Jivan Shiksha Pahel
Muskaan runs a school for children between ages 6 to 15 years. These are not ordinary kids – they are full of energy and enthusiasm and can take on anything new, provided it is challenging enough and more importantly interesting enough for them!
On a normal day in Bhopal, they pick up their sacks at about 5 am in the morning and start their 8 to 10 hour work routine picking waste from containers, nullahs and roadsides. Many of them are girls who earn for their families – the family they are born in or get married into. Living in bastis, most of these children belong to marginalized communities who have moved to the city in search of better income and livelihood opportunities.
The children are rarely able to access or grow in mainstream schools - mainly beause of the irrelevant curriculum but also due e to the discriminative treatment they face. In order to address these gaps, Muskaan decided to set up its Learning Centre - Jivan Shiksha Pahel (litterally translating as "Attempt at life relevant learning"), which is now a registered school. The teachers here continuously explore with the children what they want and need to learn and above all what is useful for them. In addition, lessons tought go beyond mainstream education with the aim of strengthening student’s identities and self-confidence.
The school runs for five hours, six days a week. It is a place where children step out of the stresses of their daily lives to become a part of a comprehensive academic programme that is relevant to their lives. The programme provides a combination of study options which are convenient to the children in terms of their schedule and their learning level. About 200 children from six slums study at the school itself. Another group of about 100 children study in basti based learning centers in three remote bastis of Bhopal.
The children study in groups, sub-groups and individually, learning at different paces and in different styles. Through Muskaan’s specially designed Hindi, English and Math curriculum, new concepts and information are systematically introduced to the class in a way that the children are able to comprehend. While some prefer to use artificial currency for counting, other children work only in their minds, and still others sit outside completing their math by counting with stones.
Muskaan highly values self-expression. Students write and draw about their lives at home, at work and what they see around them. This enables them to express themselves, helps develop their creativity and critical thinking. Music, singing, sports and games are also part of the curriculum. In addition, exposure visits and special workshops also help inspire students to envision life, learn about the world around them and develop their own goals. Programmes have included visits to local museums, parks and other cities, as well as watching movies. Workshops most often focus on practical skill development and have included cartoon drawing, storytelling, bicycle mending, stitching, metal working and much more.
For children who are very irregular due to work pressures we have designed residential camps that take them several months outside of Bhopal to learn!
