Roshan Tara Schools Project : It felt strong enough to initiate its first school at Hala, a small town near Bhitshah. This pilot project was launched by mobilising local human and material resources. The school was named Roshan Tara School. The project was an instant success. People were looking for an institution, which could provide better education at affordable cost. Classes in the Roshan Tara School range between kindergarten to secondary level. The medium of instruction are Sindhi but English is taught as a compulsory subject from the very beginning. Encouraged by the response, the SGA opened more schools in the following years. The Association is currently running 24 Roshan Tara Schools across the Sindh. Viz: Gulshan-e-Hadeed I and II, Sachal Goth, Bachal Goth, Phulji Station, Badin, Hala, Khipro, Sehwan, Dadu, Ghotki, Pano Aqil, Mehar, Mehrabpur, Johi, Jarwar, Kaloi, Bhan Syedabad, Kashmore, Gadap, Mirpur Khas and Talhar. The most striking feature of all these schools is that (a) all Roshan Tara Schools are co-educational and (b) more than 75 per cent of the teachers are females, even in the small towns where cultural barriers and norms prevent women from taking active part in development activities. This was made possible owing to the SGA’s strong community roots and its credibility, which the Association has earned through its development work over the years. The standard of education in the Roshan Tara Schools (RTS) varies. While there has been no formal achievement test to compare student performance at Roshan Tara Schools with those at government schools, field observations reveal a sharp contrast between the standard of comprehension and understanding of subjects over a range of classes in the RTS versus government schools. Some of these schools have their own premises, modest but decent buildings, while others are housed in rented premises. Tuition and other fees are determined locally and are area-specific, ranging between Rs 200 to Rs 500 per month. Scholarships in the form of tuition waivers, free books and uniforms are provided to ten per cent of promising students. Organizationally, Roshan Tara Schools have a three-tier management system: at school level by principal; at branch level by Roshan Tara School Management Committee headed by the nominee of Branch Management Committee (BMC) and assisted by a member (BMC), a representative of parents, a prominent educationist of the area and principal of the school as member secretary. At the central level the Central Roshan Tara Schools Management Committee (CRTSMC) headed by Secretary Education of the Association is looking into the affairs of these schools.
Posted on: Tue, 26 Nov 2013 05:39:13 +0000
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