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education
The Katha Lab School began in 1990 as a learning centre in the slums of
Govindpuri, Delhi, with 5 children. Today we have 8000 children
in 
71
Katha Schools in Delhi and in the tribal schools in Arunachal
Pradesh. Our students who were working to support their
families when they joistned us have now gone to colleges and are earning
more than many, many times what their families were earning in 1990 when
katha started working with them [According to a government survey,
the average income in 1990 was Rs 600-800/month/family]
Through an intense curriculum development programme, Katha devises innovative methods of education through stories. The resulting Vidduniya, a teaching framework, has improved the attendance of students in Katha schools to 92%. Our performance and retention are also in the 90%!
The Katha Lab School began in 1990 as a learning centre in the slums of
Govindpuri, with 5 children. Today we have 8000 children in 71 Katha Schools
in Delhi and in the tribal schools in Arunachal Pradesh.
50,000 children got quality schooling in
the last decade that took them to college and well paid jobs! A
look at the salaries of 2008 shows that just 45 of our alumni
earn a total of Rs 5.52 million! [their family incomes
were Rs 600-80/month in 1990, according to a government survey.]
Through an intense curriculum development programme,
Katha devises innovative methods of education through stories. The resulting
Vidduniya, a teaching framework, has improved the attendance of students
in Katha schools to 92%. Our performance and retention are also above 90%!
We proactively bring enhanced reading to children living
in slums. By 2009, 200,000 children aged 2-8 will be able to read up to
600 words - well and for fun - taking Katha's expertise and experience
to new levels of replication and mass collaborations! We bring colourful,
innovative books into children’s
lives, starting with a brave new programme for early childhood
education that takes forward our work in this area since 1990.
We could not have been effective over the last twenty years
without our friends. And as we turn twenty in 2008, we remember
all of you fondly and with great love and respect. We look forward to working
with all of you in the next decade. Thank you for being with
us!
What We Do.
Over the last 18 years, Katha has established a unique and
innovative Child-in-Community Katha Learning System with a
3-pronged system of delivery and support programmes.
The 3E Lifecycle of Education
Katha’s holistic approach carefully nurtures the child at all three
levels to see that she/he does not drop out of school and learning.
Enjoyment: Katha brings children into sustained learning
patterns at the entry level through increasing their joy of
learning. We see early childhood education as a very important part of this process.
Engagement: The retention of our students is high. We
forge interest and self-propelled learning through relevant
education that emphasizes learning by doing rather than learning to do.
Employment: Through three professional schools and
the English Academy, Katha helps students gain the confidence and skills
to see them through life as contributors to a globalizing Indian economy.
Katha Learning System
Our Community-Based Education Model works with and through our students
to push for the economic resurgence of our community as well
as their upward mobility. This forms part of the school curriculum.
Katha schools educate children in quality ways in the 3Rs, while encouraging
the involvement of communities in strengthening themselves inside out. The
invigorating presence of the community's welfare in the daily life of our students
nourishes both ways. Our women, in 2007-8, earned no less than Rs 42 million
rupees!
Story-Based Learning: Story pedagogy is a classroom methodology
that is patented by Katha. Using story tactics to encourage
children in the learning process helps in increasing their attendance and retention
rates.
Teacher System: Recruiting and training teachers in the community to
help the locality educate itself has been a success story of
Katha Schools. Today, each community school is headed by women
from that slum community ― and
the results are amazing. Engaged adults means engaged students
and a teacher who sees herself, quite naturally, as the centre of community
action!
more>
Student Centricity: All Katha Schools are student-centric, and their way of implementation maintains this focus through all activities and assessment.
The Katha Way: The schools are managed in a pragmatic manner, and strive to remain in line with the Katha philosophy and way of doing things, while making the education relevant and suitable for the whole community’s development and economic resurgence.
Building Bricks: Our education system takes a holistic view of the all round development of the child what we call Purna Siksha ― that works hand in hand with the self-sustainable growth of the communities we are in. Our community elders are our Ambassadors. And the Katha philosophy provides a solid foundation for the Curriculum For Life on which our schools rely.
Measurement: There are different forms of measurement and assessment, both internal and external (independent), so as to be able to gauge the extent of improvements made by the students in the Katha Schools.
Programmes that extend the reach and relevance of The Katha Lab School
Katha Lab School: The main Katha School is a microcosm of the extensive Katha experience, whether through innovative Reading Kits, in the training of teachers and reading mentors, or in providing support on understanding the Curriculum For Life and related practices that make Katha what it is.
Publishing: One of the most important
reasons for our success with children has been our books. A well-honed
publishing programme, started in 1988, has garnered experience and skills
over the years, and produces excellent storybooks and other reading materials
for children. Our books foster and kindle their passion for reading and
lifelong learning. Our teachers constantly collaborate with the editors
to make Katha books possible
Today, Katha has a unique set of books and graded readers for i. Early childhood learning. ii. Primary and middle school students. iii. High school students. These will bring the reading levels of about 200,000 children in government schools up to grade level in tried and tested ways in, this year.
