Training of Sishu Sikha Kendra (SSK) Teachers at BSSK, South 24 Parganas from 12 -14 Sep,2010

        On 11th July, 2010 our Primary staff, Prosanto, Gopal and Julkalam gave Phase-I training to the govt primary school teachers of two gram panchayat( GP) at Baikunthapur Sishu Seva Kendra (BSSK), South 24 Parganas. That training session was jointly organized by the BSSK and the two local Gram Panchayats (Maipit Bikanthapur GP, Gurguria Bhubaneswari GP ). The BSSK managing body and the Panchayat officials were so impressed by that training programme, they requested the SSK ( Shishu Shiksha Kendras – the govt of West Bengal’s alternative primary schools ) teachers of these two Gram Panchayats to visit Swanivar to see our schools. On 2nd September, 2010, the BSSK officials informed us that a group of SSK teachers would come to see our schools on 11th September and they would also visit some the local govt primary schools and SSK where we had been giving various inputs and we classified them as A grade . They would also meet with some the government Primary teachers.

        But 11th September,2010 was EID and their exposure visit was cancelled as all the schools would remain closed on that day. In that situation, the BSSK officials requested our primary supervisor, Prosanto to organize a training session for these SSK teachers at BSSK.
        But before the training , BSSK officials and the Pradhans of Maipit Bikanthapur and Gurguria Bhubaneswari Gram Panchayats, SSK supervisor and SSK teachers sat for a meeting at BSSK office. BSSK management told them that they were going to organize that training session and would bear all the expenses . But there were three conditions
       i) the training would be strictly residential – as they had seen in most of the cases the trainees failed to reach in time ii) There would be a joint action team consisting BSSK official, SSK supervisor, Panchayat representatives who would carry out the monitoring and follow ups after the training iii) SSK teachers would use maximum number of TLMs ( Work Cards and other Teaching Aids ) ) in the class room. All of these conditions were accepted by the Panchayats and the SSK supervisors and teachers.
      On 12th September our training team (Prosanto, Gopal, Julkalam) went to BSSK for the Phase-I training of the SSK teachers. 37 SSK teachers from 19 SSKs and 6 BSSK staff took Phase-I training on Bengali, Mathematics, Art & Crafts ( Class I and II levels ) There were special sessions on TLM making and as a result lots of TLMs were made by the SSK teachers. The training ended on 14th September, 2010.
      Some of the SSK teachers were so inspired that they requested our trainers to visit their schools and were confident of using TLMs in their classes. Some of the teachers were very innovative and showd impressive creativity in Art & craft session. At the end of the training the SSK supervisor also expressed his gratitude to us and requested us and the BSSK officials to organize Phase-II training as soon as possible.

Nilangshu