The Aangun Centre for Learning and Culture preschool is helping underprivileged working-class children to develop their cognitive, language, social, sensory and motor skills so that they can eventually bridge the development gap that they have to endure due to an impoverished learning environment.
These objectives are achieved through a highly interactive activity-based and child-centred curriculum and pedagogy grounded in the local culture, supplemented with the training of teachers and parents and community engagement.
Beneficiaries
- Pre-school children of age 3 to 5 years from under-privileged and working-class families
- Parents of the children from the community (women domestic workers, cleaning and support staff, religious minorities)
Impact Assessment with Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
The Aangun preschool is also working with the School of Education of Lahore University of Management Sciences to assess the development of children. It is being used to improve pedagogy on an on-going basis, as well as looking at impact annually.
1. The Issues
The affluent neighbourhood of Model Town, Lahore, has many working-class members (e.g. women domestic workers, gardeners, sweepers, drivers, peons, guards, etc.) whose children either do not attend preschool or attend very low-quality schools.
While 85% of brain development takes place in the first 5 years, most of these kids lose out on the opportunity for appropriate cognitive development.
Eventually many go through poor education in schools and colleges, supplemented by poor quality tuition, and end up in low-paying jobs, perpetuating a vicious cycle of poverty.
- rote memorization as the dominant mode of learning
- lack of co-curricular activities that develop confidence and positive social values
- substantial expenses on school fees, after-school tuition, books and stationery
- poor health of children due to unhealthy snacks, sleep deprivation and lack of health check-ups
- no opportunity to learn Punjabi, the mother tongue of the majority of children
- disconnect between the school, the community, and the environment
- parents lack knowledge regarding their role in the development of their children
- minimal interaction between children of different religious communities
2. The Solution
The Little Art set up the Aangun Preschool, a community-based pre-school for underprivileged children age 3-5 years living in the vicinity of the Centre. It offers immersive learning experiences to children to prepare them for life. Project-based learning ensures the sensory, cognitive, linguistic, emotional and social development of children. It also strengthens the community through inter and intra-community links with the training of families, professional development opportunities for women from the community, and volunteer engagement.
The preschool runs five days a week on the following principles:
- Prepare children for life rather than for school
- Sensory, motor, cognitive, linguistic, emotional and social development of children through activities and games, yoga and meditation, arts and crafts, music, using a widely tested curriculum, teaching methodology, and on-going impact assessment
- Strengthen school-community, inter and intra-community links by recruiting young educated females as assistant teachers, monthly workshops for family members so that they can reinforce the learning of children in their homes, inviting community elders to educate children about the history and heritage of the community, and promoting interaction between families/ children of different religious communities
- Identify and engage volunteers (e.g. retired preschool teachers / heads) to mentor assistant teachers
- Use low cost and easy to make materials which can be easily replaced, and can be replicated by the family
- Use the school garden to teach about agriculture, kitchen gardening, and concepts of pre-primary science, math, language, health, hygiene and nutrition
- Use local stories, games, poems and other resources to educate children about their rich cultural heritage
- Build on the ability of children to learn multiple languages at a young age, and teach them Urdu, English and Punjabi through activities and games
- Promote the physical and mental health of children through school timings which allow children adequate sleep (10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.), daily yoga and games, educating parents to provide nutritious snacks to children (or buy low-cost nutritious snacks for children who are unable to bring their own), and monthly check-ups by doctors
- Families will be encouraged to arrange joint transport for children to reduce costs.
3. Financing the Preschool
Any amount that you wish to contribute is welcome. We have the following options for support as well.
- Sponsor a child for Rs 65,000 / month
- Sponsor a child for Rs 75,000 / year
- Sponsor materials for Rs 10,000 /child/year
- Sponsor a teacher for Rs 30,000 / month
- Sponsor a teacher for Rs. 360,000 / year
4. Long Term Impact
Aangun helps working-class children to catch up on their cognitive, language, social, sensory and motor skills so that they can be at par with affluent children of their own age. Once Aangun becomes a viable entity and starts demonstrating its impact on children, we will invite heads/teachers of quality schools in the vicinity to assess the children’s development. The visit will help in convincing schools to sponsor the education of one or more children graduating from Aangun. TLA will guarantee that these graduates have the required knowledge, skills and attitudes to enter grade 1 in any of these schools.
