Free-of-cost Online Schooling for the Underprivileged Children

Korvi Rakshand — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 10:11:08 +0000

Has your project been replicated/adapted elsewhere?:

What lessons can others learn from your project? (max. 1500 characters):

In the online schooling method, the geographical distance between students and teachers is being covered easily with the use of simple software that enables synchronous learning for students who are otherwise deprived of quality education.
The project has proposed a solution to the illiteracy in the geographically disadvantaged area of Bangladesh. Using the online school method and expertise, one can easily replicate the method in any country where similar geographical barrier create obstacles while ensuring quality education for all. Especially, marginalized and underprivileged children can be brought under the light of education and thus giving them a tool for breaking the cycle of poverty.

The project also an example of youth initiative that encourage the youth of Bangladesh or any other country to motivate each other for a good cause to ensure social justice and equal opportunity for all.

Are you available to help others to start or work on similar projects?:

Yes

Organization Name:

JAAGO Foundation

Organization Type:

Other

What is the full duration of your project (from beginning to end)?:

From 1 to 3 years

What is the approximate total budget for your project (in Euro)?:

From 75.001 to 500.000 Euro

What is the source of funding for your project?:

Grants

Is your project economically self sufficient now?:

Since when?:

2014-05-30 22:00:00

When is it expected to become self-sufficient?:

2015-05-30 22:00:00

Education up to 10 years

http://www.jaago.com.bd/schooling/online-school

Do you authorize the FMD to the treatment of your personal data?:

I do authorize the FMD to the use of my personal data.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES:
The project has the following objectives…
1. To provide international standard education to the unprivileged student living in remote rural areas of Bangladesh who are otherwise deprived of quality education.
2. To train and develop skilled teachers and moderator so that they can use multimedia while teaching students even in traditional schools.
3. To equip poor and marginalized children with education and life skills so that they can break the cycle of poverty and live a meaningful life.
4. To develop interactive contents that develops children’s analytical and vocational skills. The contents will be suitable for online schooling and also interesting for children.
INSTRUMENT USED IN THE PROJECT
The mechanisms behind the ‘JAAGO Online School’ are fairly simple yet effective. A rural classroom of Bangladesh is connected to a teacher in Dhaka via video conferencing technology and internet. The classes are run in the physical presence of two facilitators in rural areas and another teacher who takea class online through WEBEX system from JAAGO’s teaching center in Dhaka.
The current software used for this form of schooling is WebEx which is an interactive and professional video conferencing software aimed at making the learning process communicative and interactive even with the virtual presence of its remote learners.
The program contains interactive whiteboard, slide-sharing and video-sharing features and combines a sketch-board to acquaint the students with alphabets through just a stroke from its virtual tutor.
Thus the geographical distance between students and teachers is being covered easily with the use of simple software that enables synchronous learning for students who are otherwise deprived of quality education.

2011-06-29 22:00:00

Country:

Bangladesh

Barriers and Solutions (max. 1000 characters):

The main challenges we are currently facing with our project is the inadequate sources for high-speed internet connection which is the primary tool to run our project, insufficient funding support to expand and replicate the project in other localities of our country and lack of financial support to establish a complete research team to work on the overall content development and school model for our online schools based on local context.

City:

Dhaka

Future plans and wish list (max. 750 characters):

The first step we want to take is establishing at least 5 new online schools within the end of 2014. Secondly, opening a new grade each year in each of the existing schools to promote the present students to an upper grade is another significant future plan for our project. Last but not the least another major plan is to develop our own content keeping the local context in mind. We are also working for corporate collaboration opportunity to set up online schools in 64 districts of Bangladesh. The implementation plan includes opening new grades in the existing schools by taking support from our present corporate partner on a contractual basis where the contract is renewed every year. We have the capacity to run our project with our sponsorship campaign that ensures every child in our schools has a sponsor to bear the overall cost of a student.

Describe the results achieved by your project How do you measure (parameters) these. (max. 2000 characters):

Our first online school was established in the year 2011 in Gazipur situated near Dhaka to spread the light of education among the underprivileged children deprived of quality education. After the successful beginning of this innovative project, the online school soon expanded in another four regions of the country over a time span of 3 years only. Till now, we had started five online schools replicating our own model that is an evidence of the feasibility and scalability of the project. Now the number of students in five online schools increased to 356 within a short period of time. The impacts of the project include educating the underprivileged students of five different districts/regions of Bangladesh and being able to provide good standard education in rural remote areas of the country by overcoming the geographical barriers. The long term impact of our project is improving the standard of living of the children and their families receiving quality education in JAAGO online schools by empowering them with education and skills.

Poverty technology education SCHOOL online

How many users interact with your project monthly and what are the preferred forms of interaction? (max. 500 characters):

Now the number of students is approximately 356. Within the end of 2014, we are to expand existing online schools and set up 5 more schools and the number of student is to be increased up to around 800.

The current software used for interaction between students and teachers is WebEx which is interactive and professional video conferencing software. The program contains interactive whiteboard, slide-sharing and video-sharing features and combines a sketch-board to acquaint the students with alphabets through just a stroke from its virtual tutor.

Description Frase (max. 500 characters):

The project is designed to use video conferencing technology to provide free-of-cost education to the underprivileged children living in remote areas where student are deprived of quality education due to lack of skilled teacher and educational resources.

Project Summary (max. 2000 characters):

Access to education remains a challenge for children of Bangladesh, particularly working and indigenous group, living in remote areas or those in extreme poverty. Tribal children, for example, have a net attendance ratio of just 68 per cent, far below the national average of 81 per cent at the primary-school level.

Urban-rural divide in the quality of education in Bangladesh is vivid, and the factors cited behind the disparity are the quality of teaching, school infrastructure, and educational materials. Moreover, the factors are also immediate determinants of whether children attend school and what they gain when they attend.

As it is difficult to find and retain good teachers in rural areas, JAAGO Foundation came up with an innovative solution of ‘Online School’. The idea of online schooling is designed to bridge the quality gap by connecting skilled teacher and resource with the disadvantaged students living in remote area through the modern technology. With support from partners, JAAGO Foundation succesfully installed online schooling in 5 schools in different district and all of the schools are now in operation with a demand of further expansion.

Within the end of 2014, 5 of our existing online schools will be expanded and 5 new online schools will be established to offer education for additional 400 students and approximately 800 students in total around Bangladesh. Moreover, evaluating the feedback and outcome of the online school project, interactive contents will be developed and teacahers centere’s will be enriched with necessery equipments to ensure interesting learning experience for the disadvantaged children who would be deprived education otherwise.

The Online schooling and synchronous learning through internet is a leap towards educational revolution specifically in context of Bangladesh as our country has not experienced this schooling method before that has the potential to solve the issues regarding quality education and lack of skilled teachers in remote areas of the country. Under the project, we are working to replicate the online school project in every district of Bangladesh and even build colaboration with neighboring countries.

Global Junior Challenge - Poverty

Free-of-cost Online Schooling for the Underprivileged Children