Click on the slides to browse them slower

Creating a Department for Logistics

Transferring logistical arrangements to a central support system at a school can be difficult. While the administrative and logistical responsibilities that burden the teacher are supposedly what prevent the teacher from delivering high-quality teaching in the classroom, it can also be a source of tremendous power and function as viable excuse for not making an adequate the effort to teach.

Also, differentiating tasks that are best done by the teacher and those best kept out of his or her way tends to ruffle territorial feathers. It can also be very like trying to spilt hair. In addition, the job description of the logistical resource person can end up being exceedingly challenging.
A school office could be staffed in a variety of ways.

A fully staffed school office could comprise several peons, a fully functional accounts office, often a branch of a local bank, a Vice Principal who assists the Principal in policy matters, stands in for the Principal whenever possible and advises the curriculuar staff, the Asssistant Vice Principal looks after the everyday running of the school, and supervises the Heads of school, as well as takes meetings with parents as a line manager for the Heads of School. None of these people manage the curriculum of the school. They manage the logistics, administration, HR and routine running of the school's facilities to support the teaching and curricular teams.

Tracking Merapi

Understanding Tsunami

Mumtaz's Adventure

Science Concept Line

Inquiry in the curriculum
The Science curriculum was consolidated in June 2005. It is listed below.
P1
Pollution

Environment

Biosphere

Eco system

Biome

Flow of Energy


Food Chain Food Web

P2

Habitat & Adaptation
· Land
· Water
· Air
Cycles
· Carbon
· Nitrogen
· Oxygen
· Water
Weather System

P3
Solid
Matter (Form) Liquid
Gas

Physical Composition Chemical Composition
· Molecules Element
· Atom Mixture
Compound

Structure of Atom Classification of Elements
Chemical Bounds
Chemical Reactions

Pre Bridge & Bridge
Concept Cluster 1
Sexuality
· Sensuality
· Sexual Intimacy
· Sexual Identity.
· Reproduction & Sexual Health
· Sexualization
Concept Cluster 2
Body Systems
· Digestive
· Respiratory
· Circulatory
· Excretory
· Nervous
· Endocrine
· Skelton
Health
· Food - Nutrition
· Human Diseases
Concept Cluster 3
Cell
· Animal
· Plants
Tissues
· Animal
· Plants

Classification
· Animalia
· Plantae
· Protista
· Monera
· Fungi
Concept Cluster 4
Work & Energy
· Kinetic
· Potential
· Light
· Heat

Simple Machines
· Force
· Inertia
· Friction
· Gravity
· Arch Principles

Driving Questions by Science Students

Driving Questions on the Endocrine System

1. Why is the thymus big in children and small in adults?
2. Why do boys voices have more base and girls more tuneful?
3. Why does diabetes happen?
4. What makes a person tall or short?
5. How many endocrine glands are there?
6. How do hormones travel?

Driving Questions on the skeletal and muscular systems
What are bones made of?
Why do we experience pain in our bones?
Why is there space between two bones?
Why is a child's bones' soft?
Why can we move our neck?
What is bone marrow?
Why are there differently shaped bones?
Why do bones not wear out, from friction?
Are nails also bones?
What would happen if we had no bones?
When a bone breaks how does it join back?
Why does a bone not melt away?
A discussion around the Skeletal system and the resulting questions (listed above) resulted in the students moving the discussion to the Muscular System. It was thus taken up as part of the course this year, even though it was not in the minimum that the teacher had decided on introducing in class. Thus, we experienced another example of the students leading learning and the teachers' coping with their eagerness to learn by using preparation periods through the week to live up to the demands of the students' inquiring minds.
How many muscles does the human body have?
How are muscles made?
How do muscles get involved in the expression of emotions?
Are the muscles of animals and human beings the same or different?
Can muscles work without bones?
Why do muscles became blue when they get hurt?
Why do muscles shrivel when it is cold?

Student Profile

Student Profiles are created so that every possible hindrance to the child completeing their education goals can be anticipated and solved in partnership with all concerned. In this article, the information from student profiles from the assignment at Hope Project Charitable Trust are described alongwith the soultions that were possible because of the education system put into place by LearningInq.

The Student Profile of Ms. Swaleha

Mother: Qaiser Jahan – Father: Subhan Ilahi
Shabir (16) Swaleha (15) Uma (14) Rahmed (12)

While the format of the Student Profile does not provide a space for the history of the family, the many conversations and the involvement in family events that it often requires for the Education Social Worker to build rapport with the family, results in this kind of detailed family history.

Qaiser, is originally from Nizamuddin but after marriage shifted to her husband’s home in Old Delhi. When her children were younger she was working as a domestic worker in homes in Nizamuddin, thus she would bring her children to her parents’ home in the basti while she would work. When her kids were old enough to start school, she would travel with them from Old Delhi, over an hour by bus, no matter the weather, to bring them to the school in the basti. Since Swaleha was a bit older, she was living with her grandmother full time. After five or six years, Qaiser’s parents expired within months of each other and she simultaneously began working in the crèche at Hope.

Swaleha and her family shifted to Nizamuddin about nine years ago. Her mother, She decided to shift back to Nizamuddin with her family, rather than commuting each day. They now rent a home in Alvi Chowk. Swaleha’s father used to work as a mixer repairman but has been unemployed as of late. He doesn’t contribute any financial support to the family and mostly spends times with his friends, drinking and gambling.

In 2001, after passing the Vth standard, Swaleha enrolled at Hope. She had a knee problem at the time and it was too far of a commute to the secondary school in Jangpura. Qaiser is very interested in her children’s education and very supportive. Uma is also a Hope student, currently in P3; Rahmed is in the IVth standard at Jangpura. Shabir has not been interested in education and dropped out after the IVth standard. For a while he was apprenticing as a welder, but he is not very interested in working either.

When asked what she would like to do in the future, Swaleha remarks that she would like to be a nurse. When asked why she states that when her grandmother was in the hospital she saw how the nurses cared for her and was impressed. She is not under pressure to marry right away but because of financial problems she is not sure if she will be able to continue her studies. When asked why she feels that education is important she states that ‘if one is educated then one can stand on their own feet and accomplish good things,’. One hopes that Swaleha, an ambitious girl with the full support of her parents, can find a way to make her dreams come true.

Sitara, P2, 14yrs

Rubeda - Mohammed Ayu


Kaful (married with ten kids – Bihar)- Salma (married with six kids- Sarai Khale Khan) – Md. Mura (married with four kids – bus mechanic – Sarai Khale Khan) – Sajida (married with four kids – SKK) - Noor Jahan (married with three kids – SKK)– Chandni (married, no kids) – Sitara (14)

Sitara’s parents are originally from Mumbai but came to Delhi a long time ago and settled in Sarai Khale Khan. Her father, Md. Ayu is a cycle-rickshaw puller and her mother, Rubeda, a housewife. She has seven elder siblings, all married. Thus it is only her and her parents at home. None of her siblings have gone to primary school although they were tutored at home in basic literacy. Sitara passed the IIIrd standard in Sarai Khale Khan but was then asked to leave the school. She was showing signs of depression and lack of interest in anything. Her mother took her to a morana (Muslim shaman) and he said that she was possessed by a spirit. When her teacher came to find out she told Sitara not to return to school for two years. After two years she still did not return to school, thus she had a two and half year gap in her education. Finally, about a year and a half ago she came to hear of the Hope school through her neighbor, Sonam (Xth). When asked why she was going to school when none of her other siblings had, she remarks that she herself was interested and asked her mother who then agreed. When asked why none of her other siblings went to school she remarks that although her mother tried to send them, none of them were interested. Her parents are very supportive of her education and she is a regular student, often getting gold stars for her stellar attendance record.

When asked what she would like to be in the future she answers ‘teacher’! She says that she would like to contribute knowledge to other children and spread the awareness that comes through education. She chose to study because she felt that she wanted to understand the newspapers and TV and thus understand what is happening in the world. Clearly, Sitara is a very ambitious girl who wants to empower herself as a conscientious citizen. After the XIIth standard she would like to go on to a BA. Her parents are supportive but it all depends on their financial situation. Hopefully Sitara will find a way to pursue her dreams.

Rekha, Xth, 17yrs

Saroj – Ram Singh


Sonia (30) – married Suresh (28) Anand (24) - married Pinkie (22) – married Tinku (20) Rekha (17) Deepak (14)

Rekha’s father, Ram Singh, is a runaway child from Nepal. He landed in Delhi at the age of ten and eventually settled and married in a jhuggi in Barah Pula, near Nizamuddin. Saroj, Rekha’s mother, is originally from Hyderabad. Their son Anand is married and lives there with his wife. Ram Singh works in catering but only has work for the winter months – the rest of the year he is unemployed. Suresh works with his father but is an alcoholic and thus unreliable. He often comes home and is abusive – shouting and breaking furniture. After the birth of her second child, Suresh, Rekha’s mother became mentally ill. Although undiagnosed, from Rekha’s description it sounds as if she is manic depressive/Bipolar – for one or two months at a time she may be totally fine and all of a sudden she will get what Rekha calls an ‘attack’. She will begin to talk to herself and shout and abuse others, throwing rocks and behaving erratically. Initially, they would give Saroj sleeping pills during her ‘attacks’ to try and calm her down. But after some time she came to find out what they were doing and refused to take them. Rekha and her siblings must keep a close eye on their mother during her ‘attacks’ because she is prone to running away, sometimes for months at a time. When she escapes they have no idea where she goes, only that she returns home filthy, clotheless and mad.

