'पुस्तक परी' घडवतेय अक्षरविश्‍वाची सफर - दै. सकाळ

(Click on image to read)

'पुस्तक परी' घडवतेय अक्षरविश्‍वाची सफर
- सुशांत सांगवे, सकाळ, पुणे
गुरुवार, 22 ऑक्टोबर 2015

शालेय विद्यार्थ्यांनी अवांतर वाचनाकडे वळावे, न अडखळता सलगपणे वाचावे, शब्दांचे उच्चार स्पष्ट करावेत, शब्दसंग्रह वाढवावा... यासाठी प्रयत्न होताना दिसत नाहीत, अशी खंत शिक्षण आणि साहित्य क्षेत्रातील अनेक मान्यवर व्यक्‍त करत आहेत; पण एक "पुस्तक परी‘ अशी आहे, जी की अनेक पऱ्यांना सोबत घेऊन मुलांना अक्षरविश्‍वाची सफर घडवून आणत आहे. मुलांमध्ये अवांतर वाचनाची गोडी वाढवत आहे. त्यामुळे कधी "बोक्‍या सातबंडे‘च्या तर कधी "छोटा भीम‘च्या दुनियेत मुले हरवून जात आहेत.

राजश्री जाधव असे या "पुस्तक परी‘चे नाव आहे. "डोअर स्टेप स्कूल‘च्या माध्यमातून चालविल्या जाणाऱ्या "वाचन संस्कार प्रकल्पा‘च्या त्या प्रमुख आहेत. एक शिक्षिका म्हणून त्या काही वर्षांपूर्वी शाळेच्या उपक्रमात सहभागी झाल्या होत्या. कामाप्रती निष्ठा पाहून त्यांना वारंवार पदोन्नती मिळत गेली अन्‌ आज त्या उपसंचालक म्हणून संस्थेत कार्यरत आहेत. शिवाय, या प्रकल्पाच्या प्रमुखही आहेत. लग्नानंतर विभक्त राहणे, अशा स्थितीत मुलाला स्वत: सांभाळणे, घरच्या परिस्थितीला तोंड देत स्वत: शिकत-शिकत मुलालाही उच्च शिक्षणापर्यंत पोचविणे... या कौटुंबिक वादळांना अन्‌ आव्हानांना राजश्रीताईंनी तोंड दिले. तर दुसरीकडे, वाचन संस्कार प्रकल्पाला गती दिली. त्यामुळे अनेक मुलांमध्ये वाचनाचे संस्कार रुजण्यास मदत झाली. हे समजून घेताना स्त्री-शक्तीचे एक वेगळे दर्शन येथे आपल्याला पाहायला मिळते.

पुणे आणि पिंपरी-चिंचवड महापालिकेच्या आणि जिल्हा परिषदेच्या शाळेतील मुलांसाठी "वाचन संस्कार प्रकल्प‘ राबविला जातो. पंधरा वर्षांपूर्वी हा उपक्रम दहा शाळांत सुरू झाला. आता 232 शाळांमध्ये सुरू आहे. वाड्या-वस्त्यांवरील शेकडो मुले-मुली आनंदाने यात सहभागी होतात. वाचन कसे करावे, जोडाक्षरे कशी म्हणावीत इथपासून अडखळायला लावणाऱ्या शब्दांचे अर्थ काय? हेही या वेळी मुलांना शिकवले जाते. त्यासाठी आता 320 शिक्षिका संस्थेशी जोडल्या गेल्या आहेत. या शिक्षिकांना "पुस्तक परी‘ असे म्हटले जाते, असे राजश्रीताई सांगत होत्या.

