Many research studies published before COVID-19 show that a significant percentage of children studying in Government schools do not have grade appropriate skills and competencies. With limited support from parents to supplement children’s learning at home, teachers are the primary source of guidance. As a result, it is imperative to find alternative solutions to address the gaps in learning outcomes for students. Starting in 2020, COVID-19 has significantly worsened the situation. ILP and partner organizations have seen that children have fallen further behind in their learning outcomes and reading skills compared to the pre-COVID times. Studies by other NGOs and the government are also reiterating the same.

During COVID-19, schools had to be closed, opened and closed again due to the multiple waves of the pandemic. This is leading to more learning loss, especially among marginalized communities where older children are moving to work, and where girls especially are being pulled into domestic chores. Even as schools are reopening now, children are having very low motivation levels to come back to learning because of the long time away from school.

In April 2021, ILP started a new initiative focused on learning amongst children through community-based interventions even if schools remain closed for an extended period of time. This initiative consists of Village Learning Centers (VLCs) that are managed by village level volunteers called the Vidya Saathis (VS). ILP understands that it will not be practical to recreate the full functionality of a school in a community-based setting. So, we are focussing on one specific aspect: To improve the Foundational Literacy & Numeracy Program (FLN) for children in Grades 1 to 5.

What is a Village Learning Center (VLC)?

A VLC is a space that is set up in the community for the children to attend in order to improve their learning levels. A VLC is set up in a suitable place identified in consultation with the local community, leaders and parents. The space for the VLC location is set up through local contributions. Each VLC will typically have 25-30 children registered and attending regularly.

Who is a Vidya Saathi (VS)?

Vidya Saathis (i.e., Friends for Education) are village level volunteers that ILP Partners actively recruit and train. Vidya Saathis are responsible for the day-to-day management of the VLCs, and to teach children to improve their Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN). Vidya Saathis engage with all the children assigned to their VLC in a child-friendly and safe manner, and ensure that the children are actively engaged in various learning activities. Where schools have reopened, Vidya Saathis are supplementing the efforts of teachers and parents to ensure that all children are in school, attending regularly and learning well. Every Vidya Saathi is continuously guided by ILP’s NGO Partners throughout the year. 

Progress So Far

1. Recruited over 800 Vidya Saathis that are currently operating as many VLCs.
2. Provided well-curated teaching materials to the Vidya Saathis to teach in the VLCs.
3. Completed baseline learning level assessments for over 22,000 students in Grades 1 to 5.
4. Established the FLN goals to be achieved within 2 years of starting a VLC

What’s Next

1. Conduct endline assessments in March and April this year to understand and quantify the improvement made in the recent months. 
2. Add VLCs in more villages in the next academic year.
3. Conduct additional training for all the Vidya Saathis

ILP’s goal is to achieve our Foundational Literacy & Numeracy goals within 2 years of starting a VLC. And we have started strongly in this journey.