When Rekha talks of her mother it is apparent that she is upset by the scene that her mother causes in the neighborhood. She says that she feels ashamed of her behavior, especially when she is found naked roaming the streets. But she does not worry for her mother because she feels that she will never get better and that there is nothing to be done. The few times that Ram Singh attempted to admit his wife into a mental hospital, she behaved totally ‘sane’.

When asked about her father and brothers, Rekha’s tone is different. She hesitates to answer questions about her relationships with them. I ask her if her brothers Deepak and Tinku help her with household chores as her mother is incapacitated and her father and elder brother absent much of the time. She says that they do in fact help with some household chores. When asked if she likes them – she hesitates and begins to cry. Clearly Rekha is under an immense amount of stress in the home. The only girl, her sisters are both married and living with their husbands, and the youngest, she bears the brunt of stress and abuse. When asked if she feels like she has anyone she can talk to or share with in the world, she again hesitates; and while she says her elder sister Sonia is there for her, she cannot tell her everything.

Rekha comes from a family which is supportive of education. Sonia has passed Xth standard; Suresh, XIIth; Anand VIth but only because he himself had no interest; Pinkie, Xth; Tinku, Xth and her youngest brother Deepak is in VIIIth at the Happy International (Private) school in Bogle. Paradoxically, although this family is suffering severe financial hardships due to the intermittent availability of work for the only earning member, Ram Singh, Deepak still is going to a private school which costs Rs. 900 a month. With the impending demolition of their jhuggi and outstanding debts from the year that Rekha spent in a boarding school, one wonders how this family is coping. Rekha says that her father takes loans from friends when he is not working and pays them back during wedding season.

About a year and a half ago, due to the stressful domestic situation that Rekha was living in, a neighbor told her about a boarding school called B.M. Gange. The hostel rent was Rs.1,000/month and tuition was about Rs. 150/month. She enrolled for the IXth standard but was asked to leave at the end of the year because of her outstanding debts. Her father had only been able to pay two months of boarding and as such still owes Rs.8,000. Soon after Rekha heard about hope through her sister Sonia, who is a colleague of Usha from the health clinic. She enrolled in August 2006.

When asked about her future, Rekha again hesitates. She remarks that she will not be able to marry as her family cannot afford a dowry for her, thus she does not have a way out of this stressful domestic situation she is living in at the moment. She and her family are under constant pressure due to her mother’s illness, her brother’s alcoholism, her father’s intermittent income, outstanding debts and the impending demolition of their jhuggi settlement. Rekha would like to become a social worker one day but with the way things are at the moment she knows that it is a far off dream. Rekha would need to find a way to live independently and away from this abusive situation – a long term and sustainable plan for empowerment and independence - through further studies, job mentoring and suitable housing arrangements.

Neetu Sharma, Xth, 17yrs

Neetu ran away from her home in Jhansi, MP at the age of 10. Her father was an army employee and her mother a housewife. She and her younger brother suffered a lot of abuse by her father, as a result of which she ran away. When asked how, as a young girl of ten, it occurred to her to go to the train station and take a train away from her home, she remarks that she remembered her father talk about his commute to work by train and having seen the train station once; thus one day, when she could take the abuse no longer, she left home on foot. Once she reached the station she boarded a train, not knowing where it was going, and ended up in Delhi.

She was immediately picked up by Salaam Balak Trust (SBT), an NGO which works with street children that live in railway stations. They provide shelter, food and schooling for many of these children. Although Neetu had passed the Vth standard in Jhansi, for the first three years of her time in the SBT shelter home she was not going to a local school but receiving tuition at the home itself. This is because Salaam Balak aims to make sure that the children will not run again and so take time to let them adjust to the environment and discipline of schooling. Many of these kids are so used to roaming freely that to re-enter the confines of authority and discipline is a challenge for them and they end up back on the streets. Neetu also remarks that she felt shy to go to school because she was very tall for her age, too tall to be in primary school!

After two or three years of tuition classes, a nursing course was arranged for Neetu. She was trained as a nurse for elderly people and after a year started working and earning. She spent three years doing this work and was earning Rs.5,000 per month. It is part of SBT’s policy that if you are earning you have to pay for food and lodging; this came to Rs. 1,000 per month. They didn’t know exactly how much she earned but when they came to know she was taking the newly opened metro, they deduced that it was quite a good salary. Yet as Neetu’s work meant that she only stayed part-time at the shelter home and the rest of the time in the homes of clients, she felt that is was unfair to have to pay food and lodging and thus she shifted to Bapnu Ghar, a government-run shelter home for girls in distress.

After three years working in elderly nursing care, Neetu left her job as she was not interested in this field. She came to Hope in March 2006 after being inspired by other Hope students who stay at Bapnu Ghar. Her dream is to do the Shenaz Hussain beautician course and move abroad one day. The course is Rs. 50,000 and the chances slim. Yet she hopes that if she can strengthen her English and Computer skills she might have the chance to stand on her own two feet. In two years she will be forced to leave Bapnu Ghar. She does not remember where her family lives and anyway, would not want to return. She is alone in the world, in a community in which women and girls have no emotional or logistical support to live independently. She has trouble trusting anyone and acknowledges that life is full of hardships. She hesitates to tell her story and her past is a visible shadow on her. Although she would not like to marry, she would like to adopt one child and make a family of her own.

According to her rishtaa teacher, Shabana, Neetu was very quiet and shy when she first joined Hope. There was an incident in which she felt that some of the Muslim students were treating her, a Hindu, badly. She wrote a letter to Shabana expressing her feelings and Shabana was able to mentor the girls through the problem,. Although Neetu does not have any friends, she gets along fine with everyone and is a regular, hardworking student. What will happen to Neetu when she has to leave Bapnu Ghar even she does not know

Mumtaz, Pre-Bridge, 18yrs

Mumtaz migrated from Bihar to Delhi with her family when she was a small child. She has one elder brother and one elder sister, both married and living in Bihar. Her mother Salma is a housewife and her father, Mohammed Mohinuddin is a cleaner in an Indian Oil office. They initially migrated to Bihar because of bad crops; Mumtaz’s father was a farmer in Bihar. Since that time, he has been able to acquire more land through his earnings here; now the situation has improved and his son manages the farm.

Mumtaz has been with Hope for seven years. She studied in a government school until the end of the Vth standard, after which her parents did not want her to travel alone to attend the secondary school outside the basti. Simultaneously, Mumtaz was ill for about a year and was not able to attend school. After she recuperated, her cousins, graduates from Hope and currently BA students at Jamia Islamia University, told her about Hope and with the support of her parents she enrolled.

In 2004, Mumtaz discovered that she had a heart problem and would need to go in for surgery. Due to this she missed about two months of school but has been regular otherwise. At present she is also having trouble with her ears and while initially hesitant to see a doctor, after much urging from her rishtaa teacher, Tasneem, she went to see a doctor. The doctor told her that she would need a surgery to repair a hole in her ear canal but the family is suffering from financial problems and the likelihoods of being able to undergo the surgery are slim.

Mumtaz’s father also has a heart problem as a result of which he cannot work. He also does not allow his wife to engage in any work in or outside the home. In order to survive the family borrows money here and there from friends and neighbors. Mumtaz will be allowed to continue her studies if she finds a way to overcome her financial challenges. Her parents are supportive of her education. She aspires to do something related to arts but is not certain of whether finances will allow her to continue her studies.

Nazia, Xth, 15yrs

Shabana – Abdul Razzaq (expired)


Rahul (21) – Rizaul (19) – Salim (18) – Nazia (15) – Javed (13)

Nazia joined Hope in 2002. After passing the Vth standard in the local government-run primary school in Sarai Khale Khan, her uncle suggested that she enroll at Hope. Nazia felt that the atmosphere in the government – run secondary school was not good – the boys were prone to eve teasing and as a young girl she felt uncomfortable. Her uncle and aunt had studied at Hope and so it came recommended.

Nazia’s father died about ten years ago, leaving her and her family in a difficult economic position. As a result, Nazia’s brothers now support the family. Rahul, the eldest, paints dented cars; Rizaul, is an electric welder; and Salim is a tailor. The youngest brother, Javed is still studying. Currently he is in the VIIIth standard in Sarai Khale Khan. A few years back, Nazia’s mother developed a mental health problem. As a result she has to be on medication for the rest of her life to control the problem. These medicines cost Rs. 1,000 per month, a hefty sum for a widower.

When asked what Nazia would like to do in the future she says she would like to be a doctor. When asked why, both she and her rishtaa teacher, Shabana, remark that ‘it is a long story’. Shabana recounts that Nazia broke down during her Career Dream exercise recounting the death of her father due to inadequate medical care. It is because of this that she would like to be a doctor one day. When Shabana asks Nazia if she knows how many years of study it would take to be a doctor (10-12) and the cost (2 to 3 lakhs), Nazia remarks that she knows and that that does not deter her. Clearly she is set on her goals. Unfortunately due to the family’s financial constraints, both the lack of substantive income and the high price of Nazia’s mother’s medicines, the likelihood of Nazia being able to fulfill her dream is slim.

