Education Creating an Enabling School Environment

Creating an Enabling School Environment

We help upgrade the infrastructure, and other resources, at government schools to create a better learning environment for children.

WASH Facilities

We ensure that each school has adequate sanitation facilities, including boys’ and girls’ toilets and proper hand washing stations and educate children on the need for proper sanitation and hygiene. We also ensure every school has potable water via the promotion of RRWHS, RO or filtration systems. Sanitary vending machines and incinerators are installed in middle and high schools to support menstrual hygiene.

BaLA Painting as Learning Aid

We transform school walls into learning aids by creating educational BaLA paintings which help reinforce learning and generate creative, colorful school learning environments.

Mini Science Lab for STEM Learning

We install Mini Science Centres (MSC) in schools to promote and support STEM learning. The ‘plug and play’ models help students to understanding various science and maths concepts, so that they are not just ‘memorising’ concepts, but understanding and retaining them.

Digital Classroom

Under SMART School Development Projects, we have established 80 Digital Classrooms to enhance learning through the use of interactive audio visual aids.

Quality Infrastructure

We upgrade infrastructure in schools to ensure quality sanitation blocks, drinking water facilities, library facilities with reading corner and BaLA painting – with the aim to provide a conducive environment for learning among children.

Parental Participation

Involvement of parents is a major focus at ACF for the development of school children. We ensure their inputs across interventions and generate awareness so that parents support children at home in adopting hygiene practices, practicing reading and writing and adopting exercise as a part of daily life.

MACRO IMPACT

278+

Schools & Anganwadis supported

80

schools with sanitary pad vending machines

135

schools conducting water testing

2,50,000+

students benefitted through Digital Classrooms

9

locations with Mini science centre under STEM learning

86

schools transformed through baLA painting

IMPACT STORIES

rural sanitation and hygiene

WASH facilities strengthened

WASH activities were rolled out across all locations. The major focus was on infrastructure support for sanitation and drinking water stations; support for menstrual hygiene among adolescents through IEC materials and peer educators; and water quality testing for 30 schools in 4 locations. Under the new HRDP project in Varanasi (UP), 45 primary schools are under repair, and maintenance of WASH facilities, including drinking water stations and toilets, is being undertaken. 50 schools installed incineration and sanitary vending machines in Varanasi, HRDP. Hand washing sessions were conducted in 46 schools and reached 10,000 students.

rural school infrastructure

A New look to Education Infrastructure

Primary Education is every child’s basic human right. But in Saidpura of Roorkee, school infrastructure was so poor that parents would refuse to send their children to school. There were no desks and chairs, no proper education materials, and a lack of sanitation facilities hindered participation by children, especially girls. Taking up the matter, ACF improved the conditions of 20 primary government schools in Roorkee and Haridwar - providing SMART class equipment, investing in school repairs and also building toilet facilities for the children. Students, teachers and parents were thrilled with the transformation. Additionally, mid-day meals were provided, BaLa paintings and Teacher Learning Materials.

capacity building of teachers

Tackling Teacher Absenteeism with ‘Balmitras’

Walk into rural government schools, and you will often find a number of the teachers ‘absent’ from the classroom. In fact, according to Pratham’s ASER study, before the pandemic, approximately 30%, or roughly one in three teachers, were found to be absent on any given day in rural areas. The cost to children is the loss of their education and future potential. To tackle this rising problem, ACF placed ‘Balmitras’ (Friend of the Children) in Government classrooms – assisting children in the classroom, driving activity-based learning, promoting health and hygiene, and promoting grooming, safety and awareness.

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rural iso certified schools

ISO Accreditation Boosts Education in Rural Schools

To date, ACF has helped 15 Zilla Parishad Schools and 15 Anganwadis become ISO Certified in Chandrapur District - boosting education outcomes in these rural schools. In Chandrapur, Maharashtra, lack of training learning materials and poor teaching quality meant that schools were graded 'C or D' level by the District and State Boards of Primary and Secondary Education. ACF decided to turn this grading around, with a focus on fulfilling basic requirements like improving infrastructure, introducing digital components through Balmitra support and providing capacity building programs like training, workshops and exposure visits.

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