Footprints in Time Web Version 17-01-15

Vikramshila Education Resource Society started its journey in 1989
with the mission to make quality education a reality for all children. Based
in Kolkata (West Bengal, India) Vikramshila reaches out to underprivileged and under-resourced sections of society to make education meaningful and relevant to their lives. Over the last twenty years, Vikramshila
has undertaken various initiatives in action research and teacher-development programmes all over India, reaching out to more than 200
grassroots level organisations 25,000 teachers and 14, 00,000 children.
Vikramshila works with children, teachers and government systems
through teacher development programmes and childrens learning support programmes. The organisation through its various action research
initiatives is attempting citizenship education in its centres, quality improvement in madrasas as well as linking education to employability
within the formal school system.
Naba Disha, (A New Direction) is a unique childrens education programme of Vikramshila in partnership with the Kolkata Police.
The programme which began in 1999 is considered a model representing a synergy of efforts of the Kolkata Police with civil society organizations, corporates and government systems. The project has reached out
to about 10,000 children of the most deprived and under resourced communities in the slums of Kolkata and its outskirts, in the last 15 years.
More than 150 children have successfully completed their board examinations, many of whom are now gainfully employed, and who still keep
coming back to the centres to meet their teacher didi and to help the
little ones. It is here that lies the success of the programme which
believes that education is about finding ones place in society and from
there reach to out to others, to help them find their space.
typographia.tga@gmail.com
Footprints In Time
A LONGITUDINAL STUDY
Footprints In Time
A LONGITUDINAL STUDY
Vikramshila Education Resource Society

(a study for naba disha)
2014
Footprints in Time
A Longitudinal Study of Vikramshilas Education
Programme 2014
This study has been made possible by
the support of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust
First published 2014
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without
the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
We would like to thank Dr. Bratin Chattopadhyay for taking
special interest in this work and guiding our research team.
The study would not have been possible without the combined efforts of
all the teachers and students of Vikramshilas education centres.
Published by :
256B Prince Anwar Shah Road
Kolkata 700 045, West Bengal, India
D : +91 33 2422 4855, e : info@vikramshila.org
www.vikramshila.org
Designed and printed at :

Typographia
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D : +91 33 4003 7687/3295 0102, C : 9830105753
e.mail: typographia.tga@gmail.com
Footprints in time
Footprints in time..
Education is freedom. From the time of my birth,
Learning new skills, new sounds, new images.
Education is my freedom.
Learning in my family,
Learning with my friends,
Learning about birds, trees and many more interesting things.
Education is my freedom.
Please, Teacher, make it fun,
Make it relate to me,
Help me to learn at my own pace,
Help me to learn new skills,
Help me to learn values for life,
Help me to enjoy reading,
Help me to discover,
To get excited about new knowledge,
And if it helps me to get a job that will be good, too.
But most of all
Help me to be free.
Sarojini Vittachi
alternative schooling in india
Foreword
Over the last 14 years, the Naba Disha education centres

have been an island of hope and freedom for hundreds of
children from streets and slums of Kolkata. These learning
centres operated by Vikramshila in association with Kolkata
Police have truly demonstrated the meaning of education:
To bring forth the hidden. Be it the founders, the management, the trainers or the real heroes, the teachers at the
learning centres, believing in the potential of every child,
and their right to experience the joy and freedom in education has remained the core ideology at Vikramshila.
Through the lens of 16 youth alumni of Vikramshila, this
study is an evidential representation of these ideologies of
joy and freedom, and emancipatory education at work in
the Naba Disha programme. This narration by the youth
gives a longitudinal perspective on the process of unfolding of these children into proud and confident youth. Some
of these narrations also weave in to substantiate the three
aspects of education included in this book: Education as the
necessity of modern existence, New Pastures, and Construction of Knowledge.
Education as the necessity of modern existence highlights the modern facade about education for employment
versus education for education. This perspective doesnt
merely remain a stand as the book substantiates it with the
life journeys of these 16 youths. For them, the real experience
of education brought self-respect, confidence, and skills to
learn and adapt which helped them unfold as better humans
with a dream and plan to work towards a career versus a job.
viii
foreword
New Pastures, narrates different interventions in art,

project based learning, and on-field initiatives with Kolkata
police which adds to the overall-holistic experiential learning at Vikramshilas education centres. The narration also
describes the rarely explained relationships between these
activities with the cognitive skills of reflection and analyses.
Construction of Knowledge reinforces the ability of the
child to learn and construct his or her knowledge. It further
quotes the concepts of emancipatory education and value
of dialogue by Paulo Frierie which is very much a part of
pedagogy at the centres. One of the striking examples was
of one of the Nabadisha boys who made and posted a no
smoking poster in his classroom for a government teacher
who dared to smoke in the working classroom.
These chapters are followed by case studies of 14 youths
describing their journey from out of school to being respectful and contributory citizens in the society. The spirit and
role of Vikramshila in bringing change in the lives of these
youths is commendable Sir Dorabji Tata Trust is proud to
support Vikramshila for their commitment to education
for the underprivileged children in West Bengal and look
forward to see them as an apex institute of education and
teacher education in the East.
Dr. Amina Charania
programme officer education
sir dorabji tata trust
mumbai, india
Content
Acronyms
The story that begins
11
Methodology Adopted
13
Hello meet the New Us!

Education as a necessity of modern existence
New Pastures
Constructor of Knowledge
17
19
21
24
Through Childrens Lens
Appendix
Acronyms
BITM
CRY
IICP
NCF
ND
VERS
:
:
:
:
:
:
Birla Industrial and Technological Museum

Child Rights and You
Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy
National Curriculum Framework
Naba Disha
The story that begins
S ystems of education evolve when alternatives to the mainstream are

absorbed by it. The history of education in India is one of the unfulfilled
commitments from the time that the constitution promised to provide
education of all in the following years. The target has been extended time
and again, but the dream of appropriate, accessible and free education
remains a chimera. Now more than ever before, education has become
enmeshed in controversy, the inadequacy of apparatus that is the call for
today - have become subjects of intense debate across the country.
In the late 1980s, Vikramshila Education Resource Society started with
the aim of improving quality of non- formal education provided by the
NGOs. Wherein, Nabadisha Educational Programme, an education based
initiative for street children; targets to provide an all-round basic education to enable them to join societal mainstream.
The innovative educational program of NabaDisha initiated primarily
by Kolkata Police in 1998 implemented and developed by Vikramshila
Education Resource Society.
The socio-educational function of the Vikramshila Educational Resource
Society-Kolkata Police initiative elementally differs from similar mainstream initiative of educating under privileged child. Main-streaming,
here would refer to not only educationally or academically mainstreaming the individual but also taking into account the social mainstreaming
of the individual as well; to give the individual an opportunity to witness
a holistic development both in terms of education as well as social.
ND started its career on 25th, July 1999, as a joint initiative between
Vikramshila, Kolkata Police and CRY, starting with five centers situated
in the demarcated as crime prone, sensitive areas of Kolkata.
Putting up physical facilities to establish a learning centre could have
been a tedious job at hand but with the active support of the police personnel not only was it made easier, but this also lend credibility to the
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
A Longitudinal Study
entire set-up. A space was curved out of the local police stations. Witnessing the police personnel actively participating in recognizing the out-ofschool children and gathering them in the school located in police station
surely proved to be an unusual experience for the community.
By 2000, ND children started joining mainstream schools marking this
to be an effective success indicator for the project. A success that saw ND
activities been expanded in five new centers. ND centers were expanding
along suburbs of Kolkata, broadening its umbrella beyond such scholastic indicators. The children were seen participating in the Annual Sports
organized by Police as well as in traffic drills during road safety week
organized by Police authority.
ND came out as an initiative that seeked to enmesh childs life experience into the domain of education, something that was proposed by a
well-experienced and organized body of professionals negotiating with
the issue of educating children deprived from the opportunity and has
mutually rejected the formal system of education.
The programme was startedas a step to initiate the process of inclusive
education, while bearing in mind the two vital rights of childrenDevelopment and Participation.
In ND centre, children are divided into groups according to their learning levels and not their ages. The grouping is flexible because some are
school dropouts and have some residual learning, while most are without any knowledge of letters or numbers. The entire approach has been
designed as learner-centric and participatory. Besides academics, these
children participate in sports, drama, music, art, and various other coscholastic enriching activities.
What comes into the bigger picture with this study, are the innovative
methods of learning adopted and worked upon making the learning process fun for both the teacher as well as the students. Reforms coupled with
the emphasis on early identification of and intervention for these children
in the reformative folds.
There is growing evidence with respect to studies conducted and surveys undertaken regarding the association between the immediate social
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
environment and childrens physical as well as emotional well-being. The