Gowhar, P3, 13yrs

Nageena Begum – Yakubali


Shajahan (24 married with two kids, Fardiabad) - Sonam (22 married, no kids, Seemapuri) – Mehboob (21 married, one kid, lives at home) – Shabnam (20 married, one kid, Faridabad) – Javed (19) – Shahana (17) – Zahed (15) – Gowhar (13)

Gowhar is the youngest of eight. She lives at home with her parents, three brothers and sister. Her other three sisters are married and live in their husband’s homes. Her father, Yakubali has been unemployed for the last five years. He owns three hat shops in the basti and the family lives off the rent. Unfortunately, Gowhar’s father is an alcoholic and drinks most of this income away. He is also prone to abusive behavior and often gets in fights with people. Her mother, Nageena, is a housewife.

Gowhar joined Hope two years ago. Previously she had been studying in a school in Pant Nagar but dropped out at the IIIrd standard because her brother, Zahed, also studying at the same school, dropped out. Thus she had no one to make the commute with. Two or three days later she enrolled at Hope. Her mother and father are supportive of her education but she remarks that they don’t push their children either way. Shajahan dropped out of Hope after the VIIIth standard due to lack of interest, Sonam failed the IXth standard at Hope and did not want to redo the year, Mehboob dropped out after VIIth, Javed passed the Vth standard but never went on as he wasn’t interested, Shahana is in P3 at Hope, and Zahed passed IIIrd but then dropped out. Thus it is clear that Shahana and Gowhar have taken the initiative themselves to pursue their educations. Gowhar remarks that the reason she is interested in studying is because she wants her parents to be proud of her.

It is clear that none of her elder siblings were interested in studying and married quite young – when asked if her fate would be similar, she remarks that she does not want to get married soon and her parents will not force her. She says she will only start thinking of marriage after she finishes her education. She would like to be a classical Indian dancer in the future but at the moment satisfies herself by learning the latest Bollywood moves. Her dream would be to take formal dance training. Unfortunately the financial constraints on the family – due primarily to her father’s alcoholism – means that the likelihood of this happening is slim.

Assembly Nutrition Project

It started with the concern that the nutritive support that was being given to students, and the health support that was being given in terms of checkups and ongoing services at the clinic were not being followed up at home. Even though Rishtaa periods, designed for discussions between Home Room/Classroom teachers and their students ensured that medical aid was accessed and medicines prescribed were taken, even though the Home Science curriculum was designed so that students' circumstances were kept in mind, the worry remained about how much of the knowledge gained was practiced at home.

Thus, in addition to the above ongoing programs, we begun a simple program in the school assembly everyday of the school year. Every class took turns (one week duty duration) to introduce various eatables to the school assembled with a presentation on the nutritive value and methods of cooking that would retain this nutrition and hopefully accrue to health. The innovation from what is found in the prescribed National Open School books is that only food that is easily accessible (cheap and readily available) in the community are presented. Students also describe what to look for when buying these items and a well selcted specimen is brought to be shown to all assembled.

An extention of this project is the shopping program that is done on a daily and monthly basis by the Home Science students and supervised by Mrs. Sabiha Hussain. This is the reason that the budgets for the Creche as well as the Chintan and GNFS supplementary nutrition programs is now handled by Mrs. Sabiha Hussain. She is now part of the collaborative team that includes the school chef.

Gulistan 2006

Gulistan, XIIth, 18yrs, Seelampur
Roshan – Noshad
Brother (22) Gulistan (18) sister (14)
Gulistan’s, family comes from the village of Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. Her parents moved to Delhi about 25 years ago and settled in Okhla. Neither has had any formal education; her mother is a housewife and her father is a tailor. Her elder brother has a BA from Jamia Islamia University but is not working at the moment.
Gulistan passed the 9th standard in Okhla and soon after her mother became ill, forcing her to drop out of school to help at home with the domestic work. As a result, she missed a year of school. After some time, her uncle who lives near the Dargah and has a daughter in the Hope school, told her and her family about it. She came and got admitted into the 10th standard.
Last year her family moved from Okhla to Seelampur, a village outside of Delhi. At first her father was adamant that she would not travel alone to continue her studies at Hope. Her mother searched to see if there was a chance that they could find a school nearby and when she didn’t find one was even ready to leave Gulistan in the community or in a shelter referred by Hope so that she could continue her studies. When nothing could be worked out, Rita suggested that Gulistan try commuting from Seelampur to Nizamuddin for at least two weeks, this way also preventing Gulistan from missing further classes, while a resolution was sought. Again no solution was available and Rita asked her how she was coping with the commute. Gulistan said there was no problem except the financial side so Hope decided to support her with the transportation costs. It has proved to be a successful attempt on both parts. Since then she travels for an hour and a half each way, on two buses, to continue studying. During the recent traders’ strike in Delhi her parents allowed her to stay at a friend’s house in Delhi so that she would not miss any classes.
Gulistan’s story represents one in which the girl and her family were willing to take on the challenge of commuting from faraway in order to let her continue her education, rather than choosing to drop out in the absence of any schooling facility available close to home; something which many other given the same circumstances would prefer to opt for than to take the challenge. Because of this determination and courage, another aspiring girl now has an opportunity to continue her education and reach her goals.
When asked what she likes about the Hope School she remarks that the admission process is very flexible, unlike government schools. Further she likes that at Hope, learning is participatory; in the government school she never dared to ask the teacher a question because of fear. She also remarks that the government schools have no resources. She likes that the Hope School is helping girls to continue their educations and that the teachers and principal are very friendly and approachable. When asked what she feels is important about education she remarks that it will allow her to help her parents financially. She hopes to go onto a BA and become a teacher herself one day.

Shabnam 2006

Shabnam, 14, Xth, Nizam Nagar

FAMILY TREE
Sameena (35)– Mohammed Noor (37)

Married - Ramzani (20) Md. Naseem (17) Md. Waseem (16) Shabnam (14) Shanna (11) Baby boy

Shabnam’s father ran away from his home in Mumbai as a young child, in effect ending his education. He came to Delhi and eventually met Shabnam’s mother, a migrant from Bangladesh; they married and settled in the basti. Shabnam’s father is a wedding caterer and her mother is a housewife, her eldest brother works with her father and her other siblings are all in school.
After completing the VIIth standard at Jangpura, her parents decided that it was too far for a girl of her age to be traveling alone and they pulled her out. She heard about the Hope school and the next day she came and was enrolled. Her parents have been very supportive of her education, as long as it has been within the limits of propriety for a young lady.
In July 2004, Shabnam was one of thirteen students selected to participate in the Save the Children sponsored “Seven Windows to Peace” program. This involved six months of preparation in India – including field trips and interaction with children from other schools and socio-economic backgrounds in Delhi; as well as a ten day trip to Barcelona, Spain to attend the “Peace Camp” and interact with children from all over the world. While not all the parents of selected students were supportive, Shabnam’s parents were not one of those – they were in fact the only couple to attend the culmination ceremony and exhibition at the end – even though it took place in November, the prime time for catering business.
After the trip to Spain, Shabnam unexpectedly dropped out. Needless to say everyone was surprised – had the trip to Spain not reinforced her excitement to learn and broaden her horizons? Further, this was not a case in which the parents were not supportive, on the contrary, and it was Shabnam, herself that refused to return to school. After several visits to Shabnam’s home by the community outreach workers, as well as fellow students and friends of Shabnam’s it was concluded that the reasons for Shabnam’s dropping out were twofold. First of all, during this time the curriculum and learning methodologies were undergoing a radical shift. Pop quizzes, although unassessed, were introduced and methodologies were shifting away from heavy reliance on text books. Shabnam missed one of these pop quizzes and thinking that she’d failed, decided not to return. Further, her brother was getting married at this time and her friends thought that this was why she was staying at home – to be with her new sister-in-law. Eventually, after the steady and persistent efforts of the community outreach department, Shabnam agreed to return. She has been regular ever since.
When asked why she thinks education is important, Shabnam remarks that to become something, one has to be educated and know about the world, ourselves and each other. She likes the Hope school because she is free to ask teachers questions, unlike in other schools where students feel fear to speak and be heard. When asked about her impressions of her trip to Spain, Shabam remarks that she never imagined she would sit on an airplane or go to a different country, she says that for her it was a dream come true. And although she didn’t care much for the food, she enjoyed learning about different cultures. Before going she felt shy and inferior but after meeting the other children realized that they had much in common and they all made friends easily.

