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Indian Institute of Management – Ahmedabad (IIM-A)
Post Graduate Program Students’ Exposure Visit to
Chaitanya School and Sajeevta Foundation
Collaboration for Inclusive Learning
7th December 2013, at Chaitanya School, Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Innovation for Inclusive Learning
Collaboration for Innovation in Inclusive Learning
Chaitanya School and the Sajeevta Foundation have
been working together since 2012 to create inclusive
learning for children of different backgrounds in
Gandhinagar, Gujarat’s capital city. In 2012 the Sree
Vidya Niketan Trust, who manages Chaitanya School
decided to precede the implementation of the Right to
Education Act (RTE) by enrolling children of
economically weaker sections (EWS) for inclusive
learning at Chaitanya School.
The Sajeevta Foundation, a registered not-for-profit
company, works through learning mentors to create an
inclusive learning environment with the school
management, teachers, families and children. The
inclusive learning is for children of all backgrounds to
be educated with the value of learning through
interactions that represent the country’s socio-
economic diversity, and for all to be prepared to
succeed in life. At the neighbourhood study centre
each student has 20 hours a week of academic and
mentoring sessions. At Chaitanya School, inclusive
learning is a sustained practice for 30 teachers and
over 400 students. The Sajeevta Foundation has run
workshops for teachers and management as well as in-
classroom demonstration to strengthen an internal
innovation team to lead practice appropriate for the
needs of all students.
This experiment in Gujarat’s capital shows how private
schools can contribute to developing inclusive
education, as needed by the majority of India’s children
and not just for the privileged few. Widening financial
inequality in India is paired with an inequitable
education system where the wealthy afford high-fee
private schools and the poorest enrol in public schools
where completion rates are only around 50%. The
Right to Education (RTE) law aspires for India to have
the world’s largest public-funded inclusive learning
initiative in private schools, bringing children of
economically weaker sections alongside wealthier
peers. The implementation of the law gives private
schools a responsibility that is not well defined: to
integrate and teach children of the lowest income
groups who typically are first-generation learners
without family support for learning.
There is an urgent need for proven and scalable
systems to be shared across India’s private schools
that can ensure students of all backgrounds learn well.
The density of quality resources and professionals in
high-fee private schools is a ready environment to
innovate inclusive teaching. Chaitanya School and the
Sajeevta Foundation have developed systems for
inclusive learning through a mentoring program
situated in the neighbourhood and a teacher training
program based in the school. The goal is to innovate
inclusive learning systems that make success in life not
dependent on the wealth of the family a child is born to,
but for all children to have opportunity to succeed.
Elizabeth Koshy, Director of Chaitanya School addressing the
IIM-A PGP students on synchronicity and fundamental principles
needed for successful collaboration.
Gautam Patel, co-founder of the Sajeevta Foundation presenting
details of India’s education system and a scalable approach for
inclusive learning.
IIM-A Exposure Visit to Study the Socio-Cultural Environment of
Business
The exposure visit for IIM-A Post-Graduate Program year one (PGP-I) students is to learn about Chaitanya School and Sajeevta Foundation’s collaboration for Innovation in Inclusive Learning. This is part of the IIM-A course titled ‘Socio-Cultural Environment of Business’ (SCEB). The aims of the SCEB course is to make the IIM-A students aware of various facets of public life that impinge on business in direct and not so direct ways so as to make them better managers, business leaders and citizens.
Interaction through CV making
To ensure the exposure visit was interactive for IIM-A students and an active learning experience for Chaitanya School students a CV Creating task was designed for the thirty IIM-A students to each work with two Chaitanya students. The learning goals were:
To learn how to create a Curriculum Vitae: this is the Latin term for course of one’s life. The IIM-A students were to bring a copy of their own CV as a model example.
To learn what makes an IIM-A student successful learner, by asking questions about their CV details
To reflect on what is needed for your future CV so that you can make your dreams come true. This was a reflection task for students to think about their own personal learning goals.
Instructions and a CV making format were given to each student (see annexes for the full-size formats):
Aspirations of Chaitanya Students
Over one hundred Chaitanya students of classes 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 interacted with the thirty IIM-A students and each of
the Chaitanya students wrote about their learning and the future aspirations. A selection of what was written is given
below:
About learning About future aspirations
The visit to the Surya Press was illuminating and interesting as we learned how books are printed, cut and bound together.
Constructed a model of land and water pollution.
Reading story books makes me happy.
I like Karate because of self-defence.
I like chess because my brain is very sharp in chess.
I enjoyed the dance of Dasavatar as it gave knowledge about ten avatars of Vishnu.
I like reading literature because it is the most useful and mind freshing hobby.
I liked to learn about why we fall ill.
To open any electrical thing gives me excitement.
I like Mathematics and algebra.
We visited the Surya Press. It was a nice visit because it is a nice thing to know about the books we read today and how it is printed.
I like collecting plants and leaves and I learn about Science.
I like gardening as I feel light and peace when I do gardening.
