LetsEndorse | 30 - Equipping school staff with functional English literacy

Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

30 - Equipping school staff with functional English literacy

Providing functional English literacy to school staff and workers through learn-on-the-go mobile app

*The visual content above is for representational purpose and may not correspond to this project.

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THE NEED

We have chosen functional illiteracy (english) of the non- teaching staff as our problem. They have been struggling to swipe the gps system cards as the names of the students are written in english. Sometimes they swipe the wrong name and an error message is received by the parent of the particular ward which leads to an unnecessary commotion. “think globally, act locally” is our motto. If everyone could teach the illiterate person next-door, it will cause a ripple effect and the society would be benefitted at large in the long run. Our school bus drivers and conductors, 40 in number, are greatly troubled by lack of functional literacy. Due to this hiccup, they do not read or write anything significant in english. They have to depend on others for taking attendance, swiping GPS cards, reading the circulars, banking and other activities that require english literacy. It has created a poor self image and a sense of inferiority among them.

PLAN OF ACTION

Some of the options we considered are: A. We planned to teach them after school hours but they have to drive the buses after school hours. B. We tried a teacher volunteer for this programme. But teachers are busy with their schedule and couldn’t allot their time regularly. C. At last we decided that we can do the teaching during the lunch break.
At last we decided that we can do the teaching during the lunch break because it is the time when we students and the drivers and conductors have a mutually convenient time. We sought the permission from our principal and teachers to do the same. We had an action plan for the solution. We roped in more volunteers for this project. We met our english teachers and got trained how to teach right from the alphabets. They taught us how to merge the letters and pronounce the family words. We started teaching them using those techniques. Later we browsed and got the worksheets .We made them practice with the graded worksheets. Now, we have downloaded apps in their mobile phones for learning on the go.

EXPECTED IMPACT

In the process of teaching and learning during the lunch hours, they have learnt the alphabets, writing words and reading sentences is in progress. The drivers and conductors are able to swipe the gps cards by reading the students’ names and take bus attendance without any mistakes. One of the beneficiaries said, “I feel empowered and the programme has changed my outlook”. One of them said that he feels more confident now. They have new found joy in learning. They realized that they too can study if given proper motivation and continued support! We have already downloaded apps in the mobiles of the drivers and the conductors for the literacy programme. We are going to conduct a test at the end of one month and we are going to buy books for them to read. Newspapers in english will be subscribed for them by the school for daily reading and as usual, the same time (instruction hour) will be kept as the reading hour. We would like to replicate this model in the school neighbourhood as a continuation of this wonderful beginning.