Education is one of the most important factors in achieving sustainable economic development. Even modest exposure to education substantially reduces poverty levels, enabling people to expand their skill base and improve their lives. However, almost 17% of children in Bangladesh still do not have the chance to enroll in school, while of those who do, 33% do not complete their primary education (UNICEF). A further 36% of those who complete five years of schooling still fail to acquire even a minimum set of cognitive skills. These statistics are partly due to the need for children to help with agricultural and household chores, and to parents not appreciating the importance of education. However, although enrolment in school is increasing, the quality of education is decreasing, largely due to an unsupportive educational and community environment. Poor quality and child-unfriendly teaching/learning methods, poorly qualified teachers, scant learning materials, ill-equipped schools, a low amount of actual learning time, and overcrowded classrooms are all key factors. Similarly, in the rural community outside of school, there are no opportunities for early stimulation of children's cognitive, social and emotional development. These issues must be urgently tackled if Bangladesh is to achieve its goal of sustainable development.

Participatory Interactive Learning Programme (PILP)

Education is the light of life and quality education is one of the major challenges to achieve through overcoming all the major and minor challenges lies in the different strata of education service delivery where less community participation is the main impediment in reaching desired goal. In the greater interest and perspective view to contribute in achieving national goal of education for all and introducing quality education BRIF started to implement Participatory and Interactive Learning Project (PILP) phase- i at Khansama Upazila under Dinajpur District from January 2004 with the procedural and financial support from Plan Bangladesh, Khansama Program Unit that’s are continuing till date incorporating learning, feed back and pace with standard curriculum for achieving goal..

Mean while PILP is appeared with high reputation and felt need by the community and different stakeholders because of its efficacy, successful implementation, community demand and pervasiveness towards reducing drop out rate and increasing number of children in the primary school with enthusiasm and determination. Due to its contribution and importance PILP has expanded its catchments area within all unions of Khansama Upazila from January 2006.

Goal of PILP:

 

To improve quality of education and whole child development through creating child friendly environment in the classroom and out of the school through active participation of the communities.

Objectives are:

·         Aware all family members about child care and development,

·         To aware and orient parents on childrearing and development

·         Create opportunity of early stimulation and holistic development for children,

·         School preparedness and to develop mind for social development,

·         To create free, fare and torture less environment in classroom,

·         Develop school as a resource centre and strengthening capacity of CBOn.

·          To enhance to student for school attendance regularly  and  established Resource poll / centre at Union level,

Prime activities are:

Parenting, Shishu  Bikash Kendra (SBK), Pre School, Sopan, Camp, Accelerated Learning Workshop (ALW), Reading Recovery, Library and School Improvement Program. BRIF is implementing this project within 99 schools both Gov Primary and Registered primary school. Jointly implementation with Plan Bangladesh

Working area:

BRIF is implementing PILP within 45 villages of 6 unions under Khansama Upazila. Upazila under Dinajpur district.

 Project Interventions are briefly highlighted below:

 Training / Refreshers

 

BRIF organized basic training for different interventions of Basic Education and ECCD in different batches for the Tutor of Basic Education and Teacher/ Care-Giver/Facilitator of ECCD that’s:

 

Material development workshop of ECCD:

 

Conducted Material Development workshops of ECCD interventions (Parenting, SBK and Pre-school) in different batches that’s participated. Centre facilitators, CBO members and CLRPs.

 

Training received:  PILP staff participated at different types of training and workshop  

 

Program supervision and monitoring:  

 

PILP staff regularly supervised and monitored the interventions of Basic Education and ECCD. They monitored classroom environment, student attendance, student performance, material uses, classroom organization, teaching techniques, teacher-student relationship etc. During this time they (PILP staff) demonstrated some sessions in the classroom and discussed the findings with Tutors/ Teachers/ Care Giver/ Facilitators. They also arranged the sharing meetings with schoolteachers after visiting Sopan and SIP.

 

SIP: School Improvement Programme (SIP) has been implemented in four schools in Khansama Upazila of Dinajpur District. We provided two community teachers those are participated in an accelerated learning workshop and tried to contact the class in workshop mood. In the beginning of this programme an opening ceremony was held in each SIP schools.