I got the award of best model maker in 2013 when I made the model of hydraulic energy.
I want to be a Doctor to save others life.
I want to become and IAS or an IPS officer because I can help a person who is having problems. I can solve their problems.
I want to change the mind of people against corruption and I want to spread health and education awareness. I want to win awards as the best officer and environmentalist.
My dream job is police officer because I like police officer job. I want to get awards in my police officer job.
Feedback from IIM-A Students
There was an interactive discussion at the very end of the visit, after which the IIM-A students wrote down their
feedback and impressions of the exposure of the inclusive learning collaboration between Chaitanya School and the
Sajeevta Foundation, some of the feedback is listed here:
Impressed with the methods of pedagogy for ensuring participation of each and every student of the class in the process of learning.
I was blown away by the enthusiasm, knowledge, communication skills and general aptitude of the students.
I was most impressed with the dedication and determination for the cause of inclusive learning.
I was most impressed with the diversity of economic and social backgrounds in the classrooms.
The methods of taking direct feedback from all children in classrooms.
I really like the methods used to implement the all-class response systems and differentiated teaching.
The ways devised to teaching children from zero level to meaningful communication is commendable. A lot of effort has been put into this noble cause, this is highly inspirational.
The quality of facilities and exposure provided by the school including the chess class, field trips and experiments.
Annexures:
1. Schedule for exposure visit, 7th December 2013
2. CV-making instructions for students
3. CV-making formats for students
Exposure visit for IIM-A PGP-I Students
Chaitanya School and Sajeevta Foundation’s Collaboration for Innovation in Inclusive Learning
Schedule for Saturday 7th December
The exposure visit for IIM-A Post-Graduate Program year one (PGP-I) students is to learn about Chaitanya School and Sajeevta
Foundation’s collaboration for Innovation in Inclusive Learning. This is part of the IIM-A course titled ‘Socio-Cultural Environment
of Business’ (SCEB). The aims of the SCEB course is to make the IIM-A students aware of various facets of public life that
impinge on business in direct and not so direct ways so as to make them better managers, business leaders and citizens.
Time Activity Logistics
10:00 Director’s welcome to Chaitanya School Activity Hall, Chaitanya School, Lekawada
10:30 Presentation on Inclusive Learning Initiative: collaboration between
Chaitanya School and Sajeevta Foundation
Question and Answer session
Activity Hall
11:00
Interaction between Students of IIM-A and Chaitanya School (standards: 5 and 6):
Working groups of two IIM-A students with four Chaitanya students
IIM-A students will present their CVs as model examples.
Chaitanya students will prepare a CV of their educational performance and a Dream CV (format will be given)
Chaitanya students will then return to their classes
Activity room, Vidhyavihar
11:35
Interaction between Students of IIM-A and Chaitanya School (standards: 7, 8 and 9):
13:00 Lunch for IIM-A students Activity room, Vidhyavihar
14:00 Interactive session on Inclusive Learning Initiative with IIM-A students. Activity room, Vidhyavihar
14:30 Depart from Chaitanya
School Lekawada
Interaction with IIM-A students for CV creating
Instructions for Chaitanya students:
Learning goals are:
How to create your own Curriculum Vitae: Latin for course of one’s life.
What had made an IIM-A student successful: see their CV.
What will you need to make your dreams come true: think about what you have to achieve now to get where you want to be in ten years’ time.
You have one period to complete the following four tasks:
Time for the task Tasks to complete:
5 minutes 1. Introduce yourself to your group and find about the other members of your group.
10 minutes 2. Ask the IIM-A students about their CV: use Why? and How? and Where? and Who? and What next? questions.
10 minutes 3. Use the format on the other side of this page to make your own CV. Ask the IIM students to help you with this.
10 minutes
4. If you complete the first three tasks then take a blank sheet of A4 paper and begin making your Dream CV for what you hope to achieve by the year 2023 (ten years from now). You should write on this dates and details of:
The address you dream to live at.
The exam results you dream to work for.
The college you dream to get admission at.
The university you dream to get admission at.
The job you dream to have.
The awards you dream to win.
Please submit your work before the end of the period.
Curriculum Vitae
Your Name
Address line 1 Address line 2 Address line 3 Address line 4
Mobile Number Email address
Education:
Chaitanya School (mm/yyyy to current) Standard X to Y
Give details of most recent exam results. List your favourite subjects. Write about the best piece of work you produced this year. Write about which lesson you enjoyed most. Write about your favourite school trip.
Name of previous school (mm/yyyy to mm/yyyy) Standard X to Y
Name of previous school (mm/yyyy to mm/yyyy) Standard X to Y
Awards - list the awards here and write the reason you won, example: 1st prize for best Rangoli: I practiced at home first. 2nd prize for Karate: we have Karate lessons at school every Wednesday. Hobbies and interests - list your hobbies here and give the reason you enjoy them, example: Cycling: makes me healthy. Collecting old coins: I learn about history.