Area of work > BEP
Growth of Development
No of childrens covered under BEP
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No of schools covered under BEP
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BEP(Bandhan Education Program)
While operating Micro Credit in the rural as well
as urban areas of West Bengal it has been observed that a considerable
number of children within the age group of 8-14 yrs have been deprived of
the rights and opportunity of getting primary education.
Simultaneously, 90% of children enrolled in primary schools are dependent
on private tuitions, thereby leading to significant income leakage from
the poor families.
With a view to bring about a distinct improvement in
this regard, Bandhan decided to introduce Non Formal Education Program (Primary).
Through this program, Bandhan strives to complement the Government's primary education
system with the objective of creating a low cost educational model, thereby aiming to ensure
that all poor children in a community receive primary educational facilities. The program also
aims to ensure 100% attendance of students enrolled in the schools and reduce their 100%
dependence on private tutors. This led to the setting up of 10 schools in South 24 Parganas
in West Bengal, India in February 2008.
Through this program, Bandhan establishes small schools
which have up to 33 students, who are taught by an educational facilitator.
The facilitators are selected from the community itself. The facilitator's
duty is to ensure that these children successfully pass grades I through IV.
The objective is to teach the same curricula that take four years to teach in
Government schools, in three years.
Basic Features
- Child-centered and joyful methods of teaching are introduced in the class.
- School timings are flexible and short. It's ensured that children complete all their homework within the school timings.
- There are very few holidays declared by the schools.
- Parent -teacher meetings are held every month.
- Committees are formed comprising of Bandhan's members, community people, parents, teachers and school staff. The committees play an instrumental role on impart of quality education to children.
Till date, Bandhan has established 60 such schools in West Bengal ,
which educate 1980 students by employing 60 educational facilitators.
This program is financed by the honorarium that
Mr. Chandra Shekhar Ghosh receives as Senior Ashoka Fellow.