Children Respond to Community Emergency

A fire broke out at Panchpeeran, a settlement that resided alongside the municipal drain leading out through the Nizamuddin community. The unofficial estimate of the number of households affected is as much as 300 of which approximately 25 have not lost their homes.
Amongst the many efforts made by the Project to assist the relief and rehabilitation of the community, the curricular team made the following contribution:

• Sorting and packaging donated clothes
• Making and attending to counters for distribution of clothes at the Hope Health Centre
• Cooking for the affected children and families to be distributed at the community (one meal)
• Expansion of supplementary nutrition services and classes at the creche, Pre-Primary, Walk In and Primary Level 1 overnight to absorb new students who were given day care as their parents begun to rebuild their homes and lives and as re-integration in Government schools was sorted out.
• Cleaning and playing with the children who received daycare
• Going out into the community, from house to house, offering services from Hope, especially for children below the age of 11
• Discussions on the difficulties of distribution during relief efforts
• Support services for volunteers who participated in the relief and rehabilitation efforts

Student Volunteers - 21

Approxinate number of children per day

Day 1 - 25

Day 2 - 75

Day 3 - onwards for a week 25-30

Number of children integrated in the program on a regular basis, i.e. new admissions

P1 - 2

Nursery - 2

Kindergarten - 2

Creche 6

Parents Picnic

On the second Saturday of November the Community Outreach Department organized a picnic for mothers in the basti. The picnic was to be an opportunity for women to get out of the house and have a day to get to know each other, see something new and enjoy themselves. In the context of the basti, married women are often confined to the house, spending most of their day involved in domestic chores and child care. Thus the picnic was intended to be a day just for them.

Fourty four women gathered at the Hope Project on Saturday morning and, along with Asha, Rita, Shaheen and Tasneem, boarded a chartered bus to the Garden of the Five Senses. Once there, they began to explore the garden and look for a shady spot to sit. During their exploration they came across a slide and exercise wheel. Everyone took their turn at some exercise and fun!















After choosing their picnic spot, everyone sat around in a circle and introduced themselves – their names, where in the basti they were from, and what grades their children were in at Hope. They then played “parchi wallah’ – each woman picked a slip of paper on which a question was written and took a turn at answering the questions. Topics ranged from the importance of sending children to school to ways to prevent Dengue Fever.

“Parchi wallah” was cut short by the appearance of Shariq who happened to be at the park as well. He proceeded to lead the ladies in a round of “Simon Kahte hai”. At first everyone was shy and giggling nervously, but after some time everyone loosened up and enjoyed themselves.
















One woman commented that “zindagi me mai itna kabhi nahi hasi” – in her life she had never laughed this much and another remarked that she felt as if she were reliving her carefree childhood days. Several ladies remarked that they deserved a day like this and that we should have more outings. One woman even suggested that they all save a bit every month and pool their savings together to have the picnic twice a year.

The picnic was a great success and enjoyed by all!

Visit to deer park in November 2006

The Science teacher had attended an accompanied walk arranged by the India Habitat Centre last year. The understandng with which she was asked to allow fr this expsure was that when the time is right in the learning curve that the Science Lab could take students to the deer park for a customised exposure.

The students of classes Pre Bridge, Bridge and Xth Standard of the Girls Non Formal School took public transport to the deer park and spent 4 hours walking through it, learning about habitat, conservation, botanical names of plants,trees, shrubs, led by the Science Subject Expert Mrs. Farozina Shabnam. The assisting staff were Mrs. Nishaat and Ms. Ghosh.

Among other activities, the students learnt through the following engagements:

• Using public transport at least part of the way
• Silent observation of the captive deer population and reflection on the question of whether this form of conservation is ethical, its consequences on adaptive behavior of the various species of animals in the habitat
• Observation and recording of all forms of life in a patch of one metre by one metre of meadow grass to assist in the understanding of habitat and ecological balance
• The collection, categorisation and study of the leaves of all the plant life in the park
• The identification and collection of spider webs and an examination of them with their accompanying spiders under the magnifying lens that they had taken along with them
• The identification and study of various species of birds in the environment and how they adapt with their colouring to the habitat to protect themselves from predators
• The study of a dying tree
• The study of the tree sap
• The study and inquiry on the mechanics of a water spray

Follow up:

• The students who made this visit will show fresh students around this park during Science Week in February.
• Mr. Aniruddha Mukherjee of Earth Camps will be invited to speak about conversation of parks and the effect on human and anmal life at the park during this visit as part of Science Week celebrations
• The Project has purchased a book on local trees called 'Trees of Delhi' by Pradip Krishen. This will studied and used as a reference during the visit.

Q & A & Challenges to seperate Potential Admissions and Confirmed Enrolments

• A student who has been mainstreamed, dropped out, walked out or been promoted before the last day of the month, will not be counted as either a Sambhavit/Potential or Enroled in that class. For example, if a student has been dropped out on the 21st of August, even though we have provided a service to him for 21 days of August and even if he were Enroled in Auguts, he will not be counted as an Enroled or Sambhavit/Potential Admission in that class for that month. He will be counted within the Mainstreamed for the month if he is mainstreamed, or Drop Out if he has been dropped out for the month etc.
• For different classes, the number of working days are different. For all classes of the GNFS, the number of working days are the same. For the Creche, the number of working days are more because they work in June and on all Saturdays of every month. They also do not get holidays on all the days that are declared holidays for the GNFS. For the Pre Primary classes, the number of working days do not include even one Saturday of the month.
• The number of working days will change if the class has been cancelled for some reason. For example, the Evening Bridge Class was cancelled for a length of time because the teacher fell ill and could not be replaced for the duration of his illness.
• A Student is to be marked absent only if he or she applies for leave and if that leave has been granted. Leave is garnted only if the Rishtaa teacher, the Curriculum and the Community Outreach Advsior sign off on it. The student is marked 'L' is the register in such a case and while calculating whther the child is Enrolled and calculating Avergae Attendance, the 'L' is counted as Present.

This will ensure that students who have speacial timings, stand the chance of being counted as Enroled. For example, several students of the Support Class come in to school only for a few classess, as they work the rest of the time or attend religious education classes etc., they may never take one of the classes they are assigned, but they will be marked P for the day if they met the requirements of their IEP.

This will also ensure that contracts made with students when they take leave can be honored. For example, students who took leave in May or July, i.e. before or after the annual summer vacation, did so with prior permission and completed the requirements on the basis of which they were granted leave. This has been done for the last two years, and has dramatically reduced the number students who are absent without information in these two months as well as in the month of Ramadaan. This has increased the school's ability to plan its activities for these lean periods and has ensured that the students who stay as well as those who take leave with permission are rewarded. The contracts based which the studenst are granted leave include home study/work and extra hours of school time before or after they return or speacial responsibilities during regular school hours before or after they return.

This will also ensure that the figures of Enrolment (because they are tied to the number of days each student attends school) will reflect the number of students for whom the teachers prepare and whom they service every month, whether in or out of the class. This number will indiacte to teh Community Outreach Department how many more students a particular class can absorb and thus how many more admissions need to occur for the class to optimally full.

When a student is not in class without this kind of information, he or she is marked Absent and accounted for as such.

Profile: Soma*, 17yrs, Xth standard

Soma* and her family are migrants from Bihar, one of the poorest states in India. The eldest of three, she has a younger sister (10) and a younger brother (3 ½). Her father came to Delhi when Soma’s mother was pregnant with her and after about four or five years, they joined him here. Between the ages of five and eight Sonam attended Jangpura elementary school in Delhi. When Sonam was eight, she opted to return to Bihar and live with her grandmother, mostly due to economic hardships in Delhi which her family was facing. Sonam’s father was supporting not only his small family but also his wider family in Bihar: his mother was a widow living off her husband’s government pension, he has five married sisters and a brother who is a shaman and as such a dependent.

When she was thirteen, she returned to Delhi because as she says, she “missed her mother”. Eager to continue her education, she tried to gain admission at the secondary school in Bhogle but they asked for a birth certificate, something which is against the law, as well as for her 5th pass certificate, both of which she did not have. She was thus denied admission to the mainstream government school.

Eager to continue her education, she heard about Hope through her neighbor and took admission with the full support of her parents. Soma often helps her mother with piece meal stitching at home. At the moment there is not much work and so she spends her afternoons studying and helping with household chores. She would like to go on to college and study science – with the dream of becoming a medical doctor one day.

What Soma’s case illustrates is that even for a family that is supportive of their children’s education, such as Soma’s (father educated to class ten and mother to class five), economic necessity still forces them into migration and as a result the child has lost three years of school in the shuffling. Further, due to the fact that she did not have a 5th pass certificate, on her return to Delhi she was not granted entry into a government school. Immediately she is destined to the informal sector. A further failing of the system is that children, in government schools, get placed according to their weakness’ as opposed to their strengths. Soma has thus been in the 8th standard for three years. The belief at Hope is that children should be placed according to their strengths and the motivation will make up for their lack of skills in certain areas. Further, the National Open School is perceived as inferior and often not even considered for the college level; 10% is automatically deducted because the exam is perceived as ‘easier’. By default, Soma has been marginalized from the mainstream. Not only that, but already she had been marginalized due to the English vs. Hindi medium phenomena which automatically disadvantages half of the population. Soma is thus destined to be a fourth class employee. At age ten her destiny was set and she is committed to the informal sector. At best Hope can try to give her a leg up by giving her English, computer and other skills. Likewise, Soma’s younger sister, Anusha*, was initially attending a government school in Delhi but due to series of reasons has refused to continue. She became frightened when a child fell into the school’s water tank and was also unhappy due to teachers’ abusive behavior towards the students. She now attends the Hope school and it appears her fate will be similar to that of her sister, prescribed to a second rate life, as a second rate citizen.

* Names have been changed.

