Brick By Brick: Chaksu Brick Lanes Update

An Update from Amit at the Chaksu Brick Lanes...

Experience sharing with State Resource Centre, Sakshar Bharat Abhiyan-RAEA, Jaipur Officials

Achievements: 

With the kind initiatives of friends and well wishers five schools (informal learning centres) were opened in five brick kilns in Chaksu area of Jaipur district Rajasthan between December 2014 to May 2015. The five brick kilns where the schools were open are as follows:

1. Mahadev Brick Kiln, Thikariya Gujaran, Kothkhawada, Jaipur

2. Komal Brick Kiln, Badh Murlipura, Garudwasi, Kothkhawada, Jaipur

3. Maya Brick Kiln, Badh Murlipura, Garudwasi, Kothkhawada, Jaipur

4. LBT Brick Kiln, Ralavata, Thikariya Gujaran, Kothkhawada, Jaipur

5. LBU Brick Kiln, Ralavata, Thikariya Gujaran, Kothkhawada, Jaipur

Seven teachers were posted in these schools depending upon the no. of students. One teacher was available for approximately 25 students. The details of teachers appointed are as follows:

S. No.	Name of Brick Kiln	No. of students	Name of Teacher	Teaching since
1.	Mahadev Brick Kiln	36	Sh. Ravi Shankar	December 2014
2.	Komal Brick Kiln	34	Sh. Manoharlal Sain Smt. Asha Devi	February 2015
3.	Maya Brick Kiln	38	Sh. Vinod Kumar Bairwa Smt. Samodri Meena	February 2015
4.	LBT Brick Kiln	35	Smt. Foranta Gurjar	February 2015
5.	LBU Brick Kiln	32	Sh. Pramod Kumar Bairwa	February 2015
6.	Total	175

Students learning at LBT Bricks School

Facilities made available at all the schools are as follows:

S. No.	Name of Brick Kiln	Facilities made available	Status of shelter / tin shed
1.	Mahadev Brick Kiln	Uniform, books, stationary (copy, pencil, rubber, sharpner), black board, sitting mats, solar lights, alphabet/numeric charts, table, chair	Tin shed shelter constructed
2.	Komal Brick Kiln	Books, stationary (copy, pencil, rubber, sharpner), black board, sitting mats, alphabet/numeric charts, chair	Tin shed shelter constructed
3.	Maya Brick Kiln	Books, stationary (copy, pencil, rubber, sharpner), black board, sitting mats, alphabet/numeric charts, chair	Tin shed shelter constructed
4.	LBT Brick Kiln	Books, stationary (copy, pencil, rubber, sharpner), black board, sitting mats, alphabet/numeric charts, chair	Tin shed shelter constructed
5.	LBU Brick Kiln	Books, stationary (copy, pencil, rubber, sharpner), black board, sitting mats, alphabet/numeric charts, chair	Tin shed shelter constructed

The experience of giving education to the children of migrant brick kiln workers was very encouraging and the following observations were made.

·         During six months (in Mahadev Brick Kiln) and four months (at Komal, Maya, LBT, LBU Brick Kilns) of non formal school at the brick kiln about 175 children in the age group 6-10 participated in 3 hours class (2-5 pm).

·         Most of the students were illiterate and during the short span of four months they were able to read and write Hindi and English alphabets, two letter word in Hindi, counting from 1 to 100, tables 1 to 10.

·         The children who were literate were provided with books of their class and they continued their education here which they have left at their native place. The books of class 1 to 7 were provided free of cost from Rajasthan Primary Education Association under Serwa Shiksha Abhiyan campaign.

·         The parents showed interest in sending their children to the class.

·         The students also responded positively to the class.

·         The adult have also shown some interest in taking education. They are ready to spare one hour from their busy schedule.

·         One of the main hurdles was the difference in the dialect of the teacher and the student. The teacher spoke local/Hindi while the children spoke their local dialect. But this was overcome shortly.

·         We tried to build a shed of size 30 x 15 feet but it took lot of time as the owner of the kiln was not able to decide the place for shed to put up. Meanwhile the school had to run in open space under the shade of the office of the kiln or under a tree. Most of the kilns do not have any type of shade in their premises. This reduces the no. of hours of the school.

Students with new school uniform at LBU Bricks School

Major Lessons Learned: 

Based on this year experience some lessons have been learnt about the migrant children education.

•   Learning Centre has to be set up at each kiln to associate children with education. They are not ready to go to local school for education.
• ·         The education has to be free, the parents are not in a position to pay for the fees or arrange for books, stationary and uniform. All the students should be provided with books, pen, pencil, slate, copy, uniform, shoes, etc. from the project.
• ·         Giving uniform increases the no. of students. This has to be given every year as the uniform won’t last more than a year.
• ·         Temporary shelter preferably 30 x 15 feet of shade has to be erected by the organization to be used as classroom.
• ·         According to an estimate each learning centre will have around 40 students for study in the age group 6-10 years.
• ·         The parents are not sending their children more than 11 years of age. They all work at the kilns.
• ·         Not all the children are coming for class; special drives have to be organized to motivate all the parents to send their children who are more than 5 years of age.
• ·         Considering the time schedule of the parents and conditions at the kiln approx. 3-4 hours of class is possible per day.
• ·         The course curriculum adopted would be the one used by Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in the Bridge Course for class 1-5.
• ·         Special worksheet/course has to be made to make children practice alphabets. Once they are familiar with letters then the books can be used.
• ·         Weekly course curriculum has to be made to monitor the progress of the teacher as well as students.
• ·         Two teachers per brick kiln should be appointed for teaching who will take 3-4 hours class per day. One for illiterate students and one for literate students.
• ·         Gradually adults of the age group 15-25 have shown interest in reading and writing. The teacher can take one hour class after the children class is over. For this the reference material developed by RAEA (Rajasthan Adult Education Association) can be used.
• ·         For new schools the shelter should be constructed before the labor comes to the site i.e. it should be ready by Diwali. It takes lots of time and coordination.

Class in Progress at Komal Bricks School

Constraints: (Problems)

• ·         Children are working, issues in bringing them to classroom.
• ·         No family support for children education.
• ·         Students are from different educational backgrounds and are at different levels of learning.
• ·         Lack of availability of space to hold classes near brick kilns.
• ·         No social work organization is working in the area.
• ·         After some time children feel hungry and want to go home early.
• ·         Sometimes small children feel sleepy and want to go home early or sleep in the class.

 

Now, the schools are closed as most of the labors have left for their native place in the beginning of June. They will come back after Diwali i.e. around October-November.

What we need: 

Continued donations for schools supplies, uniforms, shoes, teacher salaries, and school buildings. Contact Natalie Shew if you are interested in giving at natalieshew.npi@gmail.com