TARANG – A STEP TOWARDS COMPLETE EDUCATION

VSAI’s Tarang is an afternoon school, which seeks to encourage improved exposure to literacy and foster all round development of the less privileged children. The Tarang programme provides quality remedial and ssupplementary education through activity-based learning, personality and skill development as well as computer training. A variety of activities such as pottery and candle making, screen-printing, paper-making, cloth bag-making, tailoring, embroidery, and art classes are being routinely offered.

Our target group are children ranging from age 5 to 15 who are divided into groups not so much by age as by physical competence levels and by the level of prior exposure to literacy. (Some of our children have no previous exposure to literacy).
By offering remedial learning equivalent to Class 1 through Class VI, Tarang enables children to stay in formal school and complete their education rather than drop out. The vocational training provided to the Ekta group combines learning with earning to make the children more confident of their ability and to foster self-reliance.

One of the more popular vocational activities is sewing. Initially, the training in sewing was of six months but after observing how the trainees were progressing, a decision was taken to introduce new sewing programme. Consequently from April 2008, VSAI has started a one-year stitching programme.

Experience has taught us that all vocational training must lead to income generation. Only then do the families fully appreciate and support the training activity. While offering this income generating vocational training to the older children and youth who have dropped out from formal schooling, VSAI has made it mandatory for them to attend the functional education classes. VSAI is also tapping all venues to market their products together with those of our special children.

The response of children and their parents to the school has been phenomenal. Beginning in the first year with just 10 students, Tarang now has about 120 children. Their excellent performance in the school examinations and their great enthusiasm to learn arts and crafts as well as income generating skills provides strong evidence to VSAI to continue and grow the Tarang programme, and further diversify its curriculum.

ALL CONTENT COPYRIGHT OF VERY SPECIAL ARTS OF INDIA, NEW DELHI, 2009