Profile: W.K.*, 15 years, Xth standard

W. K. was born and raised in the basti. She lives on the second floor of a house in Musafir Khana with her parents, two sisters and two brothers. Her dadi-ji lives downstairs with a girl that helps with the household chores. W.K.'s elder brother, A, is the primary breadwinner; he sells jeans in Connaught Place. W.K.’s father sometimes drives a tourist bus in Delhi. When he does not get driving work he joins his son in the market. A passed the 5th standard at the local government school in the basti, after that he was not interested in pursuing his studies, and his parents did not persuade him to continue either. W.K. does not know her parents educational background but it is probably not very much, thus their attitude towards their children’s education.

S, W.K.’s elder sister is in the 12th standard at the Hope school; A.L. and M., 5th and 4th standards, attend the DPS school. At present they are not attending support classes at Hope.

When W.K. passed 5th in the MCD school her parents would not allow her to leave the basti for further studies citing the distance and dangers in a young girl traveling alone. Thus, they enrolled her in Hope.

In the future, W.K. would like to be a computer operator. Yet she knows that her parents will not allow her to pursue her studies past 12th standard. This is due in part to financial constraints on the family, as well as socio-cultural norms, which say that women should not leave the home or basti, as well as the perceived negative influence on marriage prospects of a girl receiving ‘too much education’. Thus, even if the financial constraints were not there, W.K. does not believe that her parents would allow her to pursue further studies or a career.

* Names have been changed.

Profile: Salma*, 22yrs, Xth standard

Salma*, the youngest of eight, has five elder sisters and three elder brothers. Her family comes from Bijnor, a small town in Uttar Pradesh, one of the poorest states in the country. After passing the 7th standard in Bijnor, she and her family migrated to Bombay. In the typical rural to urban migration current – the big city seemed to offer more prospects than life in a small town. At the same time, this shift marked the end of Salma’s education; after the move to Bombay, she was no longer allowed to attend school as the family was facing financial hardship and her immediate labor was deemed more important a contribution than the long-term returns that schooling might offer. During this initial time in Bombay, the women in Salma’s family took up piece-meal stitching work to subsist. Salma’s father and two eldest brothers were living separately and not supporting the family. The youngest brother was attending school and was financially dependent on his mother and sisters to provide an income.

Later that same year, Salma’s elder sister offered to have her move in with her and her husband and promised she would send her to school. Salma shifted to her sister and brother-in-law’s house under this pretext but when she arrived, it turned out that she was not allowed to go to school and was instead treated as a domestic servant. After seven years of living with her sister as a servant and suffering much neglect and abuse, Salma shifted back to her parents’ house when trouble began to brew between her sister and brother-in-law. She was with her parents for about five or six months when she was sent by force by her elder brother to Bijnor to stay with another sister in preparation for her impending marriage. During her time in Bijnor, Salma was “being kicked around like a football,” from one relatives’ house to another, all the while being treated as a domestic servant. She was constantly asking to be sent back to her parents’ house in Bombay and to be sent to school, but her family refused as they wanted her to get married right away. In all of this neglect and abuse, she fell very ill. But as her brother-in-law was also very ill at the time and her sister was heavily pregnant – all the money and medical attention was reserved for them.

When Salma’s brother-in-law fell ill, his wife, urged Salma to call her friend Jamila* to help them. Jamila was a long time friend of Salma’s since her arrival in Bombay; they kept in touch throughout the years and maintained their friendship.

As such Jamila came to Bijnor and covered all medical costs and care for Salma’s brother-in-law. At the same time, Jamila saw that Salma was very ill and not being cared for, and combined with Salma’s abusive family situation, they decided to escape to Merat, a neighboring town, where Jamila had been working in a nursing home. During this time, Salma’s second brother would travel daily to Merat with his friends in search of Salma, harassing Jamila and others. After some time, for fear of Salma’s brother, Jamila and Salma fled to Delhi and landed up in a woman’s shelter called Bapnu Ghar.

In January of 2006, three years after arriving in Delhi, Salma heard about the Hope Project through two girls staying in Bapnu Ghar. Although Salma faced the risk of being pushed out of the shelter if she took admission at Hope, her desire to finish school was so strong that she would sneak out of the shelter on the pretext of looking for a job but in fact she would be coming for classes. After some time Salma and Jamila took a room in Sarai Khale Khan and Salma could freely attend classes.

One day, Salma’s sister found her in Delhi and came to Hope to discuss with Rita the possibility of taking Salma back to Bijnor for ten days to visit their ailing father. Salma did not trust her family but after much deliberation and promises from her sister that she would bring Salma back, she eventually decided to go. Once in Bijnor her brother refused to let her return to Delhi. Salma and her sister had to escape while their brother was in the market.

At present all costs of school fees, books, uniform and meals are provided for Salma by Hope. According to Salma, she would like to live and work as a warden, counselor or social worker in a woman’s shelter one day. She does not want to ever get married.

* All names have been changed.

Driving Questions Asked by Students

The Nervous System

1. Why are the minds of children and old people alike?
2. Why do headaches happen?
3. Why are there similarities in the way people's minds work?
4. What is the length of the spinal chord?
5. Why does the brain develop cancer?
6. Why do people go into a coma?
7. Can one brain keep two people alive?
8. Why does the barin develop maggots?
9. Why do people think differently, if the structure of the brain is the same for all human beings?
10. Why do we get angry?
11. What is the size of the human brain? How does it compare to the size of the brain of an animal?
12. Why do people go mad?
13. Why does the nerves in a brain burst?
14. Why do we dream?
15. Does the brain work when we are asleep?
16. Do animals have the same brain systems like human beings?
17. When I get a cold, why do I feel heavy-headed?

Excretory System
How is amonia gas made?
How is urea made?
Why does it burn when I urinate?
Why do I smell when I sweat?
Why do I sweat more when it is hot?
Why are tears salty?
Why is urea yellow?
Why do some people stop needing to urinate?
If I do not sweat what will happen to me?
Why are some people's natural temperature warmer than others all the time?
Why are tears produced only when I cry?
Why do people get Pnuemonia?
Why do ribs move fast when someone is ill?
What will happen if the waste products do not leave my body?

With the use of websites and the net in the school, do we need a web “nanny” that prevents access to certain adult sites? (Mohini Prakash)

The Internet is such a busy place that no ‘nanny’ is able to keep pace with the thousands of new ways in which content is packaged. Even with a ‘nanny’ it is very likely that questionable content will be viewed if someone seeks it out.

Thus, the long term, though slower solution that the school has decided to use, is to address the inappropriate use of the Internet as part of its routine curriculum in forums like the Rishtaa and Bal Panchayat/ the Student Parliament.

Routine maintenance of machines in the school ensures that each station has a standard configuration. Every week, the history of websites visited, unauthorized downloads from the Internet, files not saved as required are deleted from the machines.

Please follow the link below to read more about my understanding of disciple and internal controls for behavior.
http://learninginqreflections.blogspot.com/2006/09/discipline.html

Pritha Ghosh
Education Advisor

Ongoing Admissions

Some teachers – especially pre-primary level – find it difficult to cope with new children mid-term. We need to explain why this is necessary given the nature of our program and help teachers cope better (either by additional support or redesigning admissions so that it is phased rather than through the year.
Rita, Quddus

The reasons for keeping admissions open through the year are as follows:
It is hard enough to motivate children and their families to start school, (if outreach happens through the year), without having to then say that they will have to stay home until the annual admissions open up again.

People ask to be admitted to school. This is proof that the work done on creating awareness about the need for education is working. When this happens in our school, it is often people who do not have the option of being part of the mainstream education system, without an admission here, they would be out of the education system for months.

Some children are taken in so that they can be prepared to join the mainstream system in time. For example, in the Pre Primary, children identified in the middle of the Government school-year are kept in our school, so that they can become as prepared as they can before they are admitted. The logic is that the child would be able to cope better with even a few months of school versus no exposure at home.

The Pre Primary program has been re-organised so that students can be divided between classes based on the concept cluster to which they belong. There are now four levels of Kindergarten through which every child must pass before they graduate ready to join the mainstream. If students finish the four levels before the admissions in the Government school is open, s/he is asked to attend the Walk In class.

Pritha Ghosh
Education Advisor

Flexible Admissions

We think flexible admissions is what has made students and parents relaxed about school. Maybe parents want a more formal system to make them value our school? Does this mean some parent education is needed regarding the reason for flexible admissions???
Kamini, Bimla, Rita

The evaluation of the admissions (access and outreach) process done two years ago showed that there are a lot of potential learners in the community who do not have access to any opportunities for learning or have not been touched by the realization that they can learn. This is because of various reasons. These include circumstances which keep girl children occupied in tasks that allow little time for her to learn.

So, just as there was evening classes for students who attend Government school in the mornings or night school for those who work in the day, it became clear that we needed flexible timings for the GNFS students as well. To accommodate such circumstances, so that we could start a relationship with these children and their parents, a system of allowing flexible timings for girls attending the GNFS was begun. (Please also refer to the section on Pedagogy and Individual Education Plans).

Children and their families, who have not used the services of a school, need time to learn what it means to be part of an educational institution. It takes time for this learning to take place and a lot of reinforcement before it becomes a habit.

