Asha Trust - Bharatiyar Evening School

Project Brief: Bharatiyar Educational and Charitable centre runs the Bharatiyar Evening School in Thiruvanmiyur in Chennai to supplement the educational needs of students from near by slums: Periyar Nagar, Ranganatahpuram, and Indra Nagar suburbs.
Project Type: Formal Schools (description)
Primary Focus: children from slums (description)

Secondary Focus: remedial education

Area: Urban
Supporting Chapter Contact: St. Louis
Status: completed - requirements ended
Project Steward: Umesh Katpally
Project Partner(s): Lakshmi Suryanarayanan
Other Contacts: Swapna Kommidi
Project Address: , 522, II West Street,Kamaraj Nagar,Thiruvanmiyur,
TAMIL NADU  600041
Tel: 9444457411
Stewarding Chapter: St. Louis
Dec 2010St. LouisUSD 8000
Apr 2010St. LouisUSD 3250
Sep 2009St. LouisUSD 3250
Apr 2008St. LouisUSD 3750

Total = $18250

Bharatiyar Educational and Charitable Centre established in December 2002 runs the Bharatiyar evening school with a mission to improve the quality and consistency of education of the slum-dwelling children. An exhaustive door-to-door survey in a sample colony built by slum clearance board of the state of Tamil Nadu looked into the standard of education the children receive, the importance they attach to education on the whole, their choice of education over the employment opportunities in front of them and their inner craving for good and complete education. The lack of social, cultural, economic and educational thrust to continue education was understood from the survey. In addition, their inability in adapting to higher education due to insufficient primary education came into light. These results led to the Bharatiyar evening school in Thiruvanmiyur in Chennai to supplement the educational needs of the students from the nearby slums: Periyar Nagar, Ranganathapuram, and Indra Nagar suburbs. It started with three students and a cold response from the parents and now grown to a hundred and odd students and a fully attended PTA (Parent Teacher Association) meeting.
Classes for all standards for such students are conducted between 4:00PM and 8:00PM every evening on all weekdays. Every Sunday, a prominent person from various walks of human life is made available for the children to interact with. Dasara (a major festival in India) holidays and winter vacation are used for sessions of arts, crafts, music, and drama to give exposure to all facets of Indian culture to the children. Refreshments are offered to the children during such sessions and all weekends. All days of national importance and festivals of various religions are celebrated.
Necessary books and notes for every student are distributed free in the beginning of the academic year and refurbished as and when they need more. On the whole, the students needs for supplementary tuition are fulfilled to enable them adapt to the school's demand of standards. This considerably reduced the students dropping out of schools and ending child labor. The exposure offered to them to other areas get them more focussed and civilized. Reducing their idle time and engaging them continuously keeps them away from the common hazards of slum-life.
Bharatiyar Educational and Charitable Centre, established in 2002 is run with a mission to improve the quality and consistency of education of the slum dwelling children.