GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY, BRIDGE COURSE CHILDREN CAN ALSO EXCEL AT STUDIES
Jayashree is a teacher at our study center at Worli. Prior to Sunbeam, she used to give Maths and Science private tuitions at home. On completion of her B.Ed., she joined Sunbeam. But, she had no clue whatsoever as to what lay in store for her.
This is an account of her journey covering her initial hesitation, fears and misgivings, and how gradually she managed to overcome the troubles and difficulties that she thought would never end.
Like the children who had attended my tuition classes at home, I had anticipated a similar assignment at Sunbeam. I wouldnt say that I was shocked but yes, I was indeed taken aback when I was informed of the role that lay ahead and the organizations expectations of me in that role. I was told that I had to teach all the subjects to the 3rd and 4th stds. and Maths / Science to the 8th std. (2 hours per batch) which I thought wasnt such a tall order at that point in time. But that was before I came to know of what the term Bridge Course meant. This is the level at which the kids in std.3 were really speaking. (The term is applied for those children who are not up to the desired academic levels of the class that they essentially are in the formal schools. For instance, a child may be in the 3rd std. but his actual level of studies could be as low as the 1st std. or K.G. level.) My effort was to be in the direction of bringing these kids up to the desired level by the beginning of the next academic year.
In view of this somewhat tricky situation, I found myself conveying my discomfort as I felt inept to handle such students. There were panic times as well especially when I was expected to deal with a few kids who were constantly restless and had an enormous propensity for mischief. But, the Sunbeam team had placed their faith in me and I decided to give it my best shot, not feeling very confident of myself though. I would like to add here that the other children in the 4th and 8th stds. were at the necessary levels (considered as students belonging to the General lot), and hence it was much easier teaching them.
At the first meeting with the 3rd std. kids, I tried utmost to conceal my feelings of nervousness. I did not know what to expect. And my fears were not unfounded. In the formal school, they continued in the 3rd std. although most of them had not yet even fully grasped the alphabets. Moreover, the 18 kids were most irregular in class as they stayed far from the Sunbeam center. As it is, I had a task on hand that was almost frightening. Now, with poor attendance as well, how was I supposed to manage? How does Sunbeam expect me to work wonders with these children? Was it right for me to have accepted their offer? Endless questions raced through my mind and my despair grew. To add to my troubles, these children were least interested in their studies.
Soon, I decided that it was pointless to continue to dwell in distress. Having expressed my concerns to the relevant authorities, I was ably supported by a dedicated team of community workers who made regular visits to these childrens homes to create an interest level in these children towards their studies. Once that was done and attendance grew stable, developing and sustaining their interest levels was not such an overwhelming task for me. Nonetheless, it was a tough challenge. Teaching 5 subjects in Hindi was an intimidating proposition but somewhere I knew that if the kids are putting in the effort, I needed to do likewise.
Just as I was beginning to settle down into the regular schedule, I realized that there were 3 kids amongst the 18 who were actually at the 3rd std. level and it was their turn to protest. They wished to know why Sunbeam was not going by the 3rd std. syllabus and instead teaching the 1st std. portion. I had not quite anticipated this dilemma but by now, I was fairly equipped to handle difficult and unexpected queries. I could understand their frustration and agitation since I was not able to devote adequate time to them separately which is what they believed Sunbeam should actually be doing. Besides, they found it very confusing to be taught at 2 different levels at the 3rd std. level in the formal school and in Sunbeam at the 1st std. level. We had to explain to the parents of these 3 children why Sunbeam is compelled to teach at the 1st std. level although their children are up to the actual desired level of the class that they are studying in. Weve also offered them the option of sending their kids to us from the next academic year and in the meanwhile, they can continue with the formal school in the 3rd std. One child has opted out and her parents have enrolled her into private tuitions. The other 2 children insist on attending Sunbeam classes the discrepancy in study levels notwithstanding. They feel they can even now contribute in their own small way by taking on the teachers role and helping those children who are faring poorly in studies.
As of now, I am proud to share that in the first 2 months i.e. in August and September, I managed to complete the whole years 1st std. portion for the entire batch of children. In their mid-term exams held in October, all the kids (barring a few exceptions who still prefer to play than study) passed at the 1std. level at Sunbeam. For these children, the management has requested me to give it one more try by devoting an extra one hour during my free time between 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the hope that special attention might work and make the kids take their studies seriously. In the second semester, Im quite positive that Ill be able to complete the 2nd std. portion. In the year to follow, Ill brush up on their Maths and language skills before I move on to teaching them as per their formal school syllabus.
Today, Im glad that I accepted the challenge that Sunbeam had to offer. I have emerged stronger for it. The journey has been rewarding even though it was frequently very difficult and will continue to be that way. The effort required is tremendous as you can see from my experience keeping in mind the study levels, temperaments and aptitude levels of the various categories of children who need the time and attention to develop and progress. I have come to realize that given the opportunity, guidance and direction, Bridge Course children can do well for themselves. Their lives are made harsh by poverty (much like the rest of the children at Sunbeam) but they have the talent, caliber and competence to succeed despite the many unpredictable hardships that they face almost on a daily basis. I am truly pleased that I did not abandon my efforts and am happy to see and cherish their growth and development. And Sunbeam will continue to encourage and motivate such children in the future as well by not giving up on them.
Email – sunbeamtrust@hotmail.com