thiviyatheva
Good education starts in the heart of the community. When parents and local groups work together, children learn much faster. For example, the Community-Based Spoken English Program in Vellimalai shows this clearly. Indeed, it proves that local leadership can change a child’s future.
How the Program Started
Early this year, organizers launched a new English program in Musali. Specifically, it supports children from Grade 1 to Grade 5. In addition, local Self-Help Groups (SHGs) helped create the program to give kids a head start.
The main goal is to help children speak English with confidence. To achieve this, teachers use fun games, group tasks, and short talks. At first, fifteen children joined the class in Vellimalai village. Because they loved the active lessons, they came to class every day.
Overcoming Challenges
After a few months, however, attendance began to drop. This happened because the team did not follow up with parents often enough. Furthermore, some classes were canceled when the teacher was not available. Consequently, these gaps made it hard for the children to keep learning.
Every community project faces hurdles. Nevertheless, what matters most is how the community reacts. In this case, the Arafa SHG took action. First, they asked the Cluster Level Association (CLA) for help. Then, they worked together to keep the program running.
A New Plan for Success
The CLA Education Subcommittee took over the project immediately. First, they made a simple plan to track attendance. Next, they introduced enrollment forms for all parents. As a result, families began to feel more committed to the classes.
Additionally, team members began to visit the classes every week. If a child missed a lesson, the team visited their home. Thus, they could talk to the parents and understand their problems. Because of this, these visits built strong trust between the families and the program.
Seeing the Results
Today, the program is a huge success. In fact, fifty children now attend the classes regularly. Therefore, you can see the progress in their smiles and their speech. Most importantly, the kids now speak simple English sentences without any fear.
Recently, the team noticed that six children were missing too many classes. Because the team acted quickly and visited those homes, those children are now back in school. Clearly, this quick action prevented them from dropping out.
Transparency and Ownership
The CLA also manages the program’s money in a very clear way. To do this, parents pay a small fee each month to help. Subsequently, the team uses that money to pay the teacher on time. Consequently, this system makes parents feel like they truly own the program.
Conclusion
The Vellimalai program proves that local pride builds better schools. Ultimately, when a community leads the way, children win. Therefore, this program is now a great map for other villages to follow. In conclusion, shared effort creates the best opportunities for the next generation.