Internal Assessment and External Evaluation are continuous and bring sustainable learning skills to all our children. The 2008 baseline survey was conducted at the beginning of the school year. This was done by three experts from the prestigious Delhi University’s Centre for Educational Instruction. These findings are shared with all teachers in in-depth workshops so as to bring measurable improvement in the grade-specific learning, reading and comprehension abilities of children.
Teacher Training: Katha has provided an annual 160-hour workshop for all teachers in knowledge and resource base development since 1998. The Faculty Club meets every other Saturday of each month and helps all teachers of Katha to share best practices, benefit from peer/near-peer counselling and advice and fosters a feeling of friendship and togetherness: what we call the sanjha chula!
Story Pedagogy motivates and fosters excellence by developing story skills. Develops and provides, for interested teachers, a Reading Teacher Certification Programme
The Online Teachers Community extends peer-support and brings e-mentors and teachers into supporting our subject teachers in making their classrooms more exciting and creative for our children. This also supports the Teachers Resource Room at KALPANA VILASAM, the Centre for Creativity in Education that Katha set up in 1990 which includes the fine Teacher training Institute and the Cell that develops teaching/learning materials for all our 8000 children.
The Katha Reading Campaign fosters rapid growth in reading skills in all children living in our communities. Taking them from 0-600 words before they turn 8 years old is the specific goal of this programme. The Reading Leagues® work like magic with our children ― and our volunteers make the magic happen!
Community Outreach: Katha’s Schools are at the centre of poverty alleviation and economic resurgence for our communities. This year, our activities have spread to involve more than 9,000 women very closely through the formation of self-help groups. And our programme for pregnant women and lactating mothers safeguards the health of babies even as it renews the traditional storytelling skills of mothers.
Conducting the Change: Katha’s structure supports volunteers and e-mentors, using multiple media support. Our volunteers are critical in garnering the considerable support we receive from our various stakeholders, be it the immediate community, the larger city of Delhi who come in as volunteers in our CitizenTeach Programme, at our various locations, teachers and students. A Touch of Class is a programme that supports the neighbourhood in its support of each Katha school.
Marketing/Public Relations: We build excitement amongst the larger community through a strong communication system that uses multiple media, support media and the Friends of Katha Network. The idea of Katha, our education initiatives and the way volunteers can work with us are clearly spelt out so that people from all walks of life ― young entrants to the knowledgeable economy as well as retired people ― can come in as mentors, volunteers, reading teachers. Katha has a robust programme that welcomes foreign volunteers.
Creating Engaged Adults:
The School Advisory: The Advisory will be made of people who are willing and able to engage with this hugely challenging initiative.
The Storytellers: Katha will hand-pick unconventional storytellers from across a broad range of artistes. They will be volunteers, genuine storytellers who want to make a difference to society.
The Volunteers: Katha will facilitate an active volunteer base, both from India and abroad. These volunteers will work with the school teachers and students and with other action groups in Katha.
IMPACT
Many of our children are in college today. Others are working in
mainstream organizations like Infosys, IBM, Citibank. The Katha All in
School Mission [KASM] ensures that all our children complete school up
to grade 12. Our friends have helped us make significant strides with donations
of time, expertise, experience and money. We foster culturelinking through
storytelling that benchmarks alternative education, and the empowerment
of women and children living on the margins of society.
We strongly believe that, for India, where habits have taken
a long time to make, the story is one of the most valuable means of change.
Each one of us in Katha sees herself/himself as an agent of change.
Join us in our fight against poverty and injustice! Write to
us at katha@katha.org
If you would like to volunteer, mentor, or visit our schools, write to volunteer@katha.org
Katha considers this the most important
part of learning, associated with the formation of habits
of heart and mind..
child-in-community
learning system
A powerful tool that brings the community
into the school, making learning relevant as well as cooperative..
katha
lab school
To impact 80% of the urban disadvantaged communities,
starting with Delhi, by honing Katha's well-defined recipe
that enables children and youth to reach their potential..
professional
schools
The Katha School of Entrepreneurship. The Katha Info Tech School. The
Social Work Institute.
schools
on wheels
10 pavement schools are serviced by
the schools on wheels, bring the joy of reading and formal
education to child workers
katha
reading leagues
An
exciting and innovative way of bring large numbers of urban
children into assured reading skill: 60-600 words before
the age of 8.
teacher
education
With
a 160 hour annual training and regular twice-a-month faculty
club meets, Katha's teachers are an excited lot!
research
This
year's focus is on early childhood education. And equitable
education for our youth.
katha translation for equity network
There are 100 million youth in our country, stymied by lack of English and hence unable to perform well in college. K.TEN addresses this obdurate problem.
