NEW DELHI: City-based non-profit A Ray Of Hope (AROH) Foundation is spearheading Blended Learning Module (BLM) in schools, after Covid led to new learning approaches across India.
The initiative supports slum children by improvising learning outcomes and holistic growth. It has now brought 30 Delhi government schools under its purview for specialised learning programmes.
The NGO caters to 1,000-odd slum children through these 30 schools, all enrolled in government primary schools in Sangam Vihar and in Mundka—Ghevra and Rani Khera.
Founder-CEO of Aroh Foundation Dr Neelam Gupta said, “In these places, where the struggle is for food and survival, education takes a back seat, especially for the girl child. Due to familial lethargy towards education, government initiatives have not made an effect here. Despite talk of the strides Delhi education system has made in infrastructure and methodologies, academic progress of slum children have been an uphill battle.”
The NGO is implementing BLM, which claims children find is easy to grasp, under its RISE (Remedial Innovation In School Education) programme—that intends to improve scholastic, non-scholastic and behavioral responses among underprivileged children up to 14 years old. Educators at AROH maintain a direct link with school authorities to receive feedback about children on aforementioned aspects.
The programme integrates the educational, physical and emotional well-being of the children by improving their educational needs, provisional nutritional and co-curricular activities. It incorporates provisions for community engagement via door-to-door awareness, focus-group discussions, rallies, among other activities.
A project coordinator at the Aroh Foundation, said, “As victims of job loss and health crisis, parents of these children have no means to provide for online classes. RISE with its online mode of teaching-learning methods rules out investing any extra penny in this preparation.”RISE staff also doubled up as welfare workers during the Covid lockdowns, facilitating relief work.