asking questions.
Parul Sharma, a subject coordinator at Shiksha Sambal, explains that peer learning is an important aspect of the programme’s design.
“Studying is an individual task in schools – you may be sitting next to your peers, but you are expected to study on your own. Peer learning at the camp pushes the students to articulate and express themselves, and also bond with students from other castes, regions and religions different from their own. This builds their perspectives and respect for each other…dealing with different kinds of people is important in any career,” Sharma said.
This approach – of expanding the students’ vision through exposure to different perspectives and experiences – is the cornerstone of Shiksha Sambal’s approach to education.
“I had heard in science class that there are viruses in water but found it hard to believe because I couldn’t see them,” said Urmila, recalling the thrill of practical learning. “This changed on the day they took us to Fateh Sagar Lake in Udaipur. We gathered a sample of water, brought it back to camp, and placed it under a microscope. I could see the virus!”
Co-curricular activities, like dance and painting, are also woven into the programme.
At the end of camp, there is a cultural programme where students can showcase their new skills. For a reticent girl like Urmila, overcoming her hesitation and dancing in front of an audience at the end of the camp was a memorable experience.
She came home armed with an increased sense of confidence, having learnt that “there is nothing to fear, and nothing wrong with asking questions.”
She began asking questions in class and this new attitude towards learning helped her score well in her board exams.
Urmila’s example is inspiring others too.
The following year, three more girls from her village went to the summer camp.
Urmila was called back as a “captain” – a peer mentor for the new entrants – which has boosted her leadership skills and confidence even more.
Urmila now works as a maths teacher with Shiksha Sambal at a government school close to her village. Though she is supposed to teach only two classes a day, she voluntarily takes extra classes because it not only augments her Bachelors of Education lessons but also brings her a lot of joy.
She carries forward the spirit of peer learning by making her students engage in group study.
“We should teach others what we know – knowledge increases when it’s shared,” she tells them.
Her long-term dream is to become an officer in the Indian Administrative Services. Though her busy study schedule doesn’t allow her much spare time, she is intent on making time for her other interests, like dance and badminton, once she gets a job.
As I bid Urmila and her mother goodbye, I reflect on the SS approach to education, which typically are the preserve of students in elite private schools. But by expanding this more holistic approach to learning into Rajasthan’s government schools, Shiksha Sambal’s efforts are creating a ripple-effect in the entire education system of India.
The lead image at the top of this article is of teacher Urmila Suthar with students at Ajoliya ka Khera Government Senior Secondary School (Photo by Kandala Singh)
Kandala Singh is a writer, poet and qualitative researcher based in New Delhi.
