Support Activities at Ananya

1. Ananya Centre for Teachers (ACT)

ACT a platform where teachers and individuals exchange views, share experiences of mutual concern and are motivated to act. This programme is unique because:
o We organize workshops and train participants in various aspects of teaching and creating innovative teaching-learning aids
o We design aids that are appropriate for the children and make learning fun
o We invite different resource persons who provide inputs that enhance personal and professional growth.

2. Parent –Teacher Meetings

These meetings are held three times a year and they
o Enable us to identify issues of concern to the families and to teachers
o Help bridge the gap between the home and school environment
o Provide us the time and space to share the development of the children with the parents.

3. Networking

Networking is an important part of our activities because the task we have undertaken cannot be tackled without the co-operation and sharing of ideas and resources with other organizations. This enables us to concentrate on teaching which is what we do best.

Non-academic activities at Ananya

* Sports- Hockey, Table Tennis

* Outbound adventure activities

* Computer classes

* Medical Checkups

* Spoken English sessions

* Library visits

Pedagogy

We provide three options to our children:

OPTION I students with good aptitude skills are given an opportunity to ‘be what they want to be’

One category of students fit into this option. We enroll 6-8 year old students who can join mainstream government schools but cannot attend private schools. These children have the academic potential but need individual and special attention, which the government schools cannot provide. After a couple of years these students will drop out because they will not allow themselves to be straight jacketed into a system that is designed to kill their enthusiasm and their curiosity to learn. These are children we categorize as ‘potential dropouts,’ who given the right academic environment will flourish and can hope to move beyond the careers they would otherwise be destined to. We provide them with the time and space and a stimulating atmosphere that helps them develop to their full potential. The children can progress from one level of learning to a higher level at their own pace as and when they feel ready for it. They will have the opportunity to choose a career of their choice and not be restricted to following their parents’ footsteps. An example of a child in this category is the daughter/son of a construction worker wanting to be a doctor.

OPTION II students in this category are given the opportunity to better their prospects

This second group comprises 9-11 year old students who have attended government schools and have dropped out due to a variety of reasons. Some are considered ‘failures’ because they have not passed the ‘quality control tests’ set down by the examination system. Their self-esteem has taken a severe beating and made them feel they are incapable of being anything but hawkers. Should these children have no hope of ever being educated? At Ananya, we believe they do. We strongly feel that given the right environment in which they can realize their full potential, they can be achievers. We identify their aptitudes and interests, create individualized curriculum and offer choices of vocation so that they can have a career of their choice. An example of a child in this category is the son/daughter of a housemaid with the potential to be a mechanic.

OPTION III students in this category are made to feel they are important and their contribution to society is invaluable no matter what they choose to do in life.

The third group comprises 12-13 year old children who have never been to school and find that all the avenues to a better life have been closed due to a lack of the ‘right’ education. They desire to study, but will admit them? In what class? In the first standard with 5-6 year olds? What effect will this have on their self-esteem? We feel such children should have a right to education too. They should be allowed to choose a profession they are comfortable with and good at. They should be valued for the service they can provide. We teach them to value their talents, to give their best to whatever they are interested in and capable of doing. Some do not have the academic skills but have non-academic skills. We encourage them to do what they can do best with dignity, honesty and sincerity. If the children feel good about themselves and their work, the society too will begin to respect them and their vocations. An example of a child in this category is a child who wants to be a carpenter, we encourage him/her to be good carpenter and value the choice of profession.

About the School

Ananya Shikshana Kendra (ASK)

ASK is a unique space in which we provide educational opportunities to underprivileged children. At Ask we inculcate a spirit of questioning in our children. Learning takes place in learning centres where study materials are arranged by levels of difficulty and are placed within easy each of children. ASK is a place where children get the best of education at no cost. It is a place where the traditional three Rs (reading, writing and arithmetic) are taught through the three Es (exploration, enjoyment, and experience) by enabling them the three Ls (looking, learning and living).

ASK is unique because

Ø We encourage innovation and creativity in teaching. Children are not taught in the traditional way but by being aware of their environment and the life around them. They are taught to observe and analyse.
Ø They are encouraged to ask, as the acronym ASK suggests and the teachers help them find answers to their questions.
Ø The emphasis is on self-learning and self-assessment so there is no authority figure telling them they are right or wrong.
Ø The curriculum is adaptable and responds to the individual needs of the children.
Ø Learning is made fun, meaningful and enjoyable and relevant to their lives.
Ø The children are grouped into non-hierarchical groups and this instils confidence and builds self worth.
Ø Children are provided vocational training in an area of their choice while appearing for the National Open School’ school leaving certificate examination when they feel ready for it.

Our Target Population

Most of our children come from very poor social and economic backgrounds. They are children of vegetable vendors, flower sellers, domestic servants, construction workers, petty traders, carpenters and watchmen. The majority of the children are first generation learners of illiterate parents who earn an average income of Rs 2000 per month, live in makeshift homes or small hut with no toilet facilities or water and electricity.

Our History

ANANYA was started to fulfil the academic, emotional, social and physical needs of slum children through the school, Ananya Shikshana Kendra (ASK). We are providing them with an education that is truly meaningful and relevant to their lives and one that is empowering as well. At ANANYA, we deal with all aspects of a child’s life—school, home, career and society. We also have the Ananya Centre for Teachers (ACT), a forum for teachers and individuals who work with similar children. It is a platform for personal development, where teachers share views and exchange ideas.

We cater to the needs of children who are not admitted in other schools either for social, physical or academic reasons e.g. children of migratory workers who relocate to Bangalore in the middle of an academic session, have no permanent address, children who have failed to fulfill the admission criteria of mainstream schools, have never been to school but desire to study, cannot afford to pay the hidden costs of education. Since
our policy of admission is one of inclusion rather than exclusion, we admit these children who would otherwise be denied a right to education.

Stories of Hope

SHARAD

* A short 10 year old

* Had never been to school
* Passion: Cart wheeling. A budding gymnast
* Obstinate - has a mind of his own, will only do what excites him
* Intelligent, mischievous
* Constantly needs to be challenged

Sharad is the third child in a family of four siblings. He had seen his father lying dead on the railway tracks where he had been run over by a train while in an inebriated state. For Sharad, he had lost his role-model, and the bread earner in one stroke. This left a scar on the mind of this young lad. When he first came to Ananya, he was violent, and restless with very low level of concentration.
At Ananya, he was allowed to study whenever he wanted and wherever he wanted. He preferred to be outside the classroom, cart wheeling his way around the campus, playing or climbing trees. He studied more when out rather than when forced to sit in the classroom. We allowed him the liberty of doing what made him comfortable. This provided him with the right environment for academic development.

Today he is doing very well academically learning Hindi, English and Kannada with equal ease, good in both mental and written mathematics work. He is able to sit in a class for the entire duration without getting easily distracted. He still cartwheels his way around the campus. His violent tendencies are non-existent and his athletic abilities have made him a leader and he is now the role-model for other children, some older than him!

His views about school can be surmised in one sentence—he loves Mondays and is eagerly waiting at the van pick-up point early Monday mornings, neatly dressed and ready for another week of school, which means, friends, fun, books and games.

Contact Us

ANANYA
233, 6 MAIN, 4 BLOCK, JAYANAGAR, BANGALORE 560 011, INDIA
Phones: +91 80 28441691 (school)
+91 80 2663 9414; +91 9844146385
Email: shashi_ananya@hotmail.com