PATHSHALA
- Abstract
Angikar Paribar in seeking a classless society believes education just like food shelter and clothing is another basic needs of life and hence our dream project ” Pathshala”. Our Pathshala and it’s curriculum is framed to provide basic education to children coming from the deprived community leading them to the educational main stream. We focus more on practical learning amidst nature with the modern teaching aids in hand though. Education have always had a direct effect on the innovations of the society and we intend to put forth “Prithibir Pathshala” as a healthy building place of budding youth into wise citizens to stop the cycle of poverty they are already trapped into.
- Where it all began… (History and roll out)
In the initial days of the ongoing malady of COVID-19 and the backdrop of Amphan attack when Angikar Paribar was already working in favour of impartial human rights and had taken up rationing, “Community’s Kitchen”, “Children’s Kitchen” and providing clothing and stationaries to school going children as main projects with limited fund in hand, Pathshala was a merely a dream back then. On such an educational awareness program that was to be conducted on the occasion of Saraswati Puja, 2020, when we connected to the head of the tribal village of Kolai Danga in Patrasayer to provide the children with some stationaries to encourage them into educational betterment, we got to know how most children were either school dropouts or never knew what school be like. This was mainly because of the remoteness of the village and the great distance that needs to be traversed to reach the nearest secondary (8 Km) or even the primary school (3 Km). This was when we were all decided on setting up a local Pathshala though with a few constraints initially. But soon a community hall, appropriate funding and required teaching aids were arranged for and our first ever Pathshala began it’s journey with it’s respected teachers and beloved students on & from 12 Jun, 2020. “Pathshala” then expanded on public demand and with their love to became a chain of 3 schools in just a year time. Keeping in mind, the deplorable condition of education in the dark corners of West Bengal and prior surveys made, Angikar Paribar was absolutely delighted to add on two other free coaching centers. One of these was set at Kalonjoy Tola, Patrasayer that started working actively with local children from 29 Aug, 2020 and has an accommodation of around 45 students. The other at Bara Gobindapur, Indas inaugurated on 03 April, 2021 accommodates around 50 students and works in collaboration with some esteemed local personalities truly concerned about the local community development.
- What’s so special about Angikar Paribar’s Pathshala?
Unlike coaching centers, we believe success comes by breaking conventions therefore focusing more on practical learning amidst nature with the modern aids like globes, maps, projectors in hand we have come up with our most cherished project “Pathshala” doing dual goods- providing free and basic learning to poor children whose parents cannot afford the tuition fee and hence drop out of school and the stipend for the college going teachers volunteering from a poor background to atleast run their own expenses. In a society that has gone largely digital without knowing it’s pros and cons we give special importance to extra-curriculum and outdoor games and activities to point out to our children that there’s a world outside that’s more fun than the confined digital world and that digitization must only be used for the purpose of advancement.
- How we work? Come, let’s see…
The overall development of the children being our primary concern, to track their educational progress monthly exams are held and conceptual questions are set not from the book to test their clarity of understanding of the subject. To create an aura of competition and encourage students into better learning, the ones securing good marks are also awarded. Guardian meetings are held from time to time to discuss the child’s academic progress and growth based on classroom observations & assessments. Moreover, students spend most of the time with their family at home and an one-to-one interaction with the guardian gives an insight into whether the environment at home is fit for the child’s proper development and hence teachers can advise accordingly. Since, all parents from such rural background do not necessarily possess the faculty to guide their children in studies, we also provide platform to educate the parents and one such program have already been conducted at Kalai Danga Pathshala for 2 months. Awareness programs are held every two months relating to prevalent social ills in the society. Starting from spreading awareness regarding maintaining COVID-19 protocol through poster-making together with mask and sanitizer distribution, Tree Plantation Program on Independence Day, Raksha Bandhan to celebrate universal brotherhood, a Drive to Combat Superstitions like snake-bite and the growing incidences of witchcraft related crime in the district of Bankura, Sanitary Napkin Distribution for awareness regarding women hygiene; the most recent one was Rain Water Harvesting. Besides regular distribution of stationaries in these 3 Pathshalas the Pathshalas maintain it’s own collection of games and sports equipment’s. Extra curriculum activities mainly include, drawing, music and games and sports. Our Teaching Faculty consists of 11 members- 4 belonging to the Arts Faculty, 3 to the Science Faculty, 3 for extra curriculum activities and 1 for the local Santali Language taught in the Pathshalas.
Activities in Pathshala
Educational Materials Distribution
Sports Kits Distribution
Cloth Distribution
Drawing Competition
Tree Plantation Programme
Parents Teachers Meeting
Pathshala Sanitization
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Birthday Celebration
Name of Our Pathshala
Kolai Danga Pathshala- Padua
No of Students- 78 students.
Class- Primary to class Eight.
No of Teachers- 4 Teachers.
No of Guest Teachers- 2 Teachers.
Subjects- Basic, Science, Arts, Santali Language.
Duration- 2.30 hrs.
Location- Kolai Danga, Birsingha, Bankura.
Kalonjoy tola Pathshala- Patrasayer
No of Students- 54 Students.
Class- class Three to class Eight.
No of Teachers- 3 Teachers.
No of Guest Teachers- 3 Teachers.
Subjects- Science, Arts, Drawing.
Duration- 2.30 hrs.
Location- Kalonjoy mandir, Patrasayer, Bankura.
Sivakinda Pathshala- Birsingha
No of Students- 66 students.
Class- class Three to class Eight.
No of Teachers- 2 Teachers.
No of Guest Teachers- 2 Teachers.
Subjects- Science, Arts, Extra curriculum activities.
Duration- 2.30 hrs.
Location- Sivakunda, Bankura.
- Our Vision & Mission
•One main reason why our Pathshalas are set in the remotest of areas is because we have always wanted to bring the residents of darkness to light.
•Giving their children the proper education will in turn help them mingle with the social mainstream.
•Education will make them aware of their fundamental rights.
•Education would help unchain them from the shackles of poverty.
•The stark line of difference between the rich and the poor, the highs and the lows will be thereby eradicated in a larger scale from the society.
•Lead them from darkness to light!
Museum in Pathshala
Progress Report
Progress Of Kolai danga Pathshala
Progress Of Kalonjoy tola Pathshala
Progress Of Sivakunda Pathshala