Pritha Ghosh
Education Advisor

Monthly Kitchen Duty

Starting from July 2006, once a month, the Girls Non Formal School from class P3-XII, takes up the task of preparing the supplementary nutrition for the school. Classes come in through the day as per their Home science periods, in the time table, so as not to disrupt the normal functioning of the school.
The Pre Bridge, Bridge, XIth and XIIth standards have excelled in their performance during these monthly duties. Primary level 3, Pre Bridge and Xth have contributed but
The classes are divided
No more than 4 children

Once a month the Home Science Department at the Girls Non Formal School makes lunch for all who receive Supplementary Nutrition at school.

Feedback from Children on the Rajasthan Exhibition - 21,22 September, 2006

Humne wahan dekha to tha, lekin yakeen nahin tha ki hum bhi gobar ki batti jala payenge!!!

Some of the visiting children were skeptical about wether the bulb would light up. Nazma (in the yellow chunni) took it up as a personal challenge to prove to the visitors that it would infact light up.

"Hume unki ashanti ka ehsaas hua"
(I now have a sense of their troubles)
"Hum samjhe ki unki shanti humse kyu alag hai"
(I understand now how their definition of peace is different from my definition of peace)
Sana Qureshi, XII
Responsible for facilitating wondering on the comment "Hume Rajasthan mein bahut shanti mili"

"Hume Tolma exhibition se bhi zyada mazaa ayaa, kyunki yahaan hum khud kar rahe hain"
(I enjoyed this exhibition even more than I did the exhibition we put up after the visit to Tolma, because in this one we are making sure that learning happens oursleves)
"Ab to mujhe pata hi nahi hai, ab tumhi batao"
(I can't teach you, you teach me)
(while facilitating the youngest class through her session)
Responsible for conducting an inquiry-based discussion on the rationale behind the Social Sciences curriculum
Ishrat Khan, Bridge

Experiences of a chemical engineer in a Science classroom

The Hope Project hosted 25 volunteers last quarter from all over the world. Here is an excerpt from an email sent by a Nevile, UK about his experience at the Hope Project. Nevill worked closely with the science teacher Farozina to develop science experiments that illustrate chemical reactions. - including a small compost pit on the terrace and a little terrace garden.
I can truly say that the memory of the time spent at the Hope Project assisting Farozina with the science projects will live with me for a long time. The enthusiasm and joy expressed by the girls in Farozina's science classes was outstanding and I hope the projects we did together will progress in the future. It would be nice to think that we have created a "green oasis" on the roof terrace of your school that will be enjoyed by the staff, parents and children for some time to come.

Teaching science (especially in a foreign language) is never easy, but Ihope my efforts in assisting Farozina and providing her with additional resources will in some small way help to take your project forward. (I wish the Chemical Engineering Students that I lecture to at Loughborough University, here in the UK in my role as a Visiting Professor had half the enthusiasm that the girls in the science classes showed as we built the garden projects together!!).

Developing Guidelines for a Course in Religion

In the autumn of 2005, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend three months at the Hope Project as part of my field work in comparative religion. During my stay I worked with the education advisor and social sciences teacher to develop guidelines for teaching religion. We were clear that we did not want to prepare a complete course, but rather focus on a few initial steps that would eventually lead to the development of a course. Moreover, we were clear that religious instruction was should not be treated as a separate subject. It was more important to find ways to integrate the topic into the social sciences curriculum.

The reason for teaching religion was, on the one hand, to enrich the cultural and historical lessons with facts about different world religions. On the other hand it seemed to me, that the motivation for this subject evolved out of the recent history of India. The inter-religious riots that broke out between Muslim and Hindu fundamentalists in 1992 are quite an emotional topic at the Hope Project. We wanted the course to deal with both tolerance for different religions and at the same time to show students a way to deal with criticism of ones’ own religion. It was important for us to look at not only the commonalities between religions but also to explore the differences.

To approach the topic of commonalities and the closely related topic of "tolerance" or "mutual acceptance" we wanted students to first reflect on their personal relationship with their own religion. It seems to be easy to accuse other religions of being historically or theologically inaccurate. It is also possible to deny religious feelings, e.g. adoration for a specific god. However, the end of understanding and tolerance come the moment I begin to doubt that a person of another faith is strongly connected to his faith and religious beliefs, and that these have almost an existential value for him.

In the course of our discussions, we came to realize, that tolerance cannot be increased by simplistic claims such as "all religions are true to the same extent" and "finally all religions have the same ideals”. We wanted to look for something, that all "religious" people have in common, irrespective of their religion and of the source of their religious feelings. We identified self esteem and identity emerging from the inclination and attachment to ones’ own religious world as the common ground between religions.

We were hoping to find a way through this process, which would enable students to discuss the differences between their own faith and the faith of others, without losing "respect" for a person of a different religion and his genuine feelings for his own faith.

Urs

Change in the format of the exhibition

Students are being taught to become aware of the process of their learning by being in situations where they facilitate the awareness of thought in another. Discussions are mapped so they learn to follow the direction of their thoughts to reflect upon them.

This takes learning a step further than the learner knowing that they have an opinion and having the skill to articulate it.

The children have been learning using the inquiry method in the classroom for a while now. The final element in teaching a learner to learn is to teach analysis of the process of learning. As we processed the learning of the students who took the Rajasthan trip, we

The first experience of school

Mrs. Batra's Primary Level 1 class is the first that these children experience of school. The curriculum in this classroom is a large reason for them being hooked to schooling.

Photographs: Simon Eickhoff

Experiences of a volunteer - Dieter/ Mukti

I heard about the Hope Project through the presentation made by Kamini Prakash at Zenith Camp, Switzerland and I made a donation for the new school building in the Basti. After the decease of Pir Vilayat, I missed him much more because of his presence in silence than his teachings and I wanted to see whether I could find a resonance at his dargah. So I asked Kamini by e-mail if I could come as a volunteer and do something at the Hope Project. It was the prompt answer and the proposal to speak about "geography & architecture" which gave me a push for a new understanding about "man made doings" that secure life: e.g. the materialisation of energy in the cosmos, the 4 alchemic elements, the evolution of the world, the fact that even animals need strategies to secure their survival (spider’s web, honey hive, bear hole, birds nest) and in the earliest human dwellings there are traces of infrastructure (waterhole, food container, tools for hunting, fences or walls to separate functions,...) all this before they could protect from rain, heat, cold, aggressors) and a lot of technologies to adapt to climates and topography, or the use of adequate materials (leave, clay, wood, stone, brick, etc ...).

The preparation had been a matter of sourcing the pictures, and with the selection of slides I had to work out a visual presentation and even in this process I had support through enthusiastic mails from Pritha Ghosh giving me her full attention. Then I received practical help for arrival for my stay, such as a cab at airport and the studio up on the terrace of the building in the basti with a splendid view of the neighborhood, the lanes with open air market,... and a hearty midnight welcome at the entry of the new building by security staff and other volunteers...And next day I get information about all the activities of the Hope Project (school for girls, support teaching, nursery, night shelter for young boys, medical help and new ideas and problems... )To see the happy coming in and out of all the colorful people with animated talks and jokes, as well as in the staircase or the class rooms moved me a lot and gave a lively impression about the meaning: give a drive for better life! To see the joy of the Eid festival when I was there gave one more aspect of the Indian ability to arrange with given conditions: clean and bright clothes of most of the children, the shouts of joy on the merry-go-round, the big camel and others... And I had time to see Humayun’s Tomb, the Dargahs in the Basti, Qutub Minar , Bahai Tempel, as well as Museums, Old Delhi with Red Fort, Mosque,... and I had the best guides or kind companions ... and I had very personal impressions to about the enlarged and well maintained Dargah of Hazrat Inayat Khan and the all too simple installation for his son Pir Vilayat Khan. I felt pity for this cheerful, silent soul having such a humble place of memory...but for me his flourishing silence pull through these conditions and gave me peace and trust for my own old days...I will not forget to mention my lecture: I could develop my items before a mixed audience with the commitment of teacher Shabana. She did a lively translation in hindi with added questions and gave the presentation a much more stimulating accent I could never do my own. So many of the presents have been taken between 9 pm to 2 am and announced lot of questions they would discuss in proceeding meetings...And I in my - late sixties - was happy to share heart & soul with such nice and interested, young people...

Dieter / Mukti (Zürich)

To give HOPE is not an altruistic thing but a call to share body, heart & soul!

