BITS Pilani students run evening classes for poor children
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Since one year, the students of Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani have been conducting systematic evening classes for the benefit of poor children of Pilani under a programme called Gyan Bodh. The classes are run in a park called Gyan Vihar behind the Institute campus. The purpose is to provide supplementary teaching to the school going children and also to improve their all round development. There are about 60 children who attend the classes daily. Classes are offered for the past one and a half hour between 5 15 and 6 45 daily.
Gyan Bodh has a team of 40 BITSIANs who work voluntarily and each one invests about 10 hours per week. On a day, 15 BITSIANs participate in the teaching working on rotation, each volunteer teaches 5 students. There is a core committee which coordinates and oversees the whole programme. Gyan Bodh classes are well structured. Every day starts with an Assembly and Prayer. While Mathematics is taught on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Science is taught on Tuesday and Thursday. Gyan Bodh strictly follows the children’s school syllabus and therefore the classes effectively supplement the school teaching. Further, the BITSIAN volunteers explain the subjects with practical demonstrations. Science subjects are explained by conducting experiments. For those children who do not have note books, BITSIANs provide the note books too. There is an interactive session daily which runs for ten minutes wherein the students participate in a quiz relating to General Knowledge and Current Affairs. Besides, skill building sessions such as Elocution, Singing and Drawing Competitions are held on Saturday. Discipline, Values and Patriotism are the guiding principles of Gyan Bodh and they are both taught and practiced by the volunteers in letter and spirit. The whole programme is a low cost programme and what all the volunteers do is giving their time for the sake of the underprivileged. This is what three children attending the Gyan Bodh classes have to say: Jitender, Studying in 7th Class in a Pilani School Father: Mess worker in a hostel Yahan Science aur Maths Padhathe Hein. Aur Yahan General Knowledge, Shiksha Pradh Kahaniya Aur Vivekanand, Bhagat Singh Adi Ke Bare Mein Jankariyah Milti Hein. Yahan Bhaiya Log Acchha Padhathe Hein. Is Se Pehle 70-71 Ankh Athe The. Abhi 80-81 Ate Hein. Badhe Hone Ke Badh Army Me Jane Ka Irada Hein. (Here we learn Science and Maths. Also we are told stories relevant to our study subjects, General Knowledge etc. Also we get knowledge about people like Vivekananda, Bhagat Singh and others. Here they teach us very well. Before coming here, I used to score 70-71 per cent. Now I score 80-81 per cent. Once I grow, I wish to join the army) Shah Rukh Khan, Studying in 5th Class in a Pilani School, Father : Rickshaw Puller Yahan Padna Achha Lagta Hein. Hindi, English, Samajik Vigyan, Paryavaran Vishya Ke Bare Mein Sikhathe Hein (Here studying is very interesting. They teach us Hindi, English, Social Sciences and Environment) Chandra Pal, Studying in 7th Class in a Pilani School Father : Mess worker in a hostel Saturday Ko Kahaniyan Sunate Hein. Vivekanand Adi Ke Bare Mein Bahut Jankari Milti Hein. Prayog Shala Mein Hameh Oxygen Ke Bare Mein Jankari Milti Hein. Kitabo Mein Jo Padhyaya Gaya Who Yahah Par Use Karke Bhi Dikhaya Hein. (On Saturdays they tell us stories. We got a lot of knowledge about Vivekananda. By conducting experiments, we got knowledge about oxygen. For those things which we read from books, they conduct experiments here to explain the concepts) Gyan Bodh is one of the programmes of My India, which is a voluntary organization run by BITSIANs. My India plans to extend the Gyan Bodh to more villages. Marketing of Gyan Bodh is done in an informal way by putting up posters in the hostels, and also by email marketing. The coordinator of Gyan Bodh, Mr Chandra Sekhar P, who is a BITSIAN studying in III Year of Master of Management Studies says, “It is our privilege to teach the less fortunate children who are deprived of quality education. The satisfaction we get after teaching for one hour is immeasurable. Gyan Bodh uplifts our spirits and inspires us to achieve our goal of making available good education to all the people irrespective of their economic status” For further information, please contact: Mr Chandra Sekhar P, Email : f2003634@bits-pilani.ac.in Miss Veena K Email : f2003066@bits-pilani.ac.in |
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