following study conducted henceforth clearly indicates that the outcomes
of environmental exposures early in life are often subtle but may have
major consequences later in life, impacting health, development, productivity and quality of life.
Involving a child or young person in their own learning as done by
ND teachers, can be seen as a vital part of assessing and supporting their
progress. Involving groups or the pupil body as a whole can be a fresh
and effective way to tackle issues such as poor attendance or indiscipline.
Meaningful involvement has motivated and provided impetus the young
people to learn, develop their views and values. As per the biographies
described later in the study reflects the inputs that have gone into developing childrens and young peoples independence, communication skills,
problem-solving abilities, confidence and sense of personal responsibility.
Methodology Adopted
The study undertaken has been one of longitudinal in its approach.
The population of interest for this study comprises of children associated with Naba Disha for a considerable period of time. The population
that is accessible to this study consists of individuals who are at present
students of ND, or who were associated with ND in various capacities.
Hence the basis of this random sampling :
n Time-span of the individual spent with ND (peference was given to any
child who has spent 8-10 years or more with ND)
n Access point to children for interview (Students who are currently engaged with ND or have been associated with ND).
Name
Gender Age
Education
Year of
Joining
Employed
Shyamsundar Yadav
16
Science, XII
2003
Dhanu Mahato
18
Commerce, 1 yr.
2000
Md. Danish
16
Science, XII
2000
Bikas Das
22
Commerce, II yr.
1999
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
Name
Gender Age
Education
Year of
Joining
Employed
Rajesh Mallick
18
Arts, XI
2009
Basudev Baidya
17
Commerce, XII
2003
Sanjoy Jadav
20
Arts, XII
2004
Md. Imran
19
Commerce, XII
2000
Madhu Kumari
Pandey
16
Commerce, XII
2005
Rahul Paswan
18
Arts, XI
2005
Naima Parveen
21
Arts, II yr.
2000
Md. Ishaque
21
Arts, II yr.
2001
Muzahed Islam
21
Graduated
(Comm.)
2003
Nassir Hussain
19
Commerce, XII
2002
Md. Saddam Hussain
20
Commerce, XII
2000
Md. Sarfaraz Nawaz
19
Commerce, XII
2007
Figure 1 : Students profile
This resulted in a sample size of 16 persons who were interacted with,

for the study.
The profiles are drawn from 7 ND centres namely, Taratala, Hastings,
Lake, Narkeldanga, Watgunge, Garden reach, and Ekbalpore respectively.
On average, study participants were 18-20 years old and high school
graduates. The majority of participants constituting about 90% were male
participants wherein only 2 girls were interviewed.
The socio-economic profile of the participants can be bracketed as coming from lower rungs of the society whereby their parents monthly income could be bracketed to be lying between 1000-2500 pm. A ghettoised
population limited to the geographical boundaries of their community
habitation (for instance, the Muslim community in the Garden Reach
area) intertwined with their livelihood occupations such as in the role of
mason, zari worker or tailor and mothers usually found to be employed as
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
Figure 2 : Education-to-Employment
domestic helpers, were also marked in some cases as the migratory groups
who had migrated to the present geopgraphic locations in search of better means of livelihood and better, improved life-chances. The popluation
hence interacted with had their own limited means to achieve the socially
aspired goals.
An attempt has been made to probe further into the realm of how education and ND per se has capacitated the individuals to come out of
these ghettoised set-ups and take a footing of their own especially in cases
where it involves girl education who reels under the pressure of social
and religious conventions of getting married.
An attempt to interact with student populace who are involved in some
occupation as well as vice- versa has been made. Amongst the 16 participants, 55% of the interviewee reported to be employed who spent an average of almost two and one-half years (29 months) at the job they ever held.
A graphical representation of the populace interacted with could be
interpreted as follows;
Following the lines of unique case orientation, a cohort longitudinal
study along with the biographical method has been undertaken.
It is an end-of-the-line study whereby the outcome has been explored
through descriptive narrative(S) 1. These may not supply any quantitative
1
Through Childrens lens, p. 21 onwards.
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
information through tangible numbers since a very subjective approach

has been adopted.
Whereby, analysis of an intensive account of a whole or portion of life,
with the aid of an unstructured interview has been presented. The account has been reinforced by semi-structured interviewing and personal
documents. Along with concentrating upon a snapshot of the individuals present situation, the biographical approach has enabled emphasis
upon the placement of the individual within a nexus of social connections
and life experiences (the life history).
An important sub-stream focussed upon is the manner in which the
respondent has actively constructed a narrative of their life in response to
the social context at the time of interview.
In the upcoming pages we would get a glimpse into the narratives 2 as
accounted by the selected interviewees/respondents. The profiles hence
structured on the basis of these accounts have in itself provided an insight
into their academic, social and life with ND. An insight, that would help
us move in the right direction.
2 Ibid.
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
HELLO! Meet the new us
Where we started from
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
Education as a Necessity of
Modern Existence?
T his is a great question that stands posed before humanity at large
What should education mean? The mistaken view that most parents and
most of the young have about education is that it is just a means of livelihood a means to equip for a career or for a profession.
True, it is to a certain extent that more and more professionalism is gaining ground among teachers as well as among students and education is
considered to be just a means and not an end itself.
In this world of hectic activity all around; of life torn within with competition and competence, the young mind is left with no option but to
think of entering a course of education only for the sake of earning a decent living and lead a high profile life, if one can.
Those who fail to make to this high-up in life have to feel contented
with something lesser but should be with a job all right. So job- seeking
has become the be-all and ends all of all educational activity. Education
seems to be meaningless for them. That is why we find students in our
country keeping beguiling themselves, and their guardians by continuing
to remain enrolled as students in one course of study after another only to
postpone the evil day of living up with the unemployed lot.
So the question does knock at our doors to ask us, what education actually means and what should it actually do with the young mind?
Education must go together with basic human values and teachers
must set an example for their students through action and deeds, not
merely by words. He further elaborated on this point by saying there is
too much stress on developing the mind and too little on developing a
warm heart, says The Dalai Lama. Implying that education should be
used to bring more happiness and meaning into life, to narrow the gap
between perception and reality. Such education with basic human values
will be constructive and beneficial for the society.
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
This is what education really needs to do and that is what real education
is Sa Vidya ya Vimuktaye that is education which liberates. The mind
should be freed from the shackles of bigotry, from mere ritualism, from
false pretences of socio-religious fundas.
The moot point that starks us after reading these statements and the
popular ideal picture being painted in many words is,
n What education as a term encapsulate?
n What being educated does to ones mind?
n How does being educated help one develop an opinion on or an outlook towards various things?
n Does getting education as earmarked by ones society, really affirms to
an emancipatory medium as suggested by all, a medium that is believed
to improve ones life-chances 3?
As Avijit Pathak puts it, education 4, it is believed is inseparable from
our societal aspirations. As these aspirations/world views undergo a process of transformation with the changing times, so does the meaning of
education. We know that in order to be certified as educated, all of us
have to attend schools, study the appropriate texts, and pass innumerable
tests at different stages of our cognitive development.
What characterises a human society is its ability to renew itself, because
life, wrote John Dewey, is a self-renewing process (Dewey, 1966) 5. And,
this self-renewal, is not just the renewal of mere physical existence. It is,
as Dewey argued, the renewal of the entire experience of the group- its
beliefs, ideals, hopes, happiness, miseries and practices. This entire experience that ND has tried to bring forth through its intervention in the
popular established mode of education and learning can be seen seeping into the practices adopted and disseminated in the children and their
Life chances (Lebenschancen in German) is a political theory of the opportunities each individual
has to improve his or her quality of life. This concept was introduced by German sociologist Max
Weber, describing how likely it is, given certain factors, that an individuals life will turn out a certain way. According to this theory, life chances are positively correlated with ones socioeconomic
status.
4
Avijit Pathak, Social implications of schooling: knowledge, pedagogy, and consciousness (Rainbow Publishers, 2002) p. 16-17.
5
Ibid; p. 8-14.
3
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
fellow kinsmen. The alternative practices tried by ND teachers and support group via developing of different modules and packages of learning,
through training of teachers for providing effective guidance to the students, have readily tried to re-model the educational practices as suited
to the particular needs of the receptors i.e. the children.
What ought to be realised is that acquiring certain levels of education
along with soft skills has been the call of the day for better life chances
and to achieve a secure means of earning a livelihood that would give
them a stable social standing. Educating or enlightening oneself therefore
cannot be solely viewed as renouncing this-worldly activities and wants,
but to acquire the basic necessities one needs to survive in the society that
is rapidly changing. Changing at a pace that is difficult to handle if one
is ignorant.
Education then comes handy when one achieves the basic level of understanding to responsibly take his/her own position and forms his/her
own perceptions to improve his/her conditions holistically. Why does
being educated as a phenomenon becomes a silent yet roaring need of
the day? At this juncture it becomes imperative to comprehend the role
played by Naba Disha or whether it had any impact (if any) in shaping
the lives of the children in question here. Also, to analyze if this impact
had a positive or neutral or a detrimental effect on the subjects chosen.
This study attempts to gauge the depth of the axis of difference that ND
made by touching upon the lives of these children and has it done enough
already in the light of the day that its absence would matter to anybody?
Hence, while undertaking this study, the paradigms held in mind to
grapple with the study, were to foremost examine the progressive paradigm of education whereby experiential learning becomes the focal arena
for education.
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New Pastures
A thin, shy boy peeps into the room where I was sitting. Little did I know
that he is the boy who is believed to have been one of the role model (s)
in Naba Disha (ND). They say, appearances can be deceptive, alas, I never
thought that the shy looking boy had so much more to him, and yes he
was most certainly not shy. My teachers at Naba Disha believe that I am a
role model for others in this centre. But to say that Vikramshila has been a role
giver to me. Vikramshila has been the foundation on which I have grown, might
sound a little dramatic but this is something I stand by, says Shyamsundar,
a 16 year old student who has been associated with ND for 9 years now.
The child in any learning centre is to
be seen as an autonomous person to be
respected, not just coerced, disciplined,
and moulded by the adult. As an idea
this has been deeply focussed upon the
activities undertaken in the pedagogical
approaches at any ND centre.
Students interviewed for the study
proudly exhibited their handicrafts and
other craft material that they had got
training/classes for. One wouldnt be surprised if a student charms you with his/
her artistic skills displayed in his/her paintings, stitching skills showed in
her embroidered covers, dancing and singing talents or for that matter poetry and writing skills. Regular and continuous engagement of students
with participatory creative endeavours have encouraged the children to
develop traits such as planning, interacting with the others involved in
group, and has taught them to be creative, innovative and original in the
same length. The varied workshops undergone by the students of ND
centre has in some sense invoked the values of perseverance as well as
observation and reflection
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
The skills necessary for successful achievement in many subjects are