वेगवेगळ्या साहित्य प्रकारांवरील जवळपास दीड लाख पुस्तके संस्थेकडे आहेत. पहिली ते चौथी आणि पुढे सातवीपर्यंतच्या मुलांना ही पुस्तके दिली जातात. पाचवीच्या पुढच्या मुलांना पुस्तके घरी नेऊन वाचण्यास सांगितले जाते. मुलांकडून-पालकांकडून कुठलाही मोबदला न घेता हा शब्दांचा पसारा मांडला जातो. यामुळे मुलांना वाचनाची गोडी वाढते. वाड्या-वस्त्यांवरील बहुतांश मुलांचे शिक्षण अर्धवट राहते. असे होऊ नये, ते वाईट मार्गाला लागू नयेत हाही यामागचा एक विचार आहे, असे त्यांनी सांगितले. राजश्रीताईंना संस्थेच्या या प्रकल्पाची माहिती इजिप्तमध्ये जाऊन देण्याची संधी मिळाली होती. मुळात राजश्रीताई या कार्यात आल्या त्या रजनीताई परांजपे यांच्यामुळे. त्या "डोअर स्टेप स्कूल‘च्या प्रमुख आहेत. त्यांच्याबद्दलही राजश्रीताई आदराने, भरभरून बोलत होत्या. त्यांनी माझ्यावर विश्‍वास ठेवला, जबाबदारी टाकली म्हणूनच मी धडपड करू शकले, अशा भावना त्या व्यक्त करत होत्या.

Training of PMC Education Associates

Parivartan Training Center of Door Step School had organised a special training programme for teachers from Pune Municipal Corporation schools. As a part of this training conducted on 5th and 7th of November 2014, the PMC teachers were trained to prepare and use some innovative teaching aids. Also, all of the teaching aids prepared at DSS Training Center were displayed for the teachers to see. The teachers were impressed with these teaching aids and requested to teach making and using them. However, it was not possible to cover all teaching aids in one day. The teachers told that they would approach their seniors to extend the scope of this training.

The Shikshan Mandal has launched a new project - Shikshak Sahayogi (Education Associates) - with help of Pune Municipal Corporation, Corporates and NGO’s in Pune. The objectives are to improve quality of education and to achieve goals of cleanliness and digital literacy. These Education Associates are supposed to be responsible for improving teaching methods of teachers. They are supposed to conduct training workshops for 2,500 school teachers and to develop teaching methods in the classrooms to support each teacher. In accordance with these objectives, the Education Associates are undergoing trainings at various organisations.

As a part of this project, the Shikshan Mandal approached Parivartan Training Center of Door Step School for training all these Education Associates. Accordingly, a training session was organised for 80 Education Associates on 22nd of September, 2015. The trainers from Parivartan Training Center conducted this training in three groups.

The First Steps Forward Programme, which is run by Door Step School in PMC and PCMC schools with an objective to improve reading abilities of 1st Standard students, was explained in detail during this training. The Education Associates were trained on using innovative learning resources to make reading a fun activity, eventually growing the children’s interest in it and improving their reading skills. Some of the activities and games covered under this training were -

• Butterfly tool for alphabets and Heads-and-Tails tool for composite letters;
• Cross and Circle Game;
• Musical Chair Game;
• The Lost Letter Game;

• The Mango Game;
• Passing The Parcel Game;
• Talyat-Malyat (Water-and-Land) Game;
• Sasaa-Sasaana (Rabbit-and-Falcon) Game;
• The Bangle Game;
• Tikli Maarun Jaave Game, etc.

All of the Education Associates were involved in making these teaching aids and playing above-mentioned games. Even corresponding notes were distributed for their future reference. These notes will be helpful during training of school teachers.

Trainers’ Remarks -

• Providing proper guidance to teachers is the key to improve existing education system. Parivartan Training Center of Door Step School is happy to be part of this initiative by Shikshan Mandal.
• The trainers are hoping that the trainees will use the knowledge and skills learnt during this training, for the benefit of school teachers and eventually the students.
• The trainees asked for help in making teaching aids for Urdu. Since Door Step School does not teach this language, this request could not be worked upon. However, it highlights the need of such innovative tools in teaching any language.

Training Feedback from Education Associates -

• The trainees felt that this training would be useful for developing reading skills in students from 1st to 4th Standard.
• Since the training was interactive and was based on activities and games, the trainees never felt it boring, rather they enjoyed every moment of it.
• The trainees felt that use of teaching aids and learning through games would help students understand and remember what they have learnt.
• The trainees insisted upon making all the teaching aids that were put on display during the training.
• The Education Associates mentioned that it would take long for them to reach every teacher in the concerned schools, hence organizing a direct DSS-to-Teacher training would be more helpful. That would help more efficient and immediate implementation of innovative teaching methods developed by DSS.
• The trainees asked for guidance upon using teaching aids for students from 5th to 7th Standard.
• The trainees requested for help in teaching Urdu.
• The Education Associates also suggested to prepare games for teaching Maths.

- Contributed by Chaitrali, Parivartan Training Center of Door Step School