A unique aspect
of the work undertaken by Bodh Shiksha Samiti is the concept of Mother
Teachers. She is a woman from the community who is recruited from
among the women of the slum or village where the preschool is located
and trained to work as preschool teachers. Most are illiterate but
develop literacy skills on the job. They are, however, not merely parateachers that assist with the administration and transaction of
the program, but rather bring along with them a wealth of information
about the child and her family which help in understanding the child
and planning preschool activities. They also extend support to and
supplement the efforts of more qualified and trained teachers within
the preschool. Since they are from the same locality, they personally
know parents of the child and have special rapport with the women.
This places them in a position to act as change agents on matters
pertaining to hygiene, nutrition, health care and child development.
They are an important asset as far as community involvement and
sustainability of the program is concerned.
In the urban
program, which has been running longer, most have developed sufficient
skills and competence to be able to undertake teaching activities
independent of the aid of the teachers. This is the result of a
prolonged and intensive program of their capacity enhancement. They
now undertake lesson planning, child assessment and teaching. Indeed
they are found to orient newly appointed preschool teachers within the
schools. There is a strong feeling that they have imbibed the Bodh
philosophy and work culture sufficiently to no longer need constant
and intense support.
In the rural areas mother teachers
who are changed every 6 months to one year. Here the role of the
mother teacher is different- envisaged more as a teacher aide, rather
than a teacher in her own right. The rationale is to create a pool of
community women aware and fairly competent on issues pertaining to
Early Childhood Care and Education who are then disseminate this
knowledge and skill in the community. The placement in the schools
serves as an exposure to different models of child rearing and enable
them to build their own confidence and provide them with the necessary
exposure.
