The Bidar-based Shaheen Group of Institutions and Rotary Clubs of Bidar have launched Academic Intensive Care Unit, an ambitious project to bring back dropouts to school and help slow learners pick up pace through focused coaching.
Students aged 10-18, who have dropped out of school or who have difficulty continuing their studies, will be provided individual attention. The classroom size is small and each teacher has the responsibility of mentoring only six children. Students of different ages are taken into different classes. They will be trained in the syllabi of Classes 8 and 9 and will be made ready to get admitted to high school in Class 10 and write the SSLC examination by the time they turn 16, as per government rules.
The system of continuous and comprehensive evaluation is followed in the training module. Emphasis is placed on diagnosing development challenges and not just on classroom teaching. The learning process is feedback oriented and not one way lecturing. The teacher follows a different method of teaching each student based on the needs of the students.
“Shaheen Group has been running the AICU programme for 17 years now, but the association with Rotary is the first such attempt. Alumni of the programme have achieved significant success like getting admission in professional colleges in medicine and engineering and others,” said Abdul Quadeer, chairman of the group.
In the first batch of three months, around 50 students will be admitted from the seven districts of Kalyana Karnataka. While Shaheen will provide teachers, study materials and accommodation, Rotary will select the students and meet their boarding expenses.
“We got interested in the plan as it aligns with the Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus and the TEACH India programme. We want to expand this programme in stages. We plan to increase the number of students and expand the regional jurisdiction to other states and outside,” said Basavaraj Dhannur, director, Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus.
Basavaraj Patil Sedam, former Rajya Sabha member and founder of Kottala Basaveshwara Bharatiya Shikshana Samithi, visited the AICU recently. He made some suggestions aimed at including students from Kannada-medium schools in the remote villages of KK region. He also suggested counselling of parents along with dropout children.
Details can be had from the AICU coordinators (9918524728, 18001216235)