regularly put to practice in such adaptations. For example, most art skills
require observation and reflection. Children must observe their subject
matter and then reflect upon the best way to illustrate real life via art.
Observation and reflection are important skills for problem solving in
math, writing and science. When children are faced with projects that
have specific goals in art, they tend to formally or informally, formulate
working hypotheses for achieving their goals. And also eventually judge
the results, gather data and evaluate their success.
Pointers like these could be traced in the social science project wherein
students from the Garden Reach ND centre creatively spun the Metiabruz
Project a woven product displaying the local history of the geographic
area via graphics and charts. Along with the visual aid was a song prepared by the young students of the centre narrating the history of the same.
Outside curriculum and book, extracurricular pursuits helps children think
globally, which is necessary in todays
world. Through works of art, children
gain exposure to diverse cultures and
viewpoints. The images they view in art,
along with those that they create, help
children become aware of a world beyond that which they see on a daily basis. A global attitude assists children in
Metiabruz Project Garden
accepting others from different cultures.
Reach Centre
In todays world, acceptance and awareness are invaluable traits that a child can carry into adulthood.
In words of Naima Parveen after she took the computer classes with
Kiran6 along with NDs career counseling sessions when I got the computer classes training here along with the career counseling sessions, I came to
know about the various exploratory options, which I can have at my disposal
Kiran, is an initiative of Kolkata Police that provides basic learning on computer education, i.e.
availed by many ND students.
6
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
for my future. Before these sessions I just knew I had to complete my schooling
and at the most graduate from college. Now at least if I dont have anybody else
to advice me, I can choose to use the computer and browse on the options that I
am aware of.
Similarly Basudev Baidya, who has been with ND since the year 2003, has
developed a passion for writing after he attended a writing workshop
organized by ND. The program has given me wings to express myself, know
myself and also to communicate with others. I will always be thankful to Vikramshila, which held the
writing skills workshop
which has enabled me to vent
my ideas, emotions and feelings through my writings in
short stories, poetries. Of
course they are not that
grand, but at least I get my
satisfaction. Now I have the
Participants in varied activities as a
courage to write something
means of Learning
new, to explore new avenues.
Something that Naba Disha gave me the confidence to believe in. To think of how
apt my centre is named Naba Disha!
This democratic process was seen by Karl Manheim 7 as a new form of
learning, meaning, students are participating in the direction of their
own learning, they are much more encouraged to discover for themselves
through the use of libraries, participation in activities...and other forms
of self-government. As a result, subjects like art, music, crafts bring forth
the creative adjustment/innovation in the school system. Besides, education becomes an experience of inner joy; not based on external rewards
like ranking and marks. What we need to see in the long run is an affirmation of optimism and above all a broader and deeper notion of education affecting the personality of the pupil at all levels.
7
Ibid., p. 40-45.
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Constructor of Knowledge
National Curriculum Framework 2005 8 speaks of a child as a natural
learner and a spontaneous constructor of his/her knowledge. Childs
learning theory points out that a child is not born with an empty mind but
rather with all the potentialities within him/her. The role of the teacher
should be that of the facilitator or a guide who will help the child realize
his/her potentialities to the maximum possible level. The child then no
longer is a helpless innocent vulnerable creature who is devoid of any
individuality (opinion, judgement, decision making power, need for recognition, etc); he has now got a distinct identity of its own. The child is
now considered to be a potential agent of the society.
An idea echoed in the action of Basudev (Lake Centre) who dared to
raise his voice against a teacher smoking cigarettes inside his classroom. He
made a No Smoking poster and
hung it in front of the teacher s
staff room to make the teacher realise
about the decorum of school and correct the teachers attitude. Though this
act could not bring any significant difference in the school environment,
this courageous step taken by him as
an individual motivated his peers to
be disciplined and adopt a positive atThe poster made by Basudev
titude.
Paulo Freire in The Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970) 9 assumes that the
learner is active and is capable of attaching his/her own meaning to the
world. As a result, it resists the status quo, and celebrates revolutionary
8
National Curriculum Framework; 2005 (NCERT).

