Little Big Steps

Recounting the initial challenges, says Ankita Yadav, associate director, ECC, “When we visited Chakrapani Vasti in April this year for the first time and met the families, they were far from being convinced. After two to three meetings, about 15 to 20 parents came forward. One of the prime concerns of most parents was that the income earned by their kids would stop if they start going to school.” There were a few parents who hadn’t enrolled their kids simply because they didn’t have the necessary documents, and hence they were sending their children for private tuition. “None of them were aware about the RTE Act and the fact that their children can be enrolled without the documents,” added Yadav. Once the representatives educated them about the RTE Act, a few more parents gave a nod.

The next challenge, however, was to acclimatize the children to the school environment. “The children weren’t habituated to sitting in one place; they’re hyperactive. We arranged for a bus which worked as a school-on-wheels. It was parked at the vasti itself and we started conducting preparatory classes for them in the bus,” informs Yadav, adding that the classes went on for 20 days in two shifts, for three hours each.

August onward, the children started going to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Primary School. Since commuting to school was a problem posed, a school bus was arranged with the donations received from various quarters. However, Yadav points out another problem that needs to be tackled. “The children aren’t very regular and once they take a break they get relaxed. In such cases, we need to counsel the children as well as their parents,” she says, adding that the support classes for the children are still on at the vasti wherein the focus is on development of pre-reading and pre-writing skills. Besides, the children are also exposed to art and craft. “The educational aids are different given their approach to the concept of school and learning. We have a proper detailed plan for three hours to keep them engaged,” says Yadav, adding that the DSS representatives’ next target is to get a nod from the parents who are yet to be convinced.