Annual Report Details

Annual Report 1987-1988
A couragious and democratic step is taken. The concept of Phase Out is introduced. Planning Cum  Micro Realisation a concept developed by Mr. T.K. Mathew of Deepalaya shows a new but sustainable path towards community development.

Deepalaya School

The  objective of Deepalaya School is to impart  knowledge  to all children who join the school, especially from economically weaker sections of the  society.  With  this  aim  in   view   children from poor families are offered English medium free education,  free supply  of books as well as summer and winter uniforms. They are also given free transport to and from school. Since physical health is important for mental growth the children are given  nutritious supplements   like milk, eggs, biscuits and fruit during lunch break. Keeping  in pace with  the modern educational philosophy  Deepalaya  school  tries  to provide  as  much   extra curricular activities  for the children as  possible,  in  order to achieve all round growth and development amongst them.

Extra-curricular Activities

Regular  visits to places of historical importance are  arranged. These visits help children not only to understand and  appreciate the  heritage  of India but also offer them opportunity  to  mingle with  other children. Besides class room teaching, children  were taken  on  picnics  and  study tours.  Visits  were  arranged  to Rail Museum,  India Gate, Red Fort, Nehru Planetarium,  Appu  Ghar etc.
The  children  are  encouraged and imparted  training  in  music, dance,  painting, games and craft. The constraint of  space  does not  allow us to give full fledged training. However efforts  are made  to make children understand the rudiments so that they  can develop the activity of their choice later in their life. Following this came Independence Day celebrations. Children  drew pictures  of  the Indian National Flag, sang patriotic  songs  and were told about the struggle for freedom, leaders of the  struggle and sweets were distributed.

School  reopened for the new academic year 1988-89 on  July  18th. Keeping with the holiday hangover and mood, and the belief that fun should  not  be missed out on a cartoon film ‘Jungle  Books’  was screened  in  the  school premises on 18th  August.  The  children enjoyed it thoroughly.
An  educational  trip was arranged for the children  to  the Nehru  Planetarium  at  Teen  Murti Bhawan on 25th  August,  where  they participated  in the 1 1/2 hours live show in Hindi telling  them about  shapes in the sky, to locate direction by  identifying  the pole star. Children answered questions put to them after the show and then were taken to Teen Murti Bhawan where Jawaharlal  Nehru, the first Prime Minister lived and is now a national museum.

Teachers Training

On this modern age, extra curricular activities play a very vital role in the education of a child. As this has to be encouraged in all  its aspects, we sent three teachers to Bal Bhawan in  Delhi to  get  trained at the ‘creative art workshop  for  teachers  in June. We also sent two teachers to Madras in June to  attend  the training course organised by Aide et Action in modern methods of teaching in all subjects. In the month of August a teacher and the sponsorship administrator attended a letter writing workshop held by Aide et Action at Bangalore.

During Dushera Holidays 6 teachers attended a week long  workshop held  at Sardar Patel Vidyalaya premises by the ‘Ekalavya’ group from Madhya Pradesh who are successfully intervening in teaching programs in Madhya Pradesh in order to render it more  creative, effective and geared to the needs and abilities of the children. The Workshop dealt on ‘curriculum development’ but ‘which it gave us  is an ideas approach’ to learning, areas to new books in  each field, groups and resource persons, who could help us concretise these ideas with time and geared to the special  needs of our children and to introduce this into our methodology and syllabus. A series of workshops beginning in December are being  planned  to make this a reality.

1st  December we had two visitors Mrs. Gayatri Moorthy  and  Mrs. Jose  Paul from the Educational Planning Group who came  to  meet the  teachers and children, understand our situation and  prepare the Maths and language skills workshop for January. We  also had a visit from ‘Vidyajyoti’ who are conducting the first of the workshops  on 17th December on the ideals and objectives  of  the society  and its mission of working for the  underprivileged,  on our contribution to  the  cause  and  the  impact of our interactions.

Lessons  were  on  in full swing and on the  13th  of  October  a session  on  Micro  teaching was held by  the teachers  who  had attended  the workshop at Madras, for those who had not  had  the opportunity.  The importance  and  value  of  planning  lessons, chalking  out  objectives, activities and  content  in  imparting education to the children was demonstrated by Mrs. Chauhan and Ms. Namita.  Preliminary discussions were held as to  having  lessons plans weekly and teachers diaries for the new academic session.

Medical Aid

Children  are  given  medical aid in School.  The  school  doctor visits the school once a week and attend to the medical needs  of the children. The medical attention plus the refreshments and milk we  give  the children every day, have improved their  health  and most  of  them  have gained weight and also they  are  free  from serious illness.

A child  to  child health program for the older  children,  and  a preventive/promotive  health education program for the women  and mothers  was  initiated in the Transit Camp  community  with  the voluntary assistance of a doctor from the All India Institute  of Medical  Sciences  on  26th November to  be  now  conducted  every Saturday  as an ongoing program. The first topic  discussed  with the children was ‘water’, its source, importance, maintenance and its  relevance  to good  health  and  the  topic  for  women   was ‘Antenatal care’. There was a very good participation and we had a full, responsive room and audience.