Paulo Freire, The Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Herder and Herder, 1970) p. 27-35.
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
transformations. The ability to transcend between the past-presentfuture is what strikes as the most important phenomenon in this study
conducted. An individual who can connect his/her past with the framing
of his/her conscious decision to design and plan the future ahead is what
Freire calls liberatarian education. This transition from the present to
the future, is a common thread of understanding that we derive from
the interviews and excerpts of the individuals chosen as a sample in this
study.
I am grateful to ND. I wouldve been engaged in some odd activity had
my ND didi not guided me. The things I have learnt here have made me
a hopeful person. And this is something I want to be extended to other
children like me. Only we can understand what this kind of support means
for children like us.
Bikash Das, Narkeldanga
Laced with existentialist ideas, Freire 10 emphasises on the power of dialogue. Dialogue means ones refusal to accept ones passive existence;it is
a creative engagement with the world. It means love, reciprocity, mutuality. It is to overcome ones silence. Dialogue hence says Freire becomes an
existential necessity.
I am the only child in my family who has been able to break open the
minds open of my family elders to realise the importance of education as
I was associated with ND. Today I can proudly say that it is on the basis
of my learning here that my aim in life is to become a teacher and spread
literacy across masses. The knowledge imparted to me by ND will be my
guiding star.
Mohammad Saddam Hussain, Garden Reach
The profiles discussed in the coming pages reflect our search for alternatives
that has been a binding factor in raising our confidence in the right spirit- from
child centred progressive education to liberatarian pedagogy- we see a new
notion of learning emerging: learning as a process of inner discovery;
learning as a creative process filled with enthusiasm.
There are many ways of looking at the existence of schools and the
education practices today. The ground of which are assumed to be disci10
Ibid., p. 67-70.
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
plining the mind, instilling a sense of morality and stabilising the social
order. It is at this juncture, that Emile Durkheims 11 contributions to the
sociology of education acquire relevance. For him, a major function of
school education is that it evokes a sense of morality in the child. The
child learns self-control and eventually becomes a disciplined/social being. Thereby the fundamental element of morality, Durkheim concluded
is the spirit of discipline. At schools, he argued, children learn how to
discipline themselves and emerge as moral agents of society.
I was made to learn the art of how to remain calm and not take out my
anger on trivial things. I had a real bad time because of my short-tempered
nature. Every small thing made me violent and scream like a mad person.
Even coming to centre and constant support of teachers here at ND could
not help me. But the point is they never gave up on me, and I soon starting
valuing their persistent effort they had been expending on me. I developed
a channel to divert my energy into studies. Perhaps the reason why I find
solace in my books now. Thank god for the change that you can see in me
now. It feels good to have come so far. I am a much more confident and
not to forget, a calm person now.
Mohammad Danish, Ekbalpore
The pedagogical approach in ND centres has tried to overcome the culture of silence as theorised by Paulo Freire. Children are encouraged and
equipped to know and respond to the concrete realities of their world
rather than be submerged in a situation where such critical awareness and
response to the same were practically impossible.
Every human being, no matter how ignorant or submerged in the
culture of silence he or she may be, is capable of looking critically at the
world in a dialogical encounter with others. Provided with proper tools
for such encounter, the individual can gradually perceive personal and
social reality as well as the contradictions in it, become conscious of his/
her own perception of that reality, and deal critically with it. 12
Emile Durkheim, Education and Sociology (Free press, 1922), cited from Avijit Pathak, Social
implications of schooling: knowledge, pedagogy, and consciousness (Rainbow Publishers, 2002)
p. 24-26.
11
12
Paulo Freire, The Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Herder and Herder, 1970) p. 14.
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
The following excerpt exemplifies the seeping of critical questioning of

the status-quo, moribund situations by some of the interviewees. Such curious minds have many a time probed many alleys which are sometimes
forbidden or have remained unquestioned before.
What is the point of forcing yourself to study when you dont get enough
motivation from your teacher? Isnt a teacher supposed to teach with all
her heart and mind so that the students feel like coming back to learn?
Well, that is the difference between the formal schools that I attended and
ND. My formal school teachers perhaps chose the wrong profession for
themselves. Might sound harsh but this is a fact. As a child I always wondered why I couldnt be friends with my teachers at the school just the way
I used to be with my teachers at ND. Somehow there was always this communication gap that created this void in our relationship,a relationship
between student and teacher!
Dhanu Mahato, Hastings
NCF 200513 also speaks of contextualizing of knowledge. Unless the

child is able to relate with whatever he/she is been taught in the class it
seems absolutely meaningless and irrelevant to him/her. The child should
be able to relate knowledge to his/her experiences in society; apply his/
her knowledge in practical situations. Until the child is able to understand
his/her local context properly it will be impossible for him/her to connect
with the world 14
I always used to wonder what it is like to have all your wishes fulfilled
without the struggles that my parents have faced to support my educational expenses. After I volunteered as a scribe with IICP students, I have
actually realised how blessed I am to have got this aid from ND. I have
tried to deploy what I have learnt here amongst them with virtues like patience, something that I have learnt tremendously from my teachers here. I
have ND to guide me and encourage me but after having volunteered with
IICP, I think there is so much to do be done, beyond schools. I have found
new friends and deep bondings with some of my peers there.
Madhu Kumari Pandey, Taratala
13
14
National Curriculum Framework; 2005 (NCERT).

Ibid., p. 30 (Childrens knowledge and Local Knowledge).
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Excerpts like above provide as indicators of the bridge between the

learnings and the deployment of the same in the reality out there. Opportunities like these where ND students have volunteered, have thrown
up chances for them to intrinsically engage with the world out there, develop an understanding of his/her situation vis--vis the macro space
that one experiences. Eventually, sensitizing and enabling one to connect
his/her knowledge to his/her experiences in society.
Perhaps this constitutes a significant point here, which reflects on the
indices that go into breaking the culture of silence. The type of education that binds him/her in the various axioms of education than just binding him/her in isolation with books and curriculum. Placing a child in
main stream after all does not always mean placing him/her in the main
stream of the idea of education that is popularly comprehended as.
Education is the most powerful weapon

which you can use to change the world.
Nelson Mandela
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Through Childrens Lens
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Appendix : 1
Shyamsundar Yadav
My teachers at Naba Disha believe that I am a role model for others in
this centre. But to say that Vikramshila has been a role giver to me. Vikramshila has been the foundation on which I have grown, might sound
a little dramatic but this is something I stand by.
For a 16 year old boy Naba Disha centre is like a home for me away from
home. I stay in the city of Kolkata with my father who works as a driver
and hardly gets time to spend with me. I cook for myself, I spend time
with myself when I am not
with my teachers and
friends. I miss my home
back in Bihar and my
mother there. But teachers
here at Naba Disha have
in some capacity being
there as my family here.
My mother during one
of her visits to Kolkata got
me enrolled here in ND.
It was the year of 2003. In
the same year I took admission in Kolkata Municipal Corporations school. My family has been
a strong corner stone supporting and encouraging me to strive higher in
my studies, the fulfilling of which would not have been possible had it not
been for Naba Disha. For a mother who had been rebuked by her relatives
as a mother who could not afford her children education, I am proud to
have come so far, testing my capabilities and picking engineering as my
career.
Perhaps the reason behind me bagging the highest marks in my Higher Secondary examinations with 75% and getting awarded for the same.
How I wish I could see the expression of the relatives who had rebuked
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
my mother regarding my chances of getting education. This opportunity

would most definitely qualify as the highest point whereby I could thank
Vikramshila for having faith in me all this while when others had turned
a blind eye to my problems.
I have had the opportunities to develop interest in many other vocational activities and learn lessons for life. The most interesting would
surely be my participation in Kolkata Traffic Police- Road Safety Week. It
thrilled me to the core, to see how much hard work goes in the seemingly
easy-looking job that a traffic police does. A traffic police guard thinks of
others safety before his own. Truly generous and bold! May be one day
Ill do something similar that might be considered as bold and respectful.
My learning bell that was tingled by Naba Disha, has been re-kindled
time and again in the last 9 years, and I hope this never stops. Because
though I have started picking the ropes of my life, it is at Vikramshila that
I first learnt how to trace and build these ropes.
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Appendix : 2
Dhanu Mahato
What is the point of forcing yourself to study when you dont get enough
motivation from your teacher? Isnt a teacher suppose to teach with all her
heart and mind so that the students feel like coming back to learn? Well,
that is the difference between the formal schools that I attended and ND.
My formal school teachers perhaps chose the wrong profession for themselves. Might sound harsh but this is a fact.
As a child I always wondered why I couldnt be friends with my teachers at the school just the way I used to be with my teachers at ND. Somehow there was always this
communication gap that
created this void in our relationship. A relationship between student and teacher!
Hello, I am Dhanu Mahato, a 19 year old boy who
firmly believes true learning comes beyond the covers of books. Something that
I learnt here in Vikramshila.
When I joined Naba Disha
in 2000, I did not know that
playing games could also teach you something. I mistook ND as some
evening play school where you learn art and craft, draw, play different
kind of games. But surprisingly, over the next few days in school I learnt
that these games that I played unknowingly had helped in understanding number system in Mathematics at school. Who knew back then that
drawing classes that I took as a leisure activity would fetch me so many
prizes and accolades from the competitions that I participated in. These
activities gave me a chance to express my ideas on various issues like
child labour, sanitation, alcohol consumption through comics, posters,
slogans, etc.
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I grew everyday listening, reading and interacting. The surveys conducted by ND to recognize issues in our communities (of which I was a
member) sensitized me to factors unfathomable to me before. Many questions raged inside me, and I tried giving them some form through these
activities that we undertook here. Perhaps the reason behind my curious
mind, I was always encouraged to question and know how. This critical
bent of mind has made me question the existing education system especially in Governments school. Why would any parent in the depths of
adversity would find the idea of spending on his/her children education
entertaining?
My mother took the right step to enrol me in ND, that has moulded my
life and steered clear my mind of unnecessary trivial thoughts. Education
has some significance in ones life only when you do something with it,
only when it reflects in what you practice. One of the most striking opportunities that ND gives it students is to think, evolve and extend the same
attitude to others. Perhaps, the reason why I spend as much time possible
with the younger children at my centre.
Education is the ability to listen to almost anything

