Abako Foundation to support systemic education transformation in 22 schools in Bihar (Gaya-12 Schools & Bhagalpur-10 Schools).
The objective of this program is to create a model school with basic facilities like Library and Labs and a motivated and skilled group of teachers lead and sustain change efforts and bring schools out of their isolation ultimately leading to improvement in student outcomes. In further goals they will be a driving force to improve the quality of education in Bihar. Access to free and quality education is a constitutional right of every child and therefore, there is a need to get our government schools to exist and thrive amidst the competition from private bodies of institutions.
Science Labs
The need for activity-based teaching/learning is crucial to the child so that understanding complex concepts can be improved. In order to kindle the excitement around science, the public schools in the cluster will be encouraged to set up these labs with low-cost, no-cost materials which will aid children in understanding principles of science. Abako Foundation, along with cluster stakeholders, would set up science labs in 2 schools in each cluster over two years and teachers would be trained on using the labs. The schools would be either high schools or higher primary schools. Materials will be procured from vendors based on three quotations.
Science labs would have materials for different experiments in maths, physics, chemistry, biology. Labs would also be painted in an engaging and child-friendly way.
Makerspaces
Abako Foundation has an in-house Makerspace team which will be responsible for training teachers to impart science concepts to students and encourage them to identify problems and solutions on their own. Once a solution has been identified, children will engage in making prototypes of their models and testing them. Makerspaces are known to invigorate the child with an interest in science. To make this a continued and sustainable model, teachers would reach out to the community to source material for their Makerspaces. Makerspaces would be set up in 4 schools across the two clusters.
Makerspace or tinkering labs would allow children to explore different interests and activities. Two key objectives for the Makerspaces are:
- To invite innovation and creativity into the lives of our students and schools as a whole
- To allow students to be creative in a safe, risk-tolerant space that nurtures their willingness to fail, questions instead of accept, do instead of listen and understand instead of memorize
Library:
Abako Foundation will help set up physical library spaces in the schools along with training modules for teachers to utilize the space effectively and encourage children to cultivate the habit of reading. Library set-up will also be accompanied with sessions on story-telling for children. These would be set up in four schools across two clusters. Existing empty or unused rooms would be used for setting up the library. Books and materials would be procured through partner organizations like Tulika and Pratham. A total of 4 libraries would be set up across two years in the cluster
Key objectives of setting up a library would include:
- Cultivating a habit of reading and learning in the school
- Improving literacy of students
- Nurturing a culture of debate and discussion in the school