EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES
The education program at Nai Disha caters to all children - from pre-primary to higher secondary - through three sub-programs and on a need-basis and willingness of the children.
1. Open School Program
This program caters to children who do not fit into regular schools due to delayed schooling, migration from villages, or a lack of Hindi/English language skills essential for integration into age-appropriate classes. Any child who starts education or transfers from other regional schools between the age of 7 - 12 fits into this program. The Open School program is designed to provide accelerated learning for these children to be mainstreamed into their age-appropriate classes at the earliest. Some children can enter regular school in Grade VI within 2-3 years after joining Nai Disha.
The Open School program successfully blends both academic and non-academic curricula. Co-curricular activities include creative arts, performance art and theatre, sports and physical fitness. The children who attend the Open School program belong primarily to new migrant families and are severely handicapped economically and socially. They are usually first-generation learners and often lack knowledge of Hindi. When the child is considerably over-age for their level of academic achievement or is not ready for mainstreaming in Grade VI, they remain in Nai Disha. They are supported to complete Grade VIII and Grade X under the National Institute of Open Schooling curriculum. Nai Disha also admits students in Grade IX who drop out of CBSE schools if they cannot cope with Science or Mathematics. The curriculum for these older children includes vocational subjects like data entry, painting, home science, and two languages. Furthermore, they are provided hands on exposure to vocational and life skills like cooking, stitching, gardening, and household maintenance, preparing them to make informed choices when making decisions in the future.
2. Balwari Program
The Balwadi program was initiated in 2020 in response to a lack of options for pre-primary education in the area. It aims to provide nursery and kindergarten content to all children before they are mainstreamed into Grade I of the government schools. The curriculum is designed to develop age-appropriate gross and fine motor skills and language skills among children aged 4-7 years. Nai Disha continues to support these children with after-school tuition once they are mainstreamed.
3. Mainstream Program
The mainstream program caters to children studying in Government or private schools. While children of primary classes are provided afterschool tuition classes in Nai Disha, the middle and higher classes are outsourced to various tutors. All the mainstreamed children registered with Nai Disha are also part of the mentoring program where they receive the guidance and emotional support they may require.
4. Co-curricular Activities
Each child must do extra-curricular activities besides primary education for physical and mental growth. Each child is free to choose any one activity of their interest, such as Tabla, Vocal Music, Gardening, Embroidery, Electrical class, etc.
5. Computer Classes
Nai Disha feels every child should be computer literate, a mandatory requirement in each field. At Nai Disha along with education every child gets at least two hours of computer exposure per week. The syllabus includes courses in MS Paint, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Data entry classes for NIOS children. Beginners and advanced level classes are also designed for women and youth.
