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The Importance of Schools Reopening

Home / Blogs / The Importance of Schools Reopening
Schools Reopen - Makkala Jagriti

November 2021 brought with it some mixed emotions as our children returned to schools and Anganwadis. One could observe the feelings of joy, excitement, confusion, and nervousness among the children and their parents. A child’s first day back at school – whether after a short vacation or an extraordinarily long gap like this one – is a landmark moment in a child’s life, setting them off to a lifetime of memories and a path of learning and growth. Thinking about our school days, most of us can remember countless minor details – what clothes we wore, our friends, our teacher’s name, or who we sat next to! For many of our children, the COVID-19 pandemic took away these moments. The uncertainty of when they would step into a classroom again loomed large.

 

I remember when I was in school. As the summer vacation was ending, my preparation for the new academic year began well ahead. Bags packed, uniform pressed, books in place, and the eagerness to meet my friends and teachers. On my first day back at school, I woke up early and dressed up to leave the house. The day looked very different – chirpier and happier! As the bus pulled over, my heart raced like never before. This was a day that remains fondly in my heart.

 

Cut to several years later; I saw children returning to the grounds of their second home. Except, COVID-19 was not an exciting summer but a long halt from learning in person. The excitement that came with schools reopening was beyond measure.

We visited the Rajanakunte Anganwadi to meet an exuberant bunch of preschoolers on their first day back. Back to learning after one and a half years! All the children had their masks on, complying with the prevailing safety norms. This painted a clear picture of the children’s eagerness to be back at school, ready to be a part of the new normal. The teachers greeted every child lovingly before they set foot into the classroom. The facilitators of Makkala Jagriti, a Holistic Education NGO in Bangalore, were present and paid extra attention to ensure every child was comfortable. The facilitators addressed parents on effective interactions with children and reassured them of their child’s wellbeing.

school time - Makkala Jagriti

When we visited government schools on the first day back, teachers recalled their efforts during the pandemic. Though resources like online lessons, workbooks, and basic stationery were made available, and facilitators put their best foot forward to reach every child in their homes through virtual means, it was challenging to cater to the individual needs of every child. Hence, coming back to school was a moment cherished even more than before! Teachers expressed the magic of a school that gathers many children, all of whom get targeted attention.

 

During the closure of schools, teachers observed the struggles children faced and often felt helpless. Parents would sometimes have to forgo going to work to address the needs of their children but were not well-versed in tackling the situation. So, it was a time of great relief for parents to see their children back in their learning environment. While the parents breathed a sigh of relief, the teachers are working on getting fully equipped to tackle post-pandemic learning. With children jaded by online learning, it was time to bring innovations into teaching to ensure children remained interested and engaged.

Schools reopen - Makkala Jagriti

When schools reopened their doors, it felt like the doors to a safe haven were open for many children. A safe space brings a sense of comfort and reassurance for them, parents, and teachers. However, teachers were slightly anxious to work with children post lockdown. They re-addressed their approach to tackle the long learning gap. However, what kept teachers’ anxiety at bay were their children. They had never seen children skip, hop and dance their way into school before, nor the smile that could not be wiped off of their faces! It was always a scene teachers hoped to see, and now this scene has become a reality!

As a parent rightly said, a child’s mind is not fresh at home. When children as young as six years are at the Anganwadi, they are curious! The variety of activities, interactions, and learning processes at such spaces cannot be replicated at home. There are limitations at home but endless opportunities at school! This dent in curiosity was also seen amongst children older than six years of age.

Children now understand how pivotal schools are for their holistic and all-round development. They now wholeheartedly participate in all activities arranged and planned for them. The enthusiasm seen amongst the children is like never before! Earlier, going to school was a drag for many children, but now they cannot wait to enter the premises. They even wonder why they need holidays and prefer spending their days off at school! What was missed most was the collaborative learning experience between peers. With all this coming back, learning can be a healthy, fulfilling experience again.

NGO for Children - Makkala Jagriti

An NGO for education in Bangalore, Makkala Jagriti has worked to make this transition as smooth as possible. Blended learning continues with online videos to aid teachers, parents, and students, while workbooks and activities help ensure creative learning. Many months of virtual learning have caused gaps in foundational learning, which children otherwise received at schools. Our teams have gone the extra mile to bridge these gaps by facilitating basic literacy and numeracy courses. We have also kept a special focus on children’s socio-emotional learning, their well-being and helping them ease back into school. Peer learning, creative learning material, and activity-based learning have been adopted to ensure effective growth and development opportunities. While times have been tough, we look forward to happy learning, development, and growth for every child!

 

Our children shared that they understood the true value of schooling and being with their teachers in person after this long gap. Here’s wishing them a safe and enjoyable time back with schools reopening, with a fruitful road ahead!

 

  • Shravya Muralidhar
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How the education of one girl can impact generations ahead

Both of Mercy’s parents worked in the unorganised sector, who could not afford her school fees. She joined Makkala Jagriti Learning Centre at the age of 11, and always found the facilitators to be warm, welcoming and encouraging. Makkala Jagriti also supported her to pursue her education.

“We had a lot of freedom to explore our interests and talents. They taught us life skills and values. It was a new world for me.”

– Mercy

Through the Yuva Jagriti career guidance programme, Mercy received the right kind of insight and encouragement that led her to pursue a degree in Commerce, that too through a merit seat. Being the first girl in her family to study that far, she set an example in her community and made choices that allowed her to move beyond the circumstances that she was born into. Mercy now works in a reputed bank and is among our celebrated many who not only made a difference in their own lives but continue to do so in that of others.

