CB BureauThe ‘Back to Learn’ initiative is being run in partnership between MG Motor India and Save the Children and primarily focuses on online teaching classes and safe returning to schools for girl children. It includes reaching out to parents of girls who have dropped out of school, and also starting community ‘paathshalas’ with social distancing to enable the girls to resume studies. Mobile audiovisual vans will be used to further promote the campaign amongst the local communities in Delhi.
As per the press release shared with CauseBecause, the programme will ensure upgradation of database of children in SDMC schools, distribution of education kits and sports kits, and online and offline psychosocial support to school staff. Other activities include enrichment of school libraries and introduction of a ‘WASH package’ as schools reopen.
Speaking on the programme, Rajeev Chaba, president and managing director, MG Motor India, said, ‘MG and Save the Children began their association in 2020 with the aim of empowering marginalised girls through quality education. The “Back to Learn†initiative further takes our partnership forward by helping girl children enrol back in to school and not get engaged in other work such as household work. We continue to work with various NGOs and other partners in the field of education.’
Responding to CB’s queries on the impact-assessment parameters for this initiative, the spokesperson for Save the Children informs that these will be a) the number of girls provided with home-based learning support and b) the number of girls re-enrolled in schools once they reopen.
The spokespersons further explains: ‘As schools reopen, a strong, community-led back-to-learn campaign is needed. This is vital to ensure that progress made on universal access to education is not lost. Special attention should be paid to ensuring that lack of space and challenges in applying physical distancing does not lead to some girls being discriminated against and dropping out as a result. Special efforts will need to be made to ensure that those girls who were already out of school prior to the crisis are brought into school.’