With the children on their summer break, 17 teachers from CRS’s Education Centres gathered together on 17th, 18th and 20th May for a three-day programme of review, discussion and planning. Led by the CRS Director and the Coordinator of Education Projects, the group reviewed the teaching syllabus for different age groups, discussed the setting of test questions for each unit, and presented ideas for enhancing the students’ experience. CRS Education Centres prepare children for enrollment in mainstream schools, with a focus on core skills of Bengali, English and maths. There are currently Education Centres in 8 urban projects and 4 rural projects catering for almost 900 children across pre-primary and primary ages from 2 to 12 years.
Children
New support for CRS from hi-tech company
Loft Digital, a hi-tech innovation consultancy based in the City of London, has generously agreed to support CRS by donating 1 per cent of its profits annually. They have undertaken to give not less than £2,000 in the current year. In addition, the employees of Loft want to use their skills to help slum children, by teaching them to “code”, that is to write computer programmes. This project is being developed with CRS at the moment.
Partying in style
Children from some of Kolkata’s poorest slums were privileged to enter the gates of Raj Bhavan on 14th December. Raj Bhavan, a grand palace built in Neoclassical style and completed in 1803, is the official residence of the Governor of West Bengal. 45 children from CRS Education Centres in Basanti Devi Colony, Bibibagan, Sukantanagar and Hastings were selected to attend a Christmas Party hosted by the Calcutta Foundation, an NGO, in the grounds of the palace. The children enjoyed playing group games, and received gifts and food packets. They also met with the Governor himself, Shri Keshari Nath Tripathi.
A carnival atmosphere … Part 1
One hundred children from across the CRS Education Centres in Kolkata were selected to attend a Mega Children’s Day Carnival on 6th November. The event was hosted by La Martinere School, a private school in central Kolkata with an extensive campus. Each child received a gift bag and food packet, as well as 250 Rupees worth of coupons to spend at the carnival, on food and games. They all had a most memorable day with the staff and children of La Martinere School making them feel really special.
School teacher exchange programme
The Diocesan Board of Education in Derby, UK, secured a British Council grant for an exciting new exchange programme. In September, seven head teachers from church schools in Kolkata visited schools in the Derby diocese. In October the visit was reciprocated with a group of teachers from Derbyshire spending two weeks in India where they visited a range of education institutions from well-funded, prestigious schools to some of the CRS Education Centres which serve poor children in the slums.
It is hoped that this is just the start of enriching and long-lasting links between schools in the two countries. The British teachers noted that many of the Indian schools showed an extraordinary passion for transforming the lives of the poorest children, but few resources and little training. Among the follow up plans are UK teachers providing professional development for teachers in the slum schools through peer mentoring and model teaching, and fundraising to improve or replace 15 buildings which host the CRS Education Centres.