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Prabhu was a teenager when the old, dilapidated building in which his family lived collapsed, leaving them without a home. While they were still grappling with the situation, Prabhu lost his father, the sole earning member of the family. Unable to process his difficult circumstances, he found strength in hanging around with his friends, who often indulged in gang wars and all forms of abusive behaviour.

Prabhu was a shy yet playful boy when he joined the Yuva Jagriti centre at the age of 15. He expressed, “I feel I am at crossroads, not sure which road to take”. Following our support and guidance, he decided to pursue an internship at Makkala Jagriti. He was entrusted to work with children from Shelter Homes. Today, Prabhu is a sought-after Creative Facilitator and Coordinator at Makkala Jagriti, managing three Community Centres. A silent yet sound performer, he brings in diverse and highly creative ways to engage children and help them learn and grow.

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Murali lived in Bengaluru with his brother, while his parents lived in a village in Tamil Nadu. After his 10th grade, he lost the interest and inclination to study further. When he joined Yuva Jagriti, he started learning Taekwondo at our centre, which helped him become calmer and more focused. He also showed immense capacity to work with children, especially in the areas of sports and creativity, and this landed him an opportunity to work with Makkala Jagriti. Alongside his work, he pursued Taekwondo and competed at the District, State and National levels. He won a number of Gold Medals.

Today, Murali is an accomplished Taekwondo instructor, teaching at many schools in Bengaluru. He brought great accolades to the Nation when he won two bronze medals at the World Taekwondo Championship in Korea in September 2017.

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Breaking the language barrier for migrant children

Barnalli, a seventh grade student at Government Primary School, Somasundrapalya, is a child of migrant parents from Assam. Unable to speak the local language, Kannada, she found it difficult to adjust to school and struggled to mingle with other children.

“When you are new to a place and don’t know anyone, it is hard to fit in. She didn’t have any friends in school.”

– Barnalli’s mother

Makkala Jagriti’s language development program came to her rescue.

“Although I was in a higher grade, the HDLC facilitator taught me Kannada right from the basics. The different activities and sessions helped me grasp the language easily and quickly. Over time, Kannada moved from being just a new language to my favorite subject. Learning Kannada helped me enjoy school a lot more. I became a class leader and also started representing the school in inter-school competitions!”

– Barnalli

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Equipping parents to become positive influencers

Manoj, a 12-year-old boy, hails from a family of garment workers who had migrated from Andhra Pradesh. On moving to Bengaluru in 2018, he joined the Government Primary School in Ulsoor. The drastic change in his environment and culture left him feeling withdrawn and fearful. He refused to speak or participate in any school activity. Over time, he confided in our HDLC facilitator about feeling neglected by his parents in such difficult circumstances.

Manoj’s mother was invited to participate in Makkala Jagriti’s parents’ workshop. The two-day residential workshop allowed her to reflect on her own mindset, biases and relationship with her son. At the end of it, she made a conscious decision to work on rebuilding and restoring her relationship with Manoj. At school, our facilitator noticed that this had a direct impact on his performance. He became more participative and improved in his academics. Manoj later shared with the facilitator that his relationship had become more harmonious and positive with his mother.

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Nammoora Anganwadi

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“When we started our intervention, we saw that the environment at the Anganwadi was not safe or conducive for children. Although the community could contribute to the Anganwadi’s development, there was a major gap between the community, local leaders and Anganwadi teachers.”

– Gouri, Coordinator

Through community celebrations and fun events, we involved community members in the Anganwadi activities. As their participation grew, their understanding about the significance of early learning and development also increased and they readily contributed to the centre’s development.

“Community involvement in Anganwadi is so important. Inspired by Makkala Jagriti’s work, we saw the community, parents and Bala Vikas Samithi members come together and show greater ownership towards the Anganwadi.”

– Subramanya Swamy, Doddabanahalli Gram Panchayat Member

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– Bhavya, Anganwadi teacher

The Toy Library concept was welcomed by the community and the time spent on learning at home increased!

“My child always preplans what he’d like to take home from the Toy Library. He has also become very responsible in maintaining the toys because he knows he must return them! In the past 3 months, we have borrowed 20 times already.”

– Shwetha, Parent, Vijayanagara Anganwadi, Doddaballapur

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Empowered Teachers Create Better Learners

To ensure children get quality pre-school learning opportunities in the Anganwadi, we empower the teachers and helpers through enhancing their knowledge, skills and attitude towards early learning and development.

“Through Anganwadi trainings, I have changed in a positive way and gained confidence about myself – especially in terms of catering to all domains of early learning. I have even started making learning materials by myself to teach children”.

– Nirmala, Anganwadi teacher, Rojipura

We train teachers and helpers on experiential learning methods that can be practiced at their centres. We also organise Mothers’ Meetings and regular mentoring visits to provide on-the-job support and guidance to teachers. Anganwadi helpers are empowered to become co-teachers and have an important role in the children’s learning process, thereby not confining them to just cooking and cleaning.

“I was used to just cooking and cleaning in the Anganwadi and did not do much else. However, after I attended the ECCE trainings, I realized I had a lot of potential and could engage and teach the children just like a teacher. Now, when the teacher is absent, I engage children in preschool learning activities.”

– Rukmini, Helper, Jyothinagar Anganwadi

From giving little time to learning, to prioritizing pre-school learning and spending more quality time with children, Anganwadi teachers and helpers have come a long way.