ETHICS-CASE STUDY

1. Context

2. The Case

3. The Problems/challenges

• Along with the pandemic, general laxity had contributed to poor Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) among students.
• It was found that class 5 students did not know how to solve division sums, or even read full sentences, which is a part of the learning outcome expected at that level.
• Remote learning opportunities for students, the quality and reach of such initiatives differed-in most cases, they offered, at best, a rather partial substitute for in-person instruction.

4. The Solutions

4.1 Vedh Project' is based on the novel concept of heutagogy

• As part of a pilot project, the Ashramshalas, residential schools covered under the Tribal Development Project Office, in Nandurbar taluka in Maharashtra, have been experimenting with a unique way to learn.
• Here, teachers are facilitators, who instead of following the fixed pattern of facing the class and conducting lessons, set challenges for students and encourage them to learn their curricula by developing innovative methods on their own, in the form of group activities.
• The pilot project, called the 'Vedh Project', is based on the novel concept of heutagogy, a student-centered instructional strategy. Launched last year for class 5 students in all 60 residential schools in this tribal district, educators say the project has helped to bridge the gap in learning outcomes after the Covid pandemic kept children out of schools for nearly two years. The Tribal Development Project Office in Nandurbar has now decided to extend the project to include classes 2 to 7.
• A baseline assessment conducted with help from the NGO Pratham revealed a huge learning loss. It all began with helping teachers identify where their class stood.
• With the baseline assessment report at hand, teachers knew that their class had students with different learning levels and that they couldn't teach everybody in the same manner.
• This was followed by a breaking up of the traditional seating arrangements, with teachers forming smaller groups. For instance, Shital Hande, a teacher at a school in Kochara in the district's Shahada taluk, has divided her class into three groups to cater to students at different learning levels: those who could identify letters, words, and sentences.
• The groups were then presented with challenges to help bridge the learning gaps revealed in the baseline tests.
• The goal of the project was to create a student peer group and then handhold them as they interact with other as part of their learning process.
• Besides the baseline test, the evaluation process involves a 'mid-level progress' and n 'end-line progress' that teachers conducted. These two evaluations were deliberately called "progress" and not "tests" to avoid pressure on teachers that would have possibly led to fudging of data.
• While for baseline and mid-level evaluations, teachers from nearby Zilla Parishad schools were invited.
• After the baseline test reports, which showed where each student stood in terms of expected learning outcomes, days were dedicated to implementing remedial teaching based on peer challenges in a class. 
• After the mid-level progress, teachers had more clarity on the learning levels of their students. At this stage, teachers, too are encouraged to learn from each other by way of sharing experiences or solving one another's problems. This led to another round of remedial teaching in classrooms, where students were motivated to help each other learn.
• Finally, the end-line progress was conducted and that showed tremendous progress in the pilot project. There were instances when children helped each other. Teachers developed challenges based on the skills of students. For example, a child who was good at multiplication was given the challenge to make it simpler for those in class who were struggling with it. This completely changes the way a class traditionally runs.

5. The Outcome

• According to the data provided by the Tribal Development Project Office, the baseline test showed that only 20 percent of class 5 students in the District's Ashramshalas could read an entire story and 14 percent were still at beginner level, with no ability to identify letters, at the end of 55 days of the project, 41 percent students could read an entire story, with no one left at the beginner level.
• Karnwal says that at a time when schools are given fancy kits and encouraged to start smart classes, the Nandurbar teachers devised their own creative teaching learning material (TLM) using sand, pebbles, electrical wires, ropes, and handmade cards.

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