without losing your temper or your self-confidence.
Robert Frost
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Appendix : 3
Mohammad Danish
My irritable mood and anger got the better of me as a child. Yes, I was
popular as a short-tempered, foul-mouthed boy who got irritated even on
trivial matters and misbehaved with my parents and
siblings. It never occurred to me that I might be
wrong, nobody tried telling me that. Nobody stopped
me.
The realization that I need to change my temperament and channelize it into something more positive
and constructive, dawned at me only after I was counselled by Nargis Maam here at Naba Disha. Naba
Disha, my first school ever. I joined ND in the year
2000 and was mainstreamed to a formal school after a
couple of months. Naba Disha has been a home-cumlearning centre for both me and my sister.
After my father passed away a year ago, we have
had difficult moments in my family where money for
funding my education has been a crisis point. But my
mother and uncles go an extra mile to see their studious Danish see more dreams and become an engineer.
There, you got it. I want to become an engineer, not
sure what field exactly. I just want to study physics
and maths. ND helped me see this dream. If I may, Ill
say Naba disha directed my life into this lane, where
books and knowledge is something that I yearn to
delve deeper into.
If you ask my teachers here at ND they would most
certainly whinge that I do not participate in most of
the activities and workshops that are organised here
because I am always found with books. Though I
would not deny that the exposure visits and trips organised by ND teachers account for some experience.
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
The more trips we had, the more curious my mind became. Like they say
travelling is the best way to educate and learn new things. After my visit
to BITM (Birla Industrial and Technological Museum, Kolkata) my hunger to know more about physics and mathematics, subjects that fascinate
me the most increased manifold. A love, that is nurtured and nourished
with the support of my teachers and family who never forced me to do
something else otherwise.
My education, schooling I am certain will stay with me life-long. But,
at the same time I believe that practical experience is equally important
especially in times like these when the employment opportunities generated is meagre. Degrees definitely get you some recognition but beyond
some point you have nothing but your skills that take you far. My uncle
who has done a double masters had a difficult time job-hunting. Dont
you think I am lucky enough to be here with ND where awareness on
these issues keeps me more alert and informed.
I have changed. I have changed for the better that I am sure of. It has
been 12 years now, that I have been coming to Naba Disha. It was Naba
Disha who first walked to me, and now I walk to Naba Disha taking along
others. Eventually, some day I will become a teacher who will love and
teach exactly the way my teachers at ND taught and groomed me. It gave
me hope and I dont want this hope to wither away.
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Appendix : 4
Bikas Das
I would hide behind that tree and peek out curiously at those children
who used to go this police station room. They were so fearless. They
looked so happy. I wanted to know what made them so happy? What
made them come back every day? This lady from that room called me and
asked me about myself. Now, I know that I could study here, play here
and make new friends. Once again Ill have books and notebooks, just the
way I used to have in my old
school when I was a 7 year
old boy. I was a boy who
only knew his fathers shoe
shop where he had to go every day. That was the year of
1999, when Naba Disha program commenced and extended financial support for
my education. Does this really happen? Can I go to
school again?
Well yes, despite all hardships faced I did go to school, I did complete my schooling and I am in
college pursuing Bachelors in Commerce at present. And for this I owe
everything solely to ND and my teachers here. The range of activities
that I participated in encouraged my sister to join ND as well. It is from
the small opportunities that we got in ND that has bigger impacts on our
career.
The different realities of our existence were so beautifully woven with
our study material that it sensitized us as learners and stimulated our
grey cells to learn more. As a 7 year old boy I could not imagine learning anything beyond school books- about our society, about others. There
were moments when my familys bad economic conditions looked to me
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
as a final roadblock in my path to get education, but I never gave up. They
never let me wander aimlessly in this maze. They were my teachers, my
supporters who guided me and counselled my parents as to how important my studies were. Marrying at a young age without realizing what it
entails is also something that I was encouraged to reflect upon when my
parents wanted me to tie the knot quite early as per my community customs. The same teacher who encouraged me to pick my books once again,
counselled me and my parents to continue my studies. That day had I not
taken my parents to my centre, maybe I wouldve agreed to marry and
discontinue my studies against my will? Maybe, then I wouldve forgotten about that career chart hanging on the walls of our centre. It is only
after Ive entered college that Ive agreed to marry, because I have the
confidence of balancing this threshold as well.
My participation in traffic rallies and associated activities gave me a
chance to test myself as an employee with Green Police, Kolkata. It is with
Kolkata Police that I got my first job after the completion of my HS exam,
as a bodyguard trainer. I continued my studies alongside my job. My
training even got me recognized as the best performer amongst my team
members. I am certain that my life-long teachings at ND and this experience would fetch me better opportunities ahead in life.
Had Naba Disha not being there, I would definitely have been engaged
in some odd activities. The image, the respect I have earned in the society
is all for ND. I sincerely hope ND continues to help children coming from
the disadvantaged section like me to grow. Perhaps thats the reason why
I come to spend time and teach the children in this centre as often as possible.
The blessings and love that I have got here is undeniably the only factor that motivates me to do better for myself and my family; a family that
echoes the same sentiments, where my wife is inclined towards joining
Naba Disha as a teacher someday. One day, Ill accompany my children
to this centre as a proud father. I would not want any place else but Naba
Disha to mould and give new direction to my children too, just the way
it did to me.
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Appendix : 5
Rajesh Mallick
You want to spin? I can make you spin. One day I am a hip-hop artist, and
the next day I am jiving to the contemporary beats. You get it right, I am
a dancer but there is more to me. There is more to this 18 year old boy you
are looking at. I have an alcoholic father who
thinks Im wasting my time studying. And on
the other hand, I have a mother who desperately wants to see her son fulfil his dreams;
my dreams- dreams of completing my education so that I can contribute to the well being
of my family, dreams of being a dancer; of being someone capable of providing his mother
comforts that any son would want to.
I was brought to ND in 2009 where my siblings were already studying. And from being
an aimless, rowdy lad from the streets totally
distraught in my house, I am this groomed,
well-dressed, neat boy who was taught how
to say Salaam, how to be optimistic about life
and take the opportunities with open arms
and never cease to learn. Regular schooling
and completion of my education was a distant dream; a dream that I had given up on,
or rather one that I wasnt steered towards
from the beginning. But who could avoid the
strong motivation and support provided to
me by ND and my teachers there? Not only
did I complete my HS examinations but also,
actively participated in several activities and workshops held here.
As a child I used to wriggle like a tom-tom in front of the television set;
but with learning, came the realization that education if channelled well,
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
and with external motivation I could make a career in dancing as well.