Doctor’s  visits  continued every Tuesday and  it  is  gratifying to note  that  none  of our children came down  with  any  serious illness especially at a time when Delhi itself was stricken  with cholera, gastroenteritis and other epidemic.

Visitors

Miss  Mellerary  the  sponsor parent visited the  school  on  6th January 1988 and she was very happy to see the school  activities and  her  sponsor child. Mr. P B Lebas Director Aide  et  Action, Paris and Mr. James Arputharaj of Aide et Action, Madras  visited the  school  and  the Kalkaji slum area on 7th  March  1988.  Mrs. Odilie  Richard and Mr. Eric Mason of Aide et Action visited  the school  on  18th  March  1988 and they  were  happy  to  see  the programme.  We  had  a visit by Ms. Antonia  Derry  of  Save  the Children  Fund  on  26th August afternoon  accompanied  by  other members  of  her  team,  namely Ms. Kum  Kum  Ghosh,  and  Anisha Verghese.

Visits  of  dignitaries such as foster parents  from  abroad  and members of organisations which help us provide a welcome change in the daily routine of the school. Children as well as teachers are excited at their arrival, and you have to see to believe how these slum children welcome them with their face beaming with joy  and how  they  say ‘Good Morning uncle’, ‘Thank you uncle’  ‘Bye  Bye uncle’  etc. at the appropriate time. When they are  asked  to say one rhyme or sing one song in English, they sing two or three  at a  stretch  without stopping.  They  are  really  happy  when  the visitors come and they try to impress them by showing off.

3rd November brought a visitor to the school and programs. Mr. Add Van  der  Meer from ICCO who later met the teachers  as  well  to discuss  and understand their role in this endeavor of  reaching out  to  the  underprivileged and extending to  them  our  timely support  until they can themselves cope with their situations  and trying  conditions of life. On 10th November Mr. & MME  Faribeauti from Villemomble,  France visited the sponsor child  of  their friend and the slum area. They were happy about the visit.

Parent Teacher Meeting

Before the  school closed for summer holidays on the 13th of  May we had the parent teacher meeting. It was done class wise so that the  teachers could discuss with the parents all  their  problems without difficulty. Most of the parents showed interest in  their children’s studies. Their only disappointment is that they  can’t help their children at home as they are illiterate.

Examination – Promotions 

An assessment of the children and their progress was done for all classes. In the month of March annual examinations were conducted and the result declared on 23rd March and children  promoted  to higher classes. Following this, parent teacher meetings were held to  brief the parents   about the child’s performance and how  it could be strengthened with their support and cooperation and  how we could join hands together in the interest of the child.  First terminal  examinations were held from 19th to 23rd September  and report cards given on 30th September.

The  second  quarter  of  the academic year  1988  began  on  3rd October,  with Gandhi Jayanthi token celebrations as 2nd  October was a Sunday. Children were told about the role of Mahatma Gandhi in  the  freedom struggle, his ideals and vision  and  his  great contribution to India and  her people.
Although examinations were scheduled from 12th to 16th  December (2nd quarterly) the children have a pleasant break in between  on 15th  when  they have a puppet show being conducted  by  Shri  Ram Centre  Repertory  called ‘Maya Tiraya runs away’. The  show  was held  at  St. John’s school grounds in  collaboration  with  food specialties   who  distributed  free  ‘Maggi’  noodles  to   the children.  With the conclusion of exams and the pangs  of  report cards,   comes  the  annual  day  function  and   the   Christmas celebration scheduled for 23rd December, the last working day  of this  term and this year, when the children will go on  stage  to present  their  talents  in  song, dance, drama  and  PT  in  the presence of their parents and the Deepalaya family as well. Small Christmas  gifts are to be given to the children by  Santa  Claus and  the holiday season commences until we are back together  for the third quarter in January 1989.

Sponsorship Communication

Children  have  sent two letters to their sponsored  parents,  one during  November and another in February and the annual  progress report was sent during June and promotion list during July.

Termination Of Sponsorship

During  March two, in October 1 and in December seven nos.  of terminations  cases  and  replacements were  sent.  The  list  of children  studying in Deepalaya both sponsored and non  sponsored except those in Deepalaya PLAN is furnished separately. The  list of staff for 1988 is also provided.

Strength Of School in 1998
 

Sponsored Section
Morning   Section

Paying Section
Afternoon Session

Sponsored children in Deepalaya Schools = 313 

Other Schools

Sponsored children studying in other schools = 88 

TRANSIT CAMP
Morning   Section

Afternoon Session

Sponsored children          = 114
Non sponsored children   =  77

Total children inTransit Camp    = 191
SANJAY AMAR COLONY

NON SPONSORED CHILDREN 

Centre I

Centre II

TOTAL CHILDREN = 187

Sponsored children

Aide et Action France               = 275
Save the Children Fund, UK    = 240
Total                                           = 515

Non sponsored children            = 77
in Transit Camp
Sanjay Amar Colony                 = 187
Total                                          = 264