Text in German
Delhi: Erfahrungen eines Volonärs in der Bast (Hope Project)Das Hope Projekt war mir durch die Präsentation im Schweizer Sufi Camp durch deren Leiterin, Kamini Prakash, bereits bekannt und mit speziellen Spenden konnte ich den Schul-Bau in der Basti auch schon unterstützen.Nach dem Verschwinden von Pir Vilayat habe ich Ihn sehr vermisst; vor allem seine Präsenz in Stille, mehr wie seine teachings und ich wollte erfahren, ob ich eine Resonanz an seiner Dharga spühren könne. So habe ich ein E-Mail geschickt: ob ich mich als Volontär nützlich machen könne im Hope Project . Prompt, schon Stunden später traf die animierende Antwort ein, ob ich das Thema "Architectur & Geographie" als Vortrag behandeln würde...Das hat mir den richtigen Kick gegeben das Thema Architektur ganz neu anzugehen: als Infrastrukstruktur zur Gewähr-leistung des Lebens: so, einführend über die Materialistion von Energie im Kosmos (Gas, Staub, Meteore, Planeten,..), die 4 alchemischen Elemente (Mineralien, Wasser, Luft, Feuer), die Evolution der Erde (aus Mineralien,Wasser,Luft > Pflanzen > daraus Tiere > dann erst Menschen, ... Schon die Tiere benötigen Strategien und technischen Einsaty um Ihr Leben zu gewährleisten (z.B. Spinnen-Netz, Honigwaben, Vogelnest, Spechtloch, Bärenhöhle u.v.a.). Bei den frühesten menschlichen Ansiedlungen finden wir primär Infrastrukturen für die Sicherstellung von Wasser, Lebensmittel-Container,Wegbefes-tigungen, Einrichtungen für Jagd/Fischfang, Hecken, Matten-zäune, Trockenmauern zur Gliederung von Funktienen (Tiergatter, Gartenzaun, Abtrennung von Kochen, Waschen, Werkplatz, u.a.m.) erst dann die manchmal einfachsten Installationen fürSchutz vor Regen, Wind, Kälte (Höhle, Blätterdach, Hütten aus Matten, Texitlien, Lehm, Holz, Natursteinen, Ziegeln,...und dann all die genialen Anpassungen ans Gelände, sei es für die Agrikultur (Terrassierungen) oder die Ausrichtung der Wohnbauten auf Besonnung, Wind, Regen/ Schnee,...und so von der traditionellen Bauten als soziale Struktur (Beispiel Burkina Faso) zu aktuellen Entwicklung zu seelenlosen Wohnkon-tainern (Hongkong) mit über 2000 Einwohnern pro ha. Die Vorbereitung war Herausforderung mit dem Thema Bauen und Topografie, Klima neu um- zugehen; die Selektion des Bildmaterials war dann schon etwas didaktisches als Anregung und Visualisation meiner Gedanken für die Zuhörer. Schon in dieser Phase wurde ich durch Mails von Prita Gosh animiert, die sich leidenschaftlich interessiert zeigte.Dann erhielt ich auch ganz prak-tische Hilfe: Taxi am Flughafen, herzlicher Empfang um Mitternacht, ein Zimmer auf der Dach-terrasse mit Aussicht auf Sternen und die Nachbarschft der Basti...Am nächsten Morgen erhielt bei Rundgängen mündlichen und faktischen Einblick in all die bestehenden Tätigkeiten deren Ablauf und deren Auswirkungen (Tagesschule, Stützunterricht am Abend, Krippe, Kindergarten, med. Konsultations-Zentrum, Nachtquartier für Jugendliche,...) und weitere Aktionen (Frieden, Sauberkeit, Exkursionen,...) und offene Probleme. Dies zu erfahren inmitten der lebhaften,farben- reichen Menschen die in angeregten Gesprächen oder freudigem Geschrei Trepp auf und abzirkulierten berührten mich als Beispiel von: Verbesserungen des Lebens zu fördern! (nicht nur was aber auch wie!) Auch das daneben laufende "Diwali"-Lichterfest war Demonstration, wie fantasievoll, in sauberen farbigen Kleidern, mit Uebermut und Freude hier mit einfachsten Mitteln Kinder mit einfachsten Karussell oder Kamelreiten die Bastie-Kinder Fähigkeiten des Ausgleichs leben...Auch war Zeit für mich mit besten Informationen oder lieben Begleitern all‘das von Delhi wieder zusehen,wie die Dhargas der Bastie oder Humayuns Tomb, Qutub Minar, Bahai Tempel, Museen, Old Delhi mit Red Fort, grosser Moschee,...und ich hatte sehr bewegende, persönliche Erfahrung die erweiterte und gepflegte Dharga Hazrat Inayat Khans mit Qawali Sängern zu erleben sowie die allzu dürftige letzte Ruhestätte von seinem Sohn, Pir Vilayat. Es ist bitter da in den einfachsten Räumlichkeiten der Seele dieses friedlichen, strahlenden Wesens nachzu- spühren ...seine aufblühende, kraftvolle Stille ist mir hier wieder entgegen gekommen mit Sanftmut für meine alten Tage...Noch zu erwähnen sei die Durchführung meines Vortrages, den ich vor neugierigen und interess-ierten Zuhörern mit der anmierenden Unterstützung der Lehrerin, Shavana. Sie hat mit der Hindi-Uebersetzung gerade noch ein Frage-Anwort-Spiel eingebaut und so die Aufmerksamkeit wachge-halten und Fragen provoziert, die später diskutiert werden wollen. Und ich, als Rentner , war glücklich Facetten von meinem Selbst (body, heart & soul) mit anderen zu teilen und dies mit so liebenswürdigen, offenen jungen Menschen. Dieter / Mukti (Zürich)Hoffnung (HOPE) zu geben ist kein altruistisch Ding, vielmehr animierender Austausch von body, heart & soul.

Low attendance: Observation and health checks have shown that attendance is very low. We need to monitor attendance on a monthly basis!

To ensure that there is continous and increasing access to education services, the admission office is open through the year. It is closed sometimes, when the pressure of work/ backlogs in the Community Outreach Department is high.

The rule up until last week was that the child is enrolled and her/his name is added to the teacher's attendance register when the Community Outreach Department just prior to the child beginning school. This is accompanied by an introduction to the child and the parent by the Social Worker to the teacher. The Social Worker also gives the Student Profile to the teacher. When this is not possible, the Social Worker leaves the Student Profile of the new admission with the guard.

However, there are times when the new admission does not show up. The teacher enrols the child when they recieve the Student Profile from the Social Worker and the students begins being marked absent. When the student is new, the teacher does not report the missing child. While the enrolment keeps going up, incorrectly, the average attendance plummets, also incorrectly.
All August, I have been tracking the attendance registers of the teachers fro July and August. This is the resulting finding. It will take till the last week of September till we weed out all of these cases from the rolls and are able to arrive at a realistic enrolment figure.
There is also a new set of rules as regards admission which have resulted.

Student Profile will be divided into the following categories:

• Profiles: All persons who come in contact with the Community Outreach Department. This will help account for the time that the Department spends on people when they are referred to other institutions, with potential students, with parents that are counselled etc.
• Sambhavit Admissions: Students who have been motivated to join school, those who have promised to come to class but do not show up, students whose attendance is lower than the minimum attendance cut- off in the class to which they are admitted. Each teacher's class regiater will have two categories, E and SA. Average attendance will be calculated on the basis of the E, not the total of the SA and the E.

The SA list will seem especially long the first time it is created for each class because it will reflect names of students who have not been sent for follow up at all by teachers, students who have never come to class and students who have been followed up by the COD and profiles returned with the information that the child will come to the class from the next day and has not and the teacher has since not followed up. Enroled Students: Students who have even once met the minimum attendance cut-off in the class to which they are admitted.

• Dropouts: Enroled Students whose Student Profile has a signature first from the Community Outreach Advisor and then the Education Advsior permitting a clearly stated reason for Drop Out
• Follow up: Enroled students whose Student Profiles are with the Community Outreach Department to process because of various reasons including low attendance.

The attendance registers of all the teachers will be checked by me at least once a month. I will ensure that drop-outs, follow ups, updating of Student Profiles by teachers and moving children from SA to E status or the other way around is done regularly.

Pritha Ghosh, Education Advisor

Education for transit

There are different types of Government schools in Delhi. The variety has been created to accommodate a range of contexts that children experience. It is a considerate system but which breeds class discriminations when it is implemented.

The largest numbers of schools are those run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and cost the least and therefore the most accessible for the student. However, they are also the schools in which the government invests least. Infrastructure, personnel and teaching standards are so low, those who have no other options for education refuse to use the system.

Needless to say, the worst affected are the children who study in the local Primary MCD School. Dependent on a service to which they can walk unaccompanied or with friends from the neighborhood, they are at the mercy of the teachers who rule the school. Children lose years to roaming the streets, as they are unlikely to be granted admission on the basis of age, not having a birth certificate or affidavit confirming age, no seats being available in the class, because it is not admission time, or because they are too old for primary school, but without a primary school certificate are ineligible for secondary school. The result of this is that, masses of children lose their only chance to access any Government school, and therefore any affordable school, secondary or higher education and inevitably, to most rights as a citizen.

Exhibition on the student trip to the Desert Ecoregion - 21st Thursday

The exhibition will demonstrate cross-curricular teaching methodology as well as the the Science and Social Sciences curricula. To do this, the exhibition will be colour-coded. Students explaining the Scientific aspect of a concept will wear yellow, the students explaining culture will wear red, those explaining history will wear blue, those explaining geography will wear green.

The exhibition will organised by the Science and Social Science experts, Shabana Tabassum and Farozina Shabnam respectively.

In preparation, workshops were held on the19th and 20th with the participating children. The exhibition will begin at 9AM for Class P1 accompanied by Mrs. Batra, their class teacher. The other students will continue regular class, until called to attend with the teacher that is teaching them in that period.

Guests: parents, friends of the project, fellow educators

The exhibition will be hosted in the Library and the Basement, so that classes can continue undisturbed throughout the day. The display will be such that i can be taken off at night when the basement doubles as a Night Shelter.

