JIBAN-PATH

While most of the children are disconnected from school education in this pandemic period and online education is reaching to a handful of children, SPAN designed and introduced JIBAN-PATH as Relevant Education and Learning for Life for the relalisation of objective of education in
five districts e.g. in Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas, Purulia and Jalpaiguri.

The objective of education is its role in social mobilisation and transformation directed specifically at questions of caste and gender asymmetry and minority empowerment and also fostering democracy as a way of life; inculcating a respect for constitutional values of plurality and secularism in children; promoting decentralisation to facilitate generation of locally relevant knowledge and curriculum practices; sensitisation to environmental issues; and broadening of the scope of curriculum to include traditional crafts, work and knowledge.

It is the liberating education envisaged by Tagore’s Shantiniketan of the 1930s, Gandhiji’s Nai Taleem of the 1940s, and the vision of education as a force in nation- building and social transformation of dalits and minorities articulated by Ambedkar, Nehru and Maulana Azad in the 1940s and 1950s.

Ensure that learning is shifted away from rote methods, enriching the curriculum to provide for overall development of children rather than remain textbook centric, making examinations more flexible and integrated with classroom life and nurturing an overriding identity (Teacher and students belong to the different caste, creed, religion and gender identity) informed by caring concerns within the democratic polity of the country.

In five districts e.g. in Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas, Purulia and Jalpaiguri SPAN's staff and volunteers would now work with a closed society of children, teachers, youth, parents and community around 17 Secondary schools and 68 primary schools.

They will be tied in the effort of ensuring not a single drop out from these schools when school reopens after lockdown due to covid 19 pandemic, learning difficulties, poor access due to connectivity issue or less purchasing capacity, and grow in confidence to do better with their academic persuasion as well as connecting knowledge to life outside. This is named as JIBAN-PATH, learning from the life, experiences, nature and connecting education and society.

Education volunteers will be infused with progress of syllabus back up and there will be academics and activists for these volunteers and teacher at the local areas to build knowledge to be applied with the students in turn.