The delivery of our teacher training programme has been maintained over the last two years despite the challenges introduced by Covid, ensuring teachers were ready as soon as lengthy closures ended. Having delivered their teaching through radio programmes, home working books and home visits, the teachers are happy to be in front of the classroom again!
We recently completed a four-classroom block at Tapethok School enabling them to embark upon the Multi Grade Multi Level (MGML) teaching, a new initiative taught on our Teacher Training Programme, which allows pupils to work through a succession of modules at their own speed and encourages them to support each other in their learning. This new style of teaching was piloted successfully at Deurali and is now being extended to other schools. It’s proving particularly successful in the aftermath of Covid.
Other areas we have focussed on to improve the educational standard in Taplejung are nutrition and hygiene standards in school buildings. You may remember the lunch box initiative resulted in improved concentration and higher attendance (see our blog) and we are pleased to say that we have now been able to provide lunchboxes to all current pupils in our area.
We have also been able to refurbish the Girl’s Hostel at Lelep where the girls from remote communities that attend Lelep’s secondary school stay during term time. The facilities were inadequate and unhygienic. The hostel now has a solar powered shower, new bunk-beds, bookshelves, shoe racks, curtains, electricity, fresh drinking water and a garden area. Our own experience with Covid in this country has taught us that your learning environment influences your ability to develop and respond to what you are being taught, so we are confident these improved facilities will improve the girls’ academic abilities and their enjoyment of education. The remaining work concerns the improvement of the kitchen areas.
Following the destruction of Rani School by a landslide in June 2020, we have rebuilt the school and ensured that it is protected from further landslides.
Work to improve the educational standards in Taplejung never stops and with your continued support we have plans to:
- Build a new kitchen and dining facility at the Lelep girls’ hostel, replacing the grim facility that exists today.
- Ensure that bright children have access to further education through a scholarship programme.
- Ensure all children as they approach school leaving age have access to a vocational course that will lead to earning opportunities within the communities.
- Create reading camps, giving children the opportunity to explore books and enhance their reading/learning potential.
