Celebrating Collaborations

Since 2014, The Education Alliance (TEA) has been working with the objective of establishing public-private partnerships for quality education in the public education system in India.

To transform underperforming government schools into centers of excellence, TEA introduced the Government-Partnership School Model (G-PS) that involved school management partnerships between mission-aligned non-profit educational organizations and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC).

The ‘Celebrating Collaborations’ series is a deep-dive to showcase the impact of these partnerships and the real stories of impact from our schools.

Morning Blues

Enhancing
Classroom Learning

Our program has shown that the knowledge, expertise, and target-oriented approach of NGOs is complementary to the larger vision of government schools. The confidence-building measures for our key stakeholders allow traditional school learning to be more progressive; equally impacting teachers, students, and parents. It provides teachers with diverse and enriching training impacting their engagement with their students as well as parents. As a result, parents have become more aware and participatory in their child’s education.

Morning Blues is the first film in the series about how NGO-SDMC collaborations enhance classroom learning in government schools to create a deep impact on teachers and the child’s learning.

Treasure Hunt

Learning Beyond the Walls

In learning how to learn, we have come to the realization that education is more than just the acquisition of knowledge. Learning beyond the four walls is not an ‘end’ in itself; it is the process that allows curious young minds to engage with the practical world to bridge the gap between theory and application.

Through activities like farming, theatre, music, robotics, and different art forms, students have the opportunity to visibly see the outcomes of their actions, and learn from their failures and successes equally. It affords them to go beyond the traditional subject matter boundaries and acquiesce interpersonal and life-learning skills.

When you allow for all your senses to be at work, it makes for a wholesome experience that education should be. ‘Treasure Hunt’ is the second film in this series about how these collaborations help in creating new learning opportunities that take learning beyond the four walls.

Reverie

Improving Parental Engagement

A child’s first school is his/her home. Schools that encourage parental involvement, by knowing what parents think, what they want, what their values are at home, are important because robust societies are built with robust families. What is the biggest predictor of academic achievement? It is not just socio-economic background or infrastructural facilities the school provides. It is when parents involve themselves with their children’s learning and knowledge-gaining process; it is their will and support along with the teachers in the overall development of their child.

It is not always easy for parents to be involved in their wards’ education, not because they are parochial or negligent, but due to various limitations. In the last six years, and ongoing, NGO and Government school collaborations have tried to bridge that gap in the SDMC schools under the SQEP program. It is an attempt that encourages parents to not just see their child learn, but also understand the social nuances themselves, which brings about the satisfaction of seeing their children’s future getting built.

When parents become a part of their child’s learning process, they are not just able to assist or guide them in their homework or assignments, but also bring harmony between school and home environment that is so essential in a child’s holistic development. Given the current circumstances, with schools being shut, it is the parent community that has stepped up in ensuring that their children learn by collaborating with educators to build educational ecosystems within their homes. The ‘Celebrating Collaborations’ series showcases the impact of Government-NGO partnerships and the real stories from our SQEP schools. ‘Reverie’ is the third in the series that shares a glimpse of how collaborations create more involved and empowered parents.

Facelift

Transforming School Infrastructure

Each and every structure in a school tells a story about how a child learns. A huge part of a child’s life is spent in schools which has a direct impact on how they see the world around them. Outside of their homes, schools are spaces where children’s personalities are developed as they acquire values, habits, and important life lessons that they take back to their homes, and surrounding communities.

When parents send their wards to schools with good infrastructure, it is with the hope that their children have access to safe and enriched learning spaces where they can learn, play, and develop to their fullest potential. It is also a matter of pride and accomplishment to parents from economically disadvantaged backgrounds as their children will be offered better opportunities to actively participate in peer interactions, activities, and value-based learning, alongside their academics. School buildings, child-friendly classrooms, libraries, playgrounds, canteens, handwashing stations, and even washrooms serve different purposes that contribute to a multitude of experiences in a child’s school-going life.

Every child deserves to feel excited to come to school. The ‘Celebrating Collaborations’ series of films showcase the impact of Government-NGO partnerships and the real stories from the SDMC schools under the SQEP program. ‘Facelift’ tells the story of how these collaborations have worked towards creating better infrastructure to improve students’ learning experiences in government schools.

Unison

Strengthening School Culture

The feeling of belonging to a community starts in school. While students’ learning outcomes and overall school development are important indicators of quality education, school culture is an intangible and essential element that determines the growth and development of the school community. School culture defines the context of the school; it is a direct reflection of shared values between all the stakeholders.

When school culture focuses on collaboration, communication, and empathy, individuals who are part of the school community will be more likely to express themselves freely, understand themselves and each other better, and develop core values. In the SDMC schools under our SQEP program, Government and NGO collaborations have tried to build positive school culture over the last six years, and ongoing. Through school practices like ‘silent time,’ ‘mindful coloring,’ and open discussions between peers and teachers, there is dialogue and agency wherein students can share their stories, feel supported, and cared for. With essential values like wellbeing, mindfulness, mutual respect, and an overall sense of responsibility, students build their character and acquire transferrable skills that will help them contribute to their surrounding communities.

These are attributes of a well-rounded, holistic education with 360-degree learning that covers all aspects of a child’s experience in school. The Celebrating Collaboration series of films showcase the real stories of togetherness and the multi-stakeholder impact of Government and NGO partnerships within the SQEP program. ‘Unison’ is our fifth and final film in the series that tells the story of how collaborations shape values by strengthening school culture.

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