Roger Jones sdb
Schools all over the city of Baroda reopened yesterday, June 9, after th
e summer vacations. With the commencement of the scholastic year, Roshni – the educational project run by Don Bosco in the slums of Baroda, also got underway. This year Roshni will have a total of 20 centres spread out across the city. Last year the project consisted of 15 centres, but 2 had to be discontinued during the year due to the demolition of the slums where these classes were being conducted. A survey was carried out in the various slum areas of the city during the summer months to identify prospective areas for the classes and 7 such areas were identified. Thus, with classes being initiated in these 7 new locations, Roshni is now reaching out to children in 20 different slums in Baroda. Through the Roshni project, children in the targeted areas have two hours of study classes every morning. Not only is a child friendly methodology used in the teaching, but the curriculum is also designed in a way that the children can easily grasp the subject matter. To make this happen, all the teachers involved in the Roshni project undergo special training at the start of the year and also attend half-day training sessions twice every month. While some of the children who frequent these classes attend the local municipal schools, several are child labourers and do not have the possibility of regular schooling. Thus, the Roshni classes are their only channel of education.
e summer vacations. With the commencement of the scholastic year, Roshni – the educational project run by Don Bosco in the slums of Baroda, also got underway. This year Roshni will have a total of 20 centres spread out across the city. Last year the project consisted of 15 centres, but 2 had to be discontinued during the year due to the demolition of the slums where these classes were being conducted. A survey was carried out in the various slum areas of the city during the summer months to identify prospective areas for the classes and 7 such areas were identified. Thus, with classes being initiated in these 7 new locations, Roshni is now reaching out to children in 20 different slums in Baroda. Through the Roshni project, children in the targeted areas have two hours of study classes every morning. Not only is a child friendly methodology used in the teaching, but the curriculum is also designed in a way that the children can easily grasp the subject matter. To make this happen, all the teachers involved in the Roshni project undergo special training at the start of the year and also attend half-day training sessions twice every month. While some of the children who frequent these classes attend the local municipal schools, several are child labourers and do not have the possibility of regular schooling. Thus, the Roshni classes are their only channel of education.