Buzz Beautiful - The Power of Inquiry

In the last two years there has been a lot of experimentation with the curriculum. It has changed in tandem with teacher’s capacities to innovate the content and methodology in response to the growing demands of the children. The excitement and inquiry comes full circle when the children’s curiosity and commitment to learn ensures that teachers walk into class with better research and prepared to admit to not knowing.Below is a testimonial written by the science teacher, Farozina as part of her self-appraisal in April:

“Even though I have a Bachelors degree in science, I had never taught all the classes this subject before. For the first time I was made in charge of science for the entire school – the science expert. This was a huge challenge for me.

Because it wasn’t only restricted to reading, exercises and explanations but the whole methodology of teaching was now based on inquiry and developing the habit of participation among the students.I will never forget my first day: Pritha (the curriculum adviser) came to class and gave a demonstration class on the topic of gravity. She had a chart on which the boy Newton sat under a tree. Apples were falling around him. Not surprisingly the students started explaining the laws of gravity: the earth exerts a force of gravity and that’s why the apples are falling down. That was enough to start a volley of questions from Pritha: where does gravity come from? Why? Why does everything fall down? Why don’t birds and air planes fall? Etc. etc. etc. The most talkative girl in my class, Syeda, gathered her courage and started explaining. More questions followed. Finally, Syeda looked at me in despair. I was also wringing my hands and wondering how I will answer all these questions!

That night I could not sleep for worry. Will I ever be able to involve the students and make my class so lively? How will I be able to answer all their questions when the subject was fairly new for me as well? I would have to work doubly hard to achieve this.From that day onwards, I have not looked back. I started connecting their questions with related topics and making a chain.

Then I was sent to a workshop where I learnt how I can encourage students, get them to start thinking and ask questions. Now my role has changed. The “teacher” has made space for the “facilitator” in me. My attitude to teaching changed and I started enjoying myself in the classroom. The classes provided an environment where students were given the freedom to ask anything and I enjoyed being challenged to give answers.

I had to learn how to use the computer and develop teaching resources to use in class. I also had to work hard on increasing my levels of tolerance and patience. Even wrong answers do not irritate me any longer. When students deviate from my questions and start to ask their own questions based on their personal journey of inquiry, that’s when I enjoy myself the most. “Baji, do fat people have more cells? Do bony people have fewer cells?” I laugh and say, don’t ask me! Then they reply, “Baji – we are not talking about YOU. We are talking about REALLY FAT people!!!.”

Like Farozina, Shabana – the social sciences teacher - too has experienced the power of inquiry:“In inquiry-based teaching, students participate with curiosity and ask many questions not only related to the academic topic but also about their own life and surroundings. So many times it happens that the discussion diverts, but in this way the learning becomes vast and interesting. And they feel so free that they bring such questions which are related to their personal lives and want to find solutions to them. Together we try and find solutions through discussion. … ”. Shabana TabassumBoth these testimonials demonstrate the changes in the teaching learning process that have taken place in the classroom.

Photographs: Simon Eickhoff

Courtesy: The Hope Project Charitable Trust

Project by LearningInq (www.learninginq.com)

Apprenticeship in Health Services

As a result of a workshop on dreams for their future, the senior students of the Girls Non Formal School chose a career that they would like to pursue. Several chose to be doctors. We think, their decisions may have been partially influenced by the excitement in the Science classroom over the last two years.

Since July, this year, one of these students from the XIIth Standard, has been going to the Health Centre run by the Hope Project so that she may experience what it is to be part of a Health Care team on a daily basis, for several hours a day. Within a span of just two months, she feels she can function independently, with minimal supervision as a dispenser. We await a formal report from the Health Department on her progress, at the end of the six-month period of her placement.

Two months, on, in the middle of September, several more students will join the program. Amongst them are many students whose only hope that they will be allowed to pursue this line of study is that their parents see them in the Clinic functioning within the socially acceptable norms of their society. That they can also be deemed as capable, independent young girls with bright futures feature much later as a consideration, as they gauge whether or not they will allow their children to study towards employment in similar circumstances. For many, this experience will be the last chance they have to taste what their dreams may have felt like in reality. For all of them, the chance to apprentice in a situation that is acceptable to parents and the social milieu that the family lives with, is the only shot they have to influence their families to consider allowing a future for them that is different from what is traditionally a foregone decision.

Purdah

Wikipedia:
Purdah (Urdu and Persian: پردہ ; literally meaning "curtain") is the practice of requiring women to cover their bodies so as to cover their skin and conceal their form. This separates the two genders from each other in all aspects of Middle Eastern culture.
Purdah is evident in the Islamic world, but is also observed by other communities in the Indian subcontinent. The usual garment worn is a burqa, which may or may not include a yashmak, a veil to conceal the face. The eyes may or may not be exposed.

Purdah-Female seclusion
http://www.country-studies.com/india/veiling-and-the-seclusion-of-women.html

Vocational Program - Rationale

The organization has found that a skill-based syllabus, along with a supportive supplementary education enables learners to make decisions that determine their future. The vocational classes are designed to develop specific technical skills that can be offered in a competitive market situation.

Women:
There are countless examples of female students observing ‘purdah’, who joined school programs for short periods but who have been inspired to negotiate with their circumstances so that they have pursued and achieved their dreams. As a result, the nature of interactions and the related power dynamics at the level of the family (nuclear, joint, and extended) has seen a change. The roles that girls are able to play have expanded as has their wish to expand their roles to pursuing higher studies and careers.

Although the vocational program is nascent at present, we hope to develop it over the years, so that it can provide girls who are first generation learners, with the option to earn their own living by training them in marketable skills that they can use even if they have to remain in ‘purdah’, or work from the home, or are not allowed to leave the neighborhood – in placements that will be considered safe, dignified and acceptable to their guardians.

Men:
The patriarchal social organization has traditionally allowed males to remain uneducated or has forced them out of the formal education system in order to meet the demands that their families make on them. As a result, the large majorities of males in the ages of 14 and above have received little or no formal education and therefore are locked in semi-skilled jobs (white-washing, rag-picking, managing family shops, etc). Women, especially those of the same generation achieving higher academic levels or higher paid jobs (in cases where they are allowed to work at all) is difficult to adjust to, and therefore not allowed.

The courses available at present are in English typing and short-hand.

Teacher's Day Celebrations, 6th September, 2006

The celebrations for Teacher's Day have been a subject for debate in the last two years. The current Students's Parliament was borne as a result of one such debate, two years ago. There are activities that are undertaken to celebrate the day that are convention at the Girls Non Formal School, but because it is an emotional event, there are often diverse opinions about the agenda and plan for the day that remain unsettled until the very last moment.

Deliberations begin as early as two weeks in advance. Since the event is a commemoration of teachers, the plans are often not shared by

Social Sciences workshop in government school, 31st August, 2006

There was a revolution last month, as the neighbouring Government Primary school allowed us entry to it's premises and accepted an offer from the Social Sciences Lab via the Community Outreach Department to conduct a workshop for their students.

As a community project, we hope to impact the access and quality of education available for all learners in the project area. We have to be able to count on the neighbouring Government facilities for education as partners in this effort, or we will fail.

Conducting this workshop was the first attempt to impact the quality of learning that occurs at the Government schools in the neighbourhood. All these years, we have supported the facilities by running classes that provide remedial and supplementary education, so that student drop-out decreases. This was the first direct intervention that has been made in the curriculum, methodology and quality of learning available in the Government schools in the neighbourhood.

The two day workshop covered the first section of the Social Sciences curriculum developed at Hope, which includes the birth of the universe and an introduction to the solar system.

Students from the GNFS co-facilitated with the Social Sciences expert, Shabana. The students of the Government school were very excited and on one of the days, refused to break session for lunch. It led to an invitation to the Principal and Head teacher to become chief guests at the GNFS for World Literacy Day Celebrations.

(Photographs: Parveen)

Pre Primary

Inquiry questions asked by children during the compost pit activity

Just as animals create waste, don’t vegetables? Where is the waste of vegetables?
Why don’t eggshells decompose?
Why do plants grow in manure?
Why is manure a necessary nutrient for plant growth?
How much time does it take for a plant to decompose?
Can manure be made inside a room?
Why must manure be made in a pit?
Why are there insects in manure?
Why it important to sprinkle water while sealing a compost pit?
Why does the colour of the soil change inside a compost pit?

Sharing curriculum with parents

Language Exhibition 2005-6

Exhibitions are a great way to celebrate learning. The students have a chance to see themselves in the eyes of their guests.

Exhibitions as tools to build community consensus

Exhibitions provide the opportunity to network with the stakeholder matrix. In the above picture, Government school teachers are in conversation with the teachers and students of the Hope Projects’ schools.

At the best of times, this link is a difficult and contentious one. The opportunity made it possible for every nuance of the relationship to be confronted at the level of the practitioner in terms of solutions and illustrative, live examples.

Within minutes of the visitors walking in to school, they commented that most of the students that they saw around them had been their students at Government school. As the conversation between the teachers from these two different worlds progressed, it became clear that there were a whole host of misunderstandings about the admission procedure at our school and the effect it was having on the local government schools. The most disturbing of these was the impressions that the Project was poaching students from the Government facilities and that students were choosing to stay with the NGO because fun, ‘extra-curricular’ activities were its focus and not the hard core academics that is taught by the Government.