Programme
Community based Programme: 2011-12
The community based programme of PDEI follows an area intensive approach with Municipal ward being the basic unit of planning and intervention. Thus, a significant proportion of PDEI’s community based programme is concentrated in 5 Municipal wards of as many zones. The programmes were launched after an extensive household survey of the 5 wards to quantify the educational needs following which the interventions were designed after matching the need with PDEI’s capacity to deliver. The quantified programme model of an average ward is depicted below.
Early Childhood Education
During the last 3 years, Pratham Delhi has consistently reached out to about 10,000 children in 3-5 years age group either through its community based Balwadis or Anganwadis.
The objectives of this intervention have been:
To provide preschool support to children who are not part of any preschool net.
To address the 4 developmental needs of children in early years of their lives- Physical development, Language development, Cognitive development and Social development. From 2011-12 onwards, PDEI has reintroduced early reading and numeracy programme for children of grade I and II to have a composite Early Childhood Education programme. It includes preschool and early reading which builds the base.
Goal:
Preschool (Balwadi or Anganwadi)- Every child in 3-5 years age group be part of preschool net, and
Early reading and numeracy (Balwachan) - Child in 6-7 years age group should be able to read a simple text and recognize numbers upto 100.
Intervention- The programme starts with getting a 3 year old child to come out of her/his house to a slightly more formal setting and do certain things individually and collectively under the guidance of a trained Pratham volunteer which lead to Physical (motor skills), cognitive, Social and Language Development. In the process the child also prepares for schooling. By the time the child attains the age 5, she is ready to be enrolled in formal primary school. It is at this point of time that the second component of early childhood education comes into being through more formal reading and numeracy interventions. This intervention is basically an extension of Language and cognitive development process that stated during the preschool sessions. This programme will help the child in learning to read so that remedial reading and numeric intervention is not required at later stage.
Outcome:
Preschool: School readiness for children attaining 5 years i.e. child should be ready to join primary schools.
Early reading and numeracy: To be able to read a simple paragraph and recognize numbers upto 100.