Who had thought of the word career, and what it really meant? Maybe
it had some significance for those who had money and resources but for
me, those were alien words; insignificant, trivial.
But with ND, and I cannot help but repeat myself, the extensive support
gave me confidence to engage myself in various activities and at the same
time complete my education. I wouldnt really say that I learnt the balancing trick perfectly but I did manage. I have learnt that I must follow something that I am passionate about.
We have had all the opportunities
and more than what I could have
imagined. Right from learning
how to make bags, to embroidery
work, to welding, to computers I
have now realised that dancing is
where my heart lies. From the
year I joined ND, I have become
refined in my thoughts and ideas.
And had it not been for the encouragement and emotional support from my teachers here, I wouldve perhaps never realised this. Today, I am a proud member of the dance school D-planet, where I am
training.
ND has been with me at the most important junctures of my life. What I
learn here cannot be, and is not, taught to me in my formal school. I have
started loving the way I learn my subjects here. Also, with passing years
I have realised that studying is not a boring zone but is quite interesting,
for which the credit goes to the creative ways I see my teachers helping
me with. The only thing I miss is using these computers all the time, may
be then I could polish my skills even better.
My teachers here made me talk, open up as a listener and treat myself
with dignity. And with education comes dignity, something that I learnt
late but like they say, it is better late than to be sorry.
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Appendix : 6
Basudev Baidya
Moner Bhoy Katano,
This is what I feel one should work upon if you want to learn and do
something worthwhile in your life. Now this could include right from
taking shower in that ice-cold water- to travel alone for the first time to
- sit with strangers in a class and gradually mustering courage to speak
to your teachers and make new friends. This is one value that always give
me wings to do so much more in my life. And this is what youll always
find in my writings, the courage to write something new, to explore new
avenues. Something that Naba Disha gave me the confidence to believe in.
Hello, I am Basudev Baidya. And no I am not some grey-haired philosopher but an 18 year old boy who loves studying accounts and play
cricket just like any other boy of
my age would. But do you know
there are many other things those
boys of my age do that I willingly
choose not to indulge in. I want to
work unlike my friends who think
work will find its way some day or
the other, but I want to find work
and never end this learning curve
which began with my teaching
here at Naba Disha. Just like my
favourite cricketer Brett Lee, I want to make my nation proud and give in
all the hard work that I would have to give in so as to give back to parents
all the support they have provided me with all this while.
What was education? What was school? Well for me as a child it just
meant staying away from home and not do any household chores, a way
to escape from the tedious daily work that I used to be at when I stayed
with my uncles and grandparents house at my native place, a place where
I spent my childhood. It was much later in standard III, that I shifted to
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Kolkata where my parents along with my sister who went to a much better city-school stayed.
My mother works as a domestic helper and father as a daily labourer but
despite the hardships faced, they tried to maintain my education when
they enrolled me in a formal school. As a child I was excited about new
classrooms and the new school that awaited me. But what also awaited
me was the stark reality that my parents despite their best efforts could
not see their son completing his education due to financial constraints. A
very common yet personally stimulating hardship for many around me.
After studying for two years till standard IV in Shishu Shikha Bhawan, I
dropped out of school.
If I ever have to express my gratitude and extend thanks to anybody for
who I am today, it would be first my sister who never gave up on me and
introduced ND to me that helped me pursue my schooling. And second
it would be Naba Disha and my teachers there. As an introvert and a shy
kid I could not fathom the significance of cultivating habits like reading
books or for that matter even acknowledging somebodys efforts to help
me learn something new. Perhaps, the reason why I am unable to boast
of a big friend circle. Where on one hand I want to find work, my friends
want some work to find them. ND has inculcated within me the hunger
to learn more, and this I want to be re-kindled from people who surround
me. I seek friends who help me learn more and grow.
Under constant guidance and support from my teachers here at ND
I have evolved into what you see me as today. The many facets and
skills that I possess were drawn out of me through constant mentoring and financial support. My potential as a middle pace bowler in
cricket was realised through my training at Bulan Academy, Kolkata.
One of the most remarkable things that Ive learnt from various workshops conducted here is that academics is important but degrees wont
fetch me a meaningful life. To put it more simply, what is the point of
accumulating degrees and not being able to polish yourself as a better
human being? Naba Disha has built me. Built me through various capacitative programs, undertaken by me in various roles, sometimes as radio
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
child reporter which gave me a chance to interview the famous Masdur

Rahman; sometimes as a participant in the Road safety week. And you
know the positive effects of these are far fetching than what you can imagine. I am no longer afraid of the police, who used to have this tarnished
image in my perspective neither am I afraid of speaking my mind against
the anti-law activities in my residential block.
What is the use of my schooling and this knowledge if I cannot put it to
some good use for people around me. I have strived to express the same
through my creative writings and again the credit for which would most
definitely go to ND where I was introduced to poetry and story writing.
This exposure I think has rooted in me the desire to write and learn more
about me, about you and about them.
And one day I will with the help of these writings spread more awareness amongst my community members. During my growing years Ive realised that the more you interact with people about the concerned issues,
the more the understanding and the more the impact. Patience is the key
to make the other understand. Let me elaborate more on this, in ND, we
were trained to undertake surveys and put up plays to work on certain
actors that plagued my residential block completely.
I can proudly say that ND has enabled me to build aspirations that one
day even Ill have a school built for children like me, who would also not
hesitate to dream like me.
Children must be taught how to think,

not what to think.
Margaret Mead
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Appendix : 7
Sanjoy Jadav
I make excellent tea. I was trained to make tea, and I think I have mastered
the art of tea-making somewhat. I am from Bihar and my father opened a
tea stall here for us to have some source of livelihood. I never really liked
the city life, for it never gave me opportunities that I hoped it might. Expectations were unmet and I had accepted what life gave me. And then
life gave me something more.
Before I joined ND in 2003, I did not understand any other language
except Bhojpuri, which gradually became posed as hindrance in my effective communication even while talking generally. I used to come across all
kinds of people at my tea-stall that made me wonder what were their lives
like, how different they were from mine?
When I was enrolled in ND, this
communication barrier became a
source of embarrassment for me. My
fellow classmates used to translate
the language for me to interact with
teachers and other students. ND
helped me overcome this awkwardness. From the day I started understanding little Bengali and English,
I understood the gift that ND had
given this boy who was not inclined
towards education at all. A boy who now has enough confidence and will
power to take tuitions did not understand the significance of education
whatsoever. Who just knew his tea-stall and family who stayed behind in
Bihar.
From a rustic lad who did not understand English, ND gave me the
confidence to take tuitions for other children. Who could have believed
that I would be capable of this sometime in my life. Though I knew that
given the opportunities I would want to do a lot more in my life, but the
way didnt look easy to me. I did not know who could help me.
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Naba Disha gave me the chance to work with Kolkata police, at various platforms that engrossed me, fascinated me. Especially post my engagement with Kolkata Traffic Police at the road safety week, I aspire to
become one of them someday. My teachers at ND have forwarded my
application for Home Guard employment opportunities, which could be
like a dream come true for me.
It was 150th year celebrations of Kolkata Police that I was very excited
about because I was to lead my team representing ND in the presence of
so many eminent people and dignitaries. But fate had something else in
store for me, I got severe burn injuries while working at my tea stall some
days before the event. Had it not been for the support of my ND teachers,
I would not have the confidence to portray the role so enthusiastically
despite the physical pain that I had suffered. The confidence everybody
stalled in me, helped me overcome the pain and do what I was so ardently
looking forward to. That year ND did not only win the prize for the best
show, but I won accolades from the chief guest for the courage and enthusiasm that I had shown. This remains as a praise-worthy incident for Naba
Disha but for me, this was a life changing value that I cherish.
I am not a regular at the centre presently due to my school-timings,
a school where I am preparing for standard XII examinations and also,
training that I am undergoing at a local mobile store. My ND centre is like
my home, the only place that I call home in Kolkata.
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Appendix: 8
Md. Imran
Stories fascinate me. History as a subject has also fascinated me. My love
for history started in school, but the love did not last forever. Due to prevailing economic conditions I had to discontinue my studies, work at an
early age as a waiter with catering service providers. At present I want to
start as a caterer myself, especially when I have got the opportunity to get
trained by professionals from Institute of Hotel Management, Catering
Technology and Applied Nutrition, Kolkata.
From a quiet and shy child, I have
grown into a 19 year old confident,
outspoken boy. I have had many
rough patches which I proudly talk
of because those were the dark phases that enabled me to value the right
moments that one can get if steered
in the right direction. My association with schooling and education
has been a tricky affair all this while.
It was first in Standard III that I left
studies because of sheer lackadaisical attitude and poverty. My mother
has always been a strong motivating pillar guiding me to resume studies
again properly. But unless ND came into the picture I couldnt be serious
about anything. It was in Standard VII again that I failed to pass my examinations. Family conditions compelled me to joined truck drivers- assistance as means of livelihood. I also fell prey to alcohol consumption.
Had it not been ND and my friends who tried taking me back to the folds
of studies, I would have lost the trail forever.
My teachers accepted me back with open arms, despite the fact that I never
respected their counselling and advice.
So, after much counselling I returned to complete my education. My
teachers at ND made me believe in myself. Believe in my own capacities.
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I involved myself in books and activities like dancing, art & craft and
other workshops, and would unabashedly take space for myself as good
in slogan- writing and teaching other kids at my centre. After the career
counselling workshops, I felt the need to give my best in everything that
I was involved in order to avoid any pent-up regrets that might spear up
later in life. But starting afresh was not easy for me. It was difficult to fill
up the gap in my studies of nearly 2 years. I failed to clear my HS examinations successfully in the first attempt, but now nothing could deter me
from achieving what I had set out to do.
Having envisioned decent education to my credit, employability chances on merit, and a content mother who had invested so much in her son,
I found a lot more in the unexpected lanes of life after I changed Naba
Disha in the year 2000.
After participation in the Kolkata Police Safety Week and training in
traffic maintenance, I consider myself having developed some understanding on what one might mean by responsible citizen. The confidence
in me by my teachers and family has made me a responsible student. A
responsible son. I have the confidence of balancing my time as a student,
as a teacher (at the centre) and as a member of an orchestra team where I
engage myself as a technician in my free time.
My perceptions have changed. My aspirations have changed. And I
hope to bring some change in the same society that has given me a chance
to change. Change for better.
The roots of education are bitter, but

