Asha for Education

Secondary Focus: other

Total = $44542.1659

Several Asha-Chennai projects involve improving the operations of government schools. Some of the teachers in these schools are appointed by Asha-Chennai. The teachers are often qualified from an educational standpoint. However, they lack in terms of knowledge of good education methods specifically targeted towards young children. They require training in these areas.

We also employ computer teachers who teach computer science. Our computer teachers as well as regular teachers use contents on the computers to teach regular subjects. For all these regular training on using computers is also required.

Instead of having different training sessions, one for each project, it made sense to combine these into a single training session for all our teachers. Besides lowering the cost of running these sessions, combining these also brings in interaction between teachers spread across several districts of Tamilnadu. This would help them and us to understand the complexities that exist at the ground in the different areas of the state.

Thus was envisioned the RightStart teachers training program. This has been a regular fixture for Asha Chennai right from 2003. While taking care of training, this also provides us an opportunity to meet as an entire organisation and understand what we are working towards.

RightStart has been organised for most years from 2003. In particular it has been held in May of every year without a break at IIT Madras campus from 2014. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it had to be cancelled in 2020. This is usually conducted at Vanavani Matriculation Higher Secondary School, IIT campus as residential program from in May. This is attended by over 70 teachers from Asha Chennai and associated organizations. The reports of the project from the previous years are there in the Project Documents section.

In addition to the RightStart, Asha Chennai also organises term-wise training sessions in Chennai and more frequent teacher meetings at every project site where the teachers discuss and train themselves. Volunteers visit and participate in these as well. There is a lot of online training that happens as well.