Tiny tots learn thru' fun
Proteeva project prepares them as better learners before formal schooling
Learning and play are synonymous at Proteeva project-run pre-primary schools meant for underprivileged children. Photo: STAR
Around 25 children, aged between four and six years, got themselves engaged in joyful interactions and games in a corrugated iron sheet made room at Mollapara village in Dakkhin Rajason area under Savar municipality in Dhaka district. They were learning, without any formal schooling, basics of literacy and numeracy as well as widening familiarity with their surroundings. The centre is one of 1260 such settings meant for pre-primary education (PPE) under Proteeva, a project of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education aiming at 'promoting talent through early education' across the country. Funded by USAID and run in partnership with Save the Children and five non-governmental organisations, the project is meant for bringing children, especially those from underprivileged classes, under PPE to give them a suitable background for formal schooling. During a visit to the centre at Mollapar on Wednesday, this correspondent saw the children happily immersed in work, quite different from typical classroom lessons, either individually or in groups. Some were pointing to names and pictures of birds, fruits and flowers and vegetables, some counting marks of dots and sticks on boards, some moving their fingers on lines representing common geometrical figures like circles, squares and triangles while a few others building models of houses, bridges and towers with plastic blocks. "These kids are learning through play. You can't expect them to follow strict rules of a classroom. They are too young for that," said Shirin Sultana, who is in charge of supervising 10 centres meant for PPE in Savar. Asked who can count from 1 to 10, several learners responded positively. Four-year-old Abul Hasan was prompt enough to start and continue pronouncing numbers in Bangla, simultaneously marking 10 fingers of hands in quick succession. Then he did the same with English numbers. A learner recited a poem while another demonstrated a few physical exercises they do during their assembly. Sajib, a speech impaired orphan, could hardly respond to queries. His facial expression, however, showed he too liked the learning environment, in the company of other kids of his age. When the centre was opened early last month, Nazma Begum joined there as the lone teacher. "I read up to class ten in Dhaka. My desire for higher education remained unfulfilled. Now I am living with my husband in this area. When I got the proposal to join the centre, I readily agreed. The three hours I spend here daily passes nicely. I enjoy helping kids learn through amusement," said a beaming Nazma. "After hearing about the plan to set up a kids' learning centre under Proteeva project in this area, I decided to allow using a room on the premises of my house for the purpose free of cost," said local resident Shahnaz Begum, also a teacher of Haji Hatem Ali High School in the area. "We believe that pre-primary education through joyful interactions will help children feel at ease with school environment. With familiarity and understanding of alphabet, common words, counting and some aspects of their surroundings, they will learn better and faster when they come for formal schooling," said Zillur Rahman, headmaster of Rajmahal Non-government Primary School that also houses another centre meant for pre-primary education in the area.
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