PRAJAYATNA

We work with the education system in a comprehensive manner in order to bring about a transformation in the system that is sustainable where all children have access to a holistic and inclusive education that develops their capabilities. We initiate this work from the pre primary stage as we believe that the early childhood stage is an extremely significant one in the life of a child as it builds the foundation for their future. Hence it needs to be one which is filled with opportunities to explore, learn and develop. This is made possible by empowering the teachers of the public institutions (both school and early childhood care and education centres) to be facilitators of such a learning process. Collaboration is also done at the department level so that the Department mentors are able to support the teachers from the system. Education can be truly democratized when the community takes ownership and is able to articulate its vision for education. A conducive ecosystem needs to be created which will enable the child to learn. This participation of the community is institutionalised by the structures of the School Management Committee. The governance of the schools is further strengthened by ensuring that education is decentralised and features in the Local self-government, institution's agenda of development. This brings about collaboration among the stakeholders and also transparency and accountability in the functioning of the system. The approach of Prajayatna is to work with all the stakeholders by facilitating their ownership of the vision of the change that they wish to see for the children and work towards it. This creates allies of all the stakeholders that we work with as then the solutions are co-created together. In this way,we are shifting the system and transforming it. This is done through a multi-faceted and comprehensive approach. - Strengthening government run early childhood care and education centres (anganwadis) through ensuring quality early childhood education, and the development of essential cognitive and social skills during this critical period of a child's growth. - Work with the primary schools by building the capacities of the teachers to facilitate an experiential learning approach that is holistic, inclusive and focuses on the development of capabilities that will aid them with life skills well and help them bloom in their future learning and reach their potential. - Decentralised governance of the schools and Anganwadi and thereby enhanced accountability and quality of functioning of schools