The Context of Special Training - By Bodh

 Preparation of the special training material(condensed course) for SSA Rajasthan.  Preparation of the training module for the KRP’S.  Training of the KRP’S on special training material.  The non-residential bridge course project in four districts with 32 centers with SSA for field testing and refining the special training material, classroom practices and strategies.

 Around 42% of the children is constituted of dropouts.  Adverse family and social conditions.  A significant number might be of working children.  Majority of children might be first generation learner’s.  Lack of basic skills of literacy and numeracy.  Limited exposure in terms school language used as medium of instruction(Prevalence of the local or regional language).

 Gradual emergence of a multi-level scenario takes place due to high differentials in individual pace of learning.  Greater challenges in terms socio-emotional adjustment.  Girl child also constitute a special category in terms of continuing their education.  Special needs in terms of adjusting in a school scenario.

 Historically all the programs from NFE to other para-teacher programs had teachers, with lesser qualifications, experience, training and remuneration.  Greater complexity of the task compared to teaching in regular schools.  Traditionally quality aspect has been de- emphasized.  More skilled teachers required also in terms of community mobilization as well.

 Exclusively dedicated academic support system for the educator’s.  Still such programs are peripheral for the school and the consequent lack of ownership by school and department.  Insufficient/minimal trainings of the educators.  Need for development of the readiness of the schools to integrate these children with in the regular classrooms.

 Provisioning of sufficient funds for training and support.  Evolving dedicated structures for academic support.  Research based academic support and quality enhancement.  Evolving contextual implementation plans of the policy keeping the nuances of the concrete situations of the educators and learners in mind.  Ensuring greater participation of the community and greater ownership by the schools and department.

 Fixing of accountability in performance/outcome based mode.  Evolving CTS as a live and continuous community/ habitation based tracking system which ensures effective planning and monitoring. (in the form of a habitation based child register).  Ensuring appropriate preparatory training(not less than 1 month).  Continuous on-sight academic support and periodic review and planning.  Evolving mechanisms for community based monitoring and support.

 Till now in the bridging process the emphasis has been on mainstreaming but with in the special training framework it seen as an integral part of the school it self.  Direct enrolment in the class which age appropriate.  Access to the school environment.  Lack monitoring and participation of parents/community members and teachers.

 Timings of the classes and time table.  The admission and promotion process followed the regular pattern based on academic session which has become flexible on the basis of learning levels.  No support mechanism after the mainstreaming.  The role head-master and SMC.

 It has to be seen in the spirit of the ‘Special Training’ provision of RTE.  Broad framework was derived from NCF-2005 & NCERT syllabi.  Older children can achieve comparable competencies and skills in a lesser duration.  Fundamental skills of literacy and numeracy needs emphasis in the beginning.  Integration and contextualization of subjects and their content is essential to the condensing process.  Task and activity oriented where the complexity and range mainly depends upon the age of the learner.  Condensing doest imply dilution.  Only text-books are not sufficient for the process and objectives of accelerated learning.

 The age appropriate specific socio-emotional needs of the children are very crucial.  Can become independent learners.  Higher level of meta-cognitive skills.  Greater ability to organize one-self and participate in the group activities.  Awareness of many content areas due to greater exposure and involvement in the society.  Higher ability to articulate one thoughts and learning's.  Integration of concepts within subject and between different subject areas.  Contextualization and addressing the previous knowledge is important.

 Children of higher age need to know the reason for learning something (Need to Know)  Experience (including error) provides the basis for learning activities (Foundation). Experienceerror  Children of higher age need to be responsible for their decisions on education; involvement in the planning and evaluation of their instruction (Self-concept).planningevaluation  Children of higher age are most interested in learning subjects having immediate relevance to their work and/or personal lives (Readiness).relevance  Children of higher age learning is problem- centered rather than content-oriented (Orientation).problem  Children of higher age respond better to internal versus external motivators (Motivation).

 Some stages of learning processes can be excluded or it can be spread over many contents together.  Previous knowledge to be emphasized more rather then providing concrete experience in the classroom every time.  Exercises should emphasize higher cognitive skills.  Exercises should be designed in a manner that it serves dual purpose of assessment and learning simultaneously.  Contents/Activities can be arranged in a manner that more then single concept or skill is addressed simultaneously. (This principle is the basis for addressing the issue of condensation along with multi-grade classroom situation).

 Maximizing the scope of contextualization.  Integration of concepts within and across the subjects.  Assessment as a part of teaching learning process. (CCA Design)

 Multi-grade and Multi-level teaching processes.  Understanding of the socio-emotional needs of the children.  Understanding of the higher order skills.  Understanding of the issues Androgogy and accelerated learning.  Continuous and comprehensive assessment processes.  Ability to use different types of materials and processes.  Contextualization.

 Continuous on sight support.  Strengthening the role of other teachers, evolving a school based support mechanism.  More broader community based monitoring systems.  Provisioning of addressing the needs of teacher at the block level onwards.  Use of technology.  Continuous exposure to effective and innovative practices.

 Relation of number of sides and with the shape and area. (Concepts)  Gives scope for creating different shapes it involves work and crafts.  Same activity can be adapted for different levels with inclusion or exclusion of angles.  Visualization of geometrical shapes.  Can be the starting point for being introduced to three dimensional geometrical shapes.  Scope for creativity and innovation.  Mathematical comparison between different shapes.  Mathematical communication

 Currency is already their in the previous knowledge of the children.  Currency gives more abstract entity as a measurement unit.  The basic arithmetic operations can be addressed through the currency.  Place value system can also be addressed.  Skills of problem solving, estimation, approximation and optimization.  Easy availability of the material.  Provides basis for relating with other contents in EVS.

 Finding a middle path between functional and syntactical approaches.  Conversations which can be situated in the real life situations.  Use of conversational language alog with reference to structures. (Also can be seen in the exercises).  The concepts of ‘that’ & ‘those’.  The use of present continuous verb forms.  Special emphasis on the development of functional vocabulary. (Words for different relationships)

 CONTEXTUAL CONTENT  CRITICAL THINKING AROUND ISSUES OF ENVIRONMENT AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY.  ISSUES OF GENDER.  SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES LIKE ADOPTING A TREE OR TALKING TO THE ELDERLY CONCERNING THE DEFORESTATION ETC.  UNDERSTANDING CUSTOMS LOCAL VALUES CONCERNING ENVIRONMENT.  GIVING NOTION OF SANTURIES AND WILD LIFE RESERVES CAN BE RELATED WITH THE PROCESS OF DEFORESTAION, URBANIZATION ETC.