the fruit is sweet.
Aristotle
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Appendix: 9
Madhuri Kumari Pandey
Yeh Tan Vish ki Belri, Guru Amrit ki Khaan,
Shish kate aur Guru mile, to bhi sasta jaan.
Our body is like a plant of poison and Guru is a mine of Nectar. Even if the
life is sacrificed to reach the Guru, the deal comes at a cheap price. Because,
once we reach the Guru and submit our self to Him, the course that our
soul will now take, will be defined by our Guru. Guru Bina Gati Nahin.
Without The Guru, we cannot achieve our ultimate aim.
Teachers are like friends, perhaps the reason why I could not comprehend
when I saw my classmates being afraid of teachers in my school. My
teachers her at ND have been my friends, mentors and strong pillars of
support. Being the only daughter amongst three younger brothers to my
parents and coming from a conservative
family, Ive had strong supportive parents who want to see their daughter prosper in her life. Something that I believe I
will achieve.
ND as a place for learning felt different from my formal school, I came here
in while in Class V in the year 2005 and
today when I am in standard XI, and I am
still very much a part of ND in various capacities. In the capacity of a student and
a teacher (when with my junior mates at the centre), in the capacity of a
friend- and in the capacity of a thinker. ND has given me wings to think,
an attribute that is only accredited to ND and the workshops that I have
been proudly a part of. I found the poet inside me, the story-teller inside
me. I was given the platform to participate in various essay-writing competitions, drama and recitation programs. My works have got published
in Naba Dishas newsletters too. What more could I have asked for? I
already feel that there is so much more within me that I want to explore.
Essaying the role of team-leader of Jugnu I get the chance to explore
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
advocacy activities through road shows, poster making and at time holding interviews for our newsletter Bal Akhbar. Many other participations
of such nature have helped me reflect on issues that take place everyday
around me.
I have made long-lasting relationships in Naba Disha. One such opportunity came in the face of volunteering as a scribe with Indian Institute
for Cerebral Palsy. My long association with Naba Disha has helped me
become a strong, confident and conscious person.
Inspite of the uncertainties about whether I study a lot or not, I am not
ready giving away my dream of becoming a teacher. A teacher who would
selflessly want to work with her students, just the kind I am blessed with.
Education is the best friend. An educated person is

respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty
and the youth.
Chanakya
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
Appendix: 10
Rahul Paswan
It was such a pleasure to sink ones hands into the
warm earth, to feel at ones fingertips the possibilities of the new season.
The possibilities that one might not know exist,
what a delight to find those never-thought of delights that life throw up. Gardening, as an activity
was introduced to me in Naba Disha when I joined it
in the year 2005. I used to see my friends at the centre and the teachers celebrate World Environment
Day on June 5. Fascinated, I developed intense love
for environment and today I attempt to spread the
same passion around me, with my siblings, friends
and community members.
Being the eldest among my siblings, I have come to
realize how important it is to be that positive figure
for your siblings to get sufficient motivation to do
well in their life. The coming of my younger sister
when I was in standard IX had me withdrawn into
myself, her coming into my family made me feel that
earning a livelihood is more crucial then getting an
education. Had it not been my teachers here at ND
who counselled me, made me see the positive side
of this scenario. I was made to see education as a
passport to success. Success minus inspiration is no
success at all. Conceivably the reason why I would
want my sister to get the opportunities to explore
similar avenues with ND, that might direct her life.
My experience with library books, where I interacted and taught the students from standard I-IV; saw me metamorphise my thought process. ND
helped me nourish the ideals I hold dear at present.
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
It was in standard V that I joined Naba Disha, learning, tumbling and

again re-installing that confidence in myself, I have managed to successfully prepare for my XII board examinations due next year. Could I
have asked for something better, a chance given to do well, is to be better
grasped and acted upon, Right?!
Educating the mind without educating the

heart is no education at all.
Aristotle
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
Appendix: 11
Naima Parveen
Refused any activity outside home.
Refused education.
Refused me my freedom..
Before Naba Disha came into the picture in 2000, my formal schooling
came to an unexpected halt because of our big family and few earning
hands. It was after much counselling that I was allowed to enrol myself in
ND, rubbing against the popular notion of Muslim girls being educated
and working after education. I am proud to have belonged to this community and yet step out of the threshold to complete my education and
grab with both my hands the other opportunities that have come along.
The 9 year old shy girl Naima Parveen who used to fear anything beyond the walls of her house now stands in front as a confident teacher
herself at Naba Disha after 12 long years. This journey at Naba disha has
seen me achieve computer aptitude,
sharpen spoken English skills, pass my
HS exam at one attempt unlike my sister who had to take the examinations
four times, complete the rest of schooling by winning a scholarship, undergo
wonderful exposure trips and workshops making me realize that the world
outside is mine if I want to learn.
The various projects that I worked as
a member with in ND eventually also
got me several job opportunities, amongst one which I accepted at Pizza
Hut but couldnt continue because my heart lies within the teaching realm.
Now, the same mother, who was wary of her daughter stepping out the
safety of domesticity, is now proud of the credentials that her once timid
daughter has achieved.
I see my teachers at Naba Disha who taught me, guided me, of course
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
not discounting the support of my other teachers from the formal schools
who equally supported me to survive as a dreamer and come so far. Today
I sit amongst those same teachers interacting with and teaching students.
Everyday has brought with it new challenges and experiences, the learning which has not ceased yet. I learn everyday when I sit these children
and try the new innovative ways that Vikramshila has trained us into.
Sometimes making me wonder what if we as students too got to learn
from these ever-freshly engaging tools that these children engage themselves with.
I see hope in every face and every smile that these children bring with
them, re-affirming my faith in myself to become a teacher just like the
lady who now sits beside me teaching children, the way she taught me.
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
Appendix: 12
Md. Ishaque
Hello, heres your coffee, hope you like it!
I am Ishaque, working at the Cafe Coffee Day outlet where I learn and
re-learn everyday. A lot can happen over coffee. True. A lot did happen
over coffee for me. My first job. A place that made me self-dependent.
Imagine a boy appearing for an interview to
work at a coffee shop not knowing what coffee
tastes like. I learnt how to make coffee (with that
smiley on your cuppa) and how to win friends. I
learn to smile from heart.
I learnt the art of making myself happy and now
this happiness extends to bring that smile on others
face too. My job arms me with a sense of security,
and my education with self-respect. How could I
not be thankful for the spoken English classes as
well as the training undertaken by me in the Food
& Beverage sessions, held at the hotel management
institute, on the basis of which I can at least communicate with my guests
efficiently. I try to manage my morning hours at college and evening hours
at the cafe with my night spent at the coffee shop itself. I put in the hard
work because I know it is on today that I can build my tomorrow, I learnt
this the hard way, but learnt if for sure at ND.
Things become bad only if we do it the wrong way and to go the right
way, you need the right support and right understanding. The right understanding that was extended to me by the Naba Disha environment.
Hailing from a Muslim community, I had severe insecurities about how
I would interact with people from other communities. The narrow walls
of such nature were broken down by Shibani di from Naba Disha. From
an arrogant, suspicious 10 year old boy who would just find ways to irritate his teachers and hate studying, I now stand as a proud 21 year old
employed, responsible and if I may add, a much more optimistic man.
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
Respect is earned and the Hindu lady

whom I detested initially, whose politeness repelled me earlier now is the one
with whom I share my ideas, aspirations
and stories. It is this same dedication that
I have tried to inculcate in myself.
Support for my schooling and tuitions
helped me aspire to complete my studies
which my family couldnt afford. A son
who grew up witnessing hostile conditions at his home, now is proud to earn
and support myself. I started studying
because my mother wanted me to but today I study for myself. I have found this
self confidence and respect that I would
not want to let go off at any cost.
Education is not preparation for life; education

