What we do

FAQ

What do children do upon completion of the three year Ekal Vidyalaya curriculum?

Graduates from the EV program often chose one of three options:

• Formal government schooling
• Continue private primary schooling
• An Ekal Vidyalaya weekly refresher class

The government boasts extensive and functional schools. What is the need for an Ekal Vidyalaya?

• Government teachers face cultural, work schedule, and linguistic barriers.
• Students cannot / do not attend primary education centers.
• Ekal Vidyalaya supplements formal education at such locations
• Ekal Vidyalaya imparts moral values

How is Ekal Vidyalaya different from other development organizations?

• Comprehensive village development approach
• Local empowerment
• Emphasis on self sufficiency
• A true movement with a goal of 100,000 schools
• Nation-wide network
• Concept is based on mass voluntarism
• Youth and female involvement
• Complete transparency and accountability
• Maximum donation reaches the grassroots level

How does the imparted education help to develop a people and a community?

• Promotes further education
• Builds children's and villagers' self-confidence
• Boosts self-respect
• Creates an impulse to further develop community
• Prevents exploitation

How does Ekal Vidyalaya manage to run on such a minimal budget? How is my donation used to run an Ekal Vidyalaya?

• Low administrational overhead
  • Below 10 percent
• Few capital costs
  • Minimal teacher's honorarium
  • Minimal worker's honorarium
  • Volunteerism
  • Teaching aids
• Support of the villagers and surrounding area
  • Conceptually
  • Financially

Donation Package - US $365 (INR 20,000) per School per Annum

Heading	Header	In %
a. School Working	1. Honorarium & Training of Teachers	72
	2. Teaching Material	10
	3. Training of Master Trainers	6
	4. R&D and Contingency	2
	Total	90
b. Administration	1. Project level area	3
	2. State level	4
	3. National level	3
	Total	10
Grand Total		100

As workers and committees are not financially motivated, what drives them to persist?

• Working for their OWN community.
• Educating THEIR people
• Preventing exploitation
• A voluntary attitude
• Service of one's country

As the average teacher could be even below a tenth-grade, high school graduate, how is he or she qualified to teach an Ekal Vidyalaya?

Upon finding a capable, potential teacher, a series of training sessions assure that the teacher is thoroughly qualified.

• 5-Days Preliminary 'Prathamik Varg'
  • Timing - Before school is started
  • Activities - Prepare an initial lesson plan
  • Goals - Understand responsibilities and potential
    • Basic direction
    • Impart a basic understanding of the EV concept
• 10 Days (2* 5 days) Practical 'Abhyas Varg'
  • Timing - Three months after school starts and every 6 months thereafter.
  • Activities - Study the Multi-grade concept
    • Language and mathematic basics
    • Games, stories, and other non-formal methods
  • Goals -
    • Advanced training
    • Recharges the teachers' energy
• 2 Days Monthly Practical 'Masik Abhyas Varg'
• Timing - Monthly meeting
• Activities -
  • Share experiences
  • Discuss problems, hurdles, and successes
  • Update monthly lesson plan
• Goals - Refresh what was learned at the 10 Day Practical 'Abhyas Varg.'

How can one teacher handle three different class and grade levels?

• Multi-grade teaching
• A heavily researched and studied education technique
• Used by dozens of developing countries
• Students are grouped by ability and grade level
  • Three such groups constitute an Ekal Vidyalaya
• Such small groups are conducive to learning
• Requires a qualified teacher, motivated students, and a supportive parental and community backbone
• Support from the community
• Parental support
  • Through children attendance
  • Constant enquiring
• Assistant teacher support
  • A supporting youth will help manage the classes
• Village committee support
  • Monitored progress

How can a teacher contribute to village development?

• Ekal Vidyalaya looks to develop a village through:
  • Primary education
  • Health Education
  • Village Development
  • People Empowerment
• In the health education concept, we aim to impart:
  • Health education
  • Preventive measures
  • Mother-child care
  • Curative treatment of general diseases
  • A referral service for serious cases