Gyan Shala’s model revisited and strengthened
In The Learning Challenge: How to to ensure that by 2020 every child learns (April 2014), Fenton Whelan discusses the “features of the effective low-cost school systems”, based on the experience of Gyan Shala, BRAC and others, which include:
1. Excellent teaching materials
2. Intensive coaching and support
3. More time on task
4. Mother tongue instruction in early grades
5. Good basic facilities
6. Strong accountability and management
Pankaj Jain, Gyan Shala’s highly respected founder, points out that “even the best teachers available in that context, unsupported, will not be good enough, and instead focuses on making the teachers who are available as effective as possible.”
As Gyan Shala explains, “intensive coaching and support” means a diligent focus on on-going training, all Gyan Shala teachers are given training intermittently as detailed below:
i) 6 to 8 days of training at the time of joining,
ii) 4-6 days of conceptual refresher trainings during Diwali Break
iii) 4-6 days of conceptual refresher trainings during summer breaks
iv) one day training-meeting every fortnight by design team members ( approx. 15-17 days).
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