Guidance centres scripting success stories
By Asha P Nair
05th September 2009 10:57 AM
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a close-knit tribal society, where a father drinks and smokes and a mother takes to men and has sex in not-so-closed a manner, a child does not remain a child. They love forest than school, chose to hunt than study and opt drugs for books.
It was into this primitive scene in the tribal colonies of Kasargod that a group of trainers under the District SSA here, ventured into two years ago.
What happened then is slowly creating history.
Around 30 guidance centres in the two educational districts of Kasargod and Kanhangad have been scripting success stories in changing the attitude of adivasi children towards learning. The centres, mostly in tribal colonies, have now become a place of union for not just the children but adults too.
The centres, which act as a home away from home for adivasi kids to spent their evenings where a volunteer plays the role of a parent and guides them through learning, have now gained the blessings of the entire adivasi communities here.
“It’s been a long journey. We met with hurdles initially, for it was very difficult to earn their trust. These adivasi children have now gained confidence, learn from nature and fellow-beings, like to read, write and enjoy games. Which means they behave and live like other children, which seemed to have had its effect on their parents too,’’ said Subrahmanian, SSA District Programme Officer.
‘Deeptham,’ a two-hour documentary by the team of Kasargod District Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), has captured this journey in images. It makes a trip into the lives of adivasi students who have been touched and transformed by the entry of SC/ST guidance centres into their colonies. The documentary, just a month old, will now find its way to more panchayats and districts, in a bid to emphasise the importance of collaborative learning. It has also acted as a catalyst to SSA’s decision to open 1,000 neighbourhood learning centres in the state.
“It’s a first-hand introduction to adivasi life here, their jobs, difficulties, how they bring up their children, the lives of these children in families and in schools, how the local bodies have intervened to help the SSA and how these centres have shaped their future. It has interviews with these kids, volunteers, the tribal heads (moopan) and the parents. We thought it is such a novel effort, it must be documented,’’ said P K Jayarajan, trainer at Kasargod BRC who shot the video.
At the recently concluded workshop of SSA held in Thiruvananthapuram to train volunteers for neighbourhood learning centres, Deeptham earned its share of accolades in volumes. It is expected to be telecast shortly in a leading channel.
In 2007, SSA had started guidance centres for SC/ST students in three districts, Kasargod, Palakkad and Wayanad, as a pilot programme. However, these centres will now be known as `padanaveedu’ or neighbourhood learning centres. But the objectives shall remain the same.
It was into this primitive scene in the tribal colonies of Kasargod that a group of trainers under the District SSA here, ventured into two years ago.
What happened then is slowly creating history.
Around 30 guidance centres in the two educational districts of Kasargod and Kanhangad have been scripting success stories in changing the attitude of adivasi children towards learning. The centres, mostly in tribal colonies, have now become a place of union for not just the children but adults too.
The centres, which act as a home away from home for adivasi kids to spent their evenings where a volunteer plays the role of a parent and guides them through learning, have now gained the blessings of the entire adivasi communities here.
“It’s been a long journey. We met with hurdles initially, for it was very difficult to earn their trust. These adivasi children have now gained confidence, learn from nature and fellow-beings, like to read, write and enjoy games. Which means they behave and live like other children, which seemed to have had its effect on their parents too,’’ said Subrahmanian, SSA District Programme Officer.
‘Deeptham,’ a two-hour documentary by the team of Kasargod District Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), has captured this journey in images. It makes a trip into the lives of adivasi students who have been touched and transformed by the entry of SC/ST guidance centres into their colonies. The documentary, just a month old, will now find its way to more panchayats and districts, in a bid to emphasise the importance of collaborative learning. It has also acted as a catalyst to SSA’s decision to open 1,000 neighbourhood learning centres in the state.
“It’s a first-hand introduction to adivasi life here, their jobs, difficulties, how they bring up their children, the lives of these children in families and in schools, how the local bodies have intervened to help the SSA and how these centres have shaped their future. It has interviews with these kids, volunteers, the tribal heads (moopan) and the parents. We thought it is such a novel effort, it must be documented,’’ said P K Jayarajan, trainer at Kasargod BRC who shot the video.
At the recently concluded workshop of SSA held in Thiruvananthapuram to train volunteers for neighbourhood learning centres, Deeptham earned its share of accolades in volumes. It is expected to be telecast shortly in a leading channel.
In 2007, SSA had started guidance centres for SC/ST students in three districts, Kasargod, Palakkad and Wayanad, as a pilot programme. However, these centres will now be known as `padanaveedu’ or neighbourhood learning centres. But the objectives shall remain the same.
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