Dear friends of Calcutta Rescue,
I am Ananya Chatterjee, the administrator of Calcutta Rescue education centres updating you with the current happenings that is going on at CR’s No 10 and Tala Park education centres.
I am writing this on the day 50 of nationwide lock-down in India which seems to get extended more. All schools in West Bengal were declared closed from April 16 till June 10 initially as a precautionary measure.
From 16th to 21st April Calcutta Rescue teachers were occupied with lesson planning, question bank preparation and worksheet designing. The first phase of dry ration was distributed on April 21st in both the education projects to supplement the meagre diet of our students and we suggested teachers to work from home. By that time our Xth standard Board Examinees just completed writing their Board exams but XIIth standard Board Exams got suspended midway.
During the initial phase of closure up to March 27, the teachers were requested to start communicating with the students over the phone and initiate the remote learning concept by giving light practice work. ‘Communicate, communicate and communicate’- that was my only instruction to the teachers. The teachers came up brilliantly and sincerely used the WhatsApp mode of sending assignments and corrected worksheets.
Initially, the main focus was on maintaining knowledge instead of teaching so that the students are not out of touch. Students were thoroughly engaged in the learning process and teachers provided them some more choice by sending relevant audio-visual study materials, picture cards, pdfs, ‘how to’ videos to reinforce the learnt concepts so that they stay excited to learn.
Students weak in reading or spelling were extended additional support so that they can retain interest and come up to their class level. The period was used as an opportunity to expand. Teachers were suggested to start small and work their way up which they did and had proved to be far more resilient and adaptable.
In the beginning of April our teachers helped all the Govt. school students from Class I to X completing their school assignments as uploaded in the state Government’s website. Teachers explained the questions and answers via audio message and corrected the answers sent by the students.
April 18 onward we have introduced Saturdays as the activity day. Students are super enthusiastic to send their artwork, music, recitation or dance videos. Prior to this, some students came up with brilliant drawings and paintings on the theme ‘Life under lockdown’.
Presently, teachers are introducing new lessons as per syllabus through their own audio and video clips (as if they are teaching in the classroom) and thereafter sending worksheets for practice. The response is huge. We started with only 90 WhatsApp connections but presently we are connected with 270 students via WhatsApp and the rest over phone-calls. More and more parents are coming up and somehow managing little money to recharge the internet packs in their phones. Some of them have provided the number of their next-door neighbours so that their wards can receive the homework.
We have introduced lessons for our non-formal students also from Thursday 7th May onward.
Initially the families of our students were receiving ration through the Govt. distribution system but right now it has developed symptoms of strain. Some of those families are already running short of staple foodstuff. Many pockets and lanes of North Kolkata are being completely sealed by the Police due to recent COVID case detection which heightened fear among our students and their family members. Surrounding areas of No.10 building and TPS are also under the same condition.
Our social worker cum counsellor Suchandra is playing a vital role in counselling the students and their mothers who are the residents of those affected areas. Suchandra and vocational manager Tuli both are continuing with their good work and conducting their regular sessions with students via their WhatsApp group of different classes.
On 6th May, the second phase of dry ration distribution started for our TPS students from Chitpur clinic as the Talapark area is a high containment zone. Before the dry ration was distributed to students of No. 10 school. Our helping staff completed the packing of ration stuff on a war footing. We plan to continue remote teaching-learning and ration distribution in phases until the situation normalizes.
All our students are safe till date but there are cases in their neighbourhoods. We stand together at this unprecedented hour of crisis. Please keep my students and staff in your prayers over the coming few weeks and months whereas you will be in ours.
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