Parents’ meeting:

PILP is a community-managed program. Community people actively participate in every stage of project implementation like planning, supervision, monitoring and evaluation. Every intervention of Basic Education and ECCD has managing Committee consist of parents and CBO members. This committee organized monthly parents meeting in every school and centre to discuss present situation of the centre, learner performance, problems identify and the responsibilities of the committee and parents for proper implementation of the project. CLC/ CBO representative, committee members, parents, Tutors/ Teachers/ Care-Givers/ Facilitators, CLRP and PILP staff were present in the meeting.

SMC and CMC orientation

BRIF organized daylong orientation session for SMC and CMC members in different batches at different venues at community level. Basic Education and ECCD separately organized these sessions to orient the participants about the program. Members of SMC, CMC and CBO spontaneously participated at the session in a joyful environment facilitated by PILP staff.

 

 Providing support to Community Based Organization (CBO):

During the period of PILP phase- II BRIF had a responsibility for providing technical support to Hajipara Gonamokhi Shiskha Unnayan Kendra (a Community Learning Centre) to develop and strengthen their capacity so that they could manage all kinds of educational activities in their community.

Special event:

 

i). GLOBAL ACTION WEEK:

BRIF observed seven days Global Action week in six unions under Khansama upazila in Dinajpur district from 24^th April ‘2007 to 30^th April ‘2007 and arranged rally, art competition, easy writing competition.

ii). Quality Education Network:

BRIF jointly (Plan BD-KSM, BRIF-PILP and Upazila Primary Education Office) organized two days daylong workshop from June10, 2007 to June 11,2007. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Khansama decorated the chair and distinguished personnel from Plan, community and civil society members were present

 

Learning:

·         Volunteer mothers or parenting facilitator’s skills are inadequate.

·         Those mothers are attending regular in the parents meeting; their children’s also attend in the centre.

·         Community based pre-schools are not well managed than the school based pre-school.

·         During the puza and Eid-Ul-Fitre, some of the primary school teachers were not present in the Refreshers training.

·         One community tutor has changed his job from Accelerated Learning workshop (ALW) having better opportunity.

 

 Constraint:

 

·         Community tutor changed by CBOs.

·         Some community staffs are not capable enough to facilitate the process.

·         Drop out of community resource persons.

·         Budget review (budget is not available).

 How over comes challenges:

·         We have discussed with CBOs and managed it.

·          Resources pool established in every Union for back up support to the dropout teacher.

·         Increasing coordination with CBO and PLAN

 

Community Feedback:

 

Community people hope that BRIF will be continuing the learning program and all villages in six unions under Khansama upazila in Dinajpur district.

 

BRIF Education Fund:

There are numerous student suffering for want of financial support that is the main hindrance to theirs education despite of theirs will force because of poor economic condition of theirs guardian and no alternative scope of part time work by the student for maintaining theirs high cost of education. Considering looming condition of such student especially for the meritorious student BRIF have been fostering financial support for completing education for the poorest students since earlier to till date. BRIF have strong determination to contributing more support for continuing and completing education by poorest student through collecting donation and grants from patrons, well wishers and like minded person.

 

Goal: Provide financial support to continue higher education for the poor meritorious students

 

Objectives:

·         Make opportunity for completion of higher education by the poor meritorious students

·         Provide encouragement and assistance for open options of job opportunity or gathering competencies as fellowship to work in the development arena with BRIF before having desired job.

·         Building congenial society through stressing cooperation and assistance for the helpless meritorious students so that they can also reach to theirs desired goal and also contribute to similar.

·         Stopping drops out of higher education especially for the poor and meritorious student.

 

Funding supported:

 BRIF own fund, Individual donation from friends, patrons, well wishers, colleagues and so far others whose wishes and desire are to see a congenial society where education opportunities are affordable for the poor also. With the joint efforts of similar well-wishers couple of meritorious students is continuing both the secondary and higher education with minimum satisfaction of highly educated citizen.