is life itself.
John Dewey
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
Appendix: 13
Muzaheed Islam
Despair and problems form an intrinsic part of ones life. I have had my
share too. That day when my father returned home late evening. I knew
something was not right. Everything
turned upside down when suddenly from
the lap of comforts that I was given from
my childhood slowly slipped away from
my hands. I stopped going to school, because my father could no longer afford
sending me and brothers to school. I accepted it with jealousy for my friends who
still went to school. I wanted things to
change. But how, I just prayed to god to
do change the tide. Somehow. Anyhow.
That is when I
got to know about Naba Disha and I knew that
this was my chance. It was my friend Ishaque
who introduced me to ND in the year 2001.
I saw my friend Ishaque change. Change in his
attitude. Change in his ideas. Change in him.
And I was attracted to this change. Back then I
had no aspirations except that I wanted to get
away from home and the problems that came
from that window which I wanted to shut close
forever.
I was awestruck on coming across a Hindu
lady helping us children pre-dominantly hailing
from Muslim community to dream and realise
some as well. This nurturing at ND has helped
me develop perspective about issues that I never
could be thought of. When I was mainstreamed
two years later in standard VII in a formal school,
ND helped me overcome the feeling of inadequacy that I felt in the Urdu
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
medium school. The shift from an English medium to an Urdu medium

school was something I took time to adjust with.
In one years time when I complete my graduation in Commerce, I think
that I have been lucky to have got the opportunity to complete my education along with the various activities that I got to learn and try my hands
at. Even what might sound to you as small things, have went in a big way
to contribute to make me the way I think today, the exposure trips to Science City, Nicco Park have been memorable and amongst the best learning
experiences I have had.
Along with my college I started working as a tailor to earn some pocket
money. This job has taught me the idea behind balancing both my job as
well as my studies at college. Today as a self-sufficient 21 year old man, I
can proudly say that the skills acquired at ND have given a new dimension to my perspective and outlook.
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
Appendix: 14
Nassir Hussain
Think how it wakes the seeds
Woke, once, the clays of a cold star.
Are limbs so dear-achieved, are sides
Full-nerved, still warm, too hard to stir?
Was it for this the clay grew tall?
O what made fatuous sunbeams toil
To break earths sleep at all?
What is the meaning of existence, and the inevitability of death. This
poem speaks about an existential crisis; what is the point of being born if
you are just going to die a few years later? It is common for people to
question death and what comes after death,
especially if that person is on the verge of
death themselves.
This is my favourite poem; I was introduced to in school, making English my favourite subject. Perhaps because of the undertone of these lines that I ponder on the
purpose of me being here? What is the point
of aspiring when you dont have the means to
realise them?
From a pessimistic 9 year old boy who had
no clue to what life meant. My living was encircled in the realms of house and some learning that my brother taught
me. As a child all I knew about school uniform was that it is one additional dress that you have in your cupboard and if you got to school you
get this new dress. I missed having that uniform.
Today after 10 years that I have spent at ND I know the meaning of uniform. Uniform is unity. Uniform is sameness. We named our young citizens group also on the same lines Ekaai-meaning unity. Teachers at ND
have taught me that aspiring, dreaming is not something one should let
go off. It is only when we dream that we build the desire to find the means
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
to realise them so it is not the futility that one should concentrate on but
the positive aspect of learning and using that learning to face what you
have to.
The Nassir that you meet today may take time to
open up in front of you but once I talk there is no
stopping me. Just like there was no stopping me
when I completed my Madhyamik Examinations
last year in 2011. You will
soon see me pass my Higher
Secondary Examinations and
then pursue my dream of appearing for Company Secretary Examinations and become a proud CS.
Could I have been more
proud to teach the children here at ND, the same
place where I got my basic education from, the place
where I learnt my numbers, I learnt my poetry and I
learnt how to learn.
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
Appendix: 15
Md. Saddam Hussain
Blessed with the most wonderful parents.
Blessed with the most knowledgeable and friendly teachers.
Blessed with the most supportive peers.
I sure ought to count my blessings!
At the age of 20, I have learnt so much in terms of values and ideals. My
values that stem from my parents, from my mentor here at Naba Disha
and from the students who I teach now.
My association with ND has been of 12 long years now. It was in the
year 2000 that I joined ND in standard III. I have grown literally here in
the room of ND. I can speak
my mind because this is what I
have learnt here. Something
that I try to bring and cultivate
in the students who I tutor. The
opportunity to interact with
many a famous figure have
helped in developing my conscience and self-confidence.
My family might not be rich
in terms of material well-being,
but I am proud to come from a family where my father has devoted his life
to a school in the capacity of a security guard. The teachings that I have
received from my family have gone into the making of my consciousness. Perhaps the reason why I rather chose to spend time with my books
and take tuitions for children since standard VII than engaging myself in
other meaningless activities. I firmly believe in sharing in what you have
instead of just keeping to oneself the joys of knowledge. My mentors at
ND have played a crucial figure in shaping my thought-processes.
From being ranked as a star performer here in ND, my confidence has
been touching new heights. And one might see this confident joy beaming
in my eyes throughout. After having received computer training, service
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
training from Institute of Hotel Management, theatre workshop where

again I was encouraged as being the best performer, ND has given this
feeble boy the buoyancy to lead a vibrant life of learning activities that
were out of his reach and un-dreamt of.
After completion my graduation in Commerce you will definitely find
me as a teacher. A son fulfilling his fathers dream of seeing his son become a teacher. After all I am the only child in my family who could pursue further studies owing to my union with ND. The knowledge gained
by me here at ND will be my guiding star and enable me spread literacy
across many others like me.
Education is the key to unlock the golden door

of freedom.
George Washington Carver
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
Appendix: 16
Md. Sarfaraz Nawaz
Short-cuts, whoever invented them, should have got his lessons from
Naba Disha. Because I have learnt mine here at
ND. One cannot achieve anything by taking shortcut but determination and hard work is what one
ought to resort to have his way.
As a young child, I was forced to discontinue
my studies because we could not afford the luxury
of education. Today again when I completed my
schooling, I am being asked to quit schooling since
I have had an overdose of education. But I have
the support of my mentor at ND that gives me the
courage to go ahead leaving behind the hard falls
to get myself enrolled in a college. My education
has made me a better and an understanding being.
I do not harbour any bitter feelings for my parents who could not afford my education but I do
feel the need to earn and make them understand
the importance of my education. They have tried
to provide the best for me as any loving parents
would.
ND has provided for the same best in the form
of trainings for computers, art & craft, etc. I have
lost track of the activities undertaken by me here
at ND, we have done so much. Learnt so much that
sometimes it seems like a dream; a dream that is
untouched by many of my counterparts who study
in different schools. That marks the huge divergence between my formal school and Naba Disha.
A divergence that I have tried intervening in the
capacity of teaching younger children myself, trying the same method
and patience that ND schooled me with.
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
I am aware of my duties as a member of my family and with every

passing day I try to build myself as the pillar of strength for them. After
joining Naba Disha I have started knowing myself better. It has helped me
recognize my innate capabilities that I want to build on. My mentor here
at ND has been a mother, a friend to me and the best support system that I
could have ever imagined. Perhaps the reason behind me being in college
today and may be youll find me tomorrow employed as an accountant
somewhere. Who knows what life has in store for me. But I look forward
to it carrying with me, the fire in the heart that Naba Dishas knowledge
has lit in me.
An investment in knowledge pays the

best interest.
Benjamin Franklin
Vikramshila Education Resource Society started its journey in 1989

with the mission to make quality education a reality for all children. Based
in Kolkata (West Bengal, India) Vikramshila reaches out to underprivileged and under-resourced sections of society to make education meaningful and relevant to their lives. Over the last twenty years, Vikramshila
has undertaken various initiatives in action research and teacher-development programmes all over India, reaching out to more than 200
grassroots level organisations 25,000 teachers and 14, 00,000 children.
Vikramshila works with children, teachers and government systems
through teacher development programmes and childrens learning support programmes. The organisation through its various action research
initiatives is attempting citizenship education in its centres, quality improvement in madrasas as well as linking education to employability
within the formal school system.
Naba Disha, (A New Direction) is a unique childrens education programme of Vikramshila in partnership with the Kolkata Police.
The programme which began in 1999 is considered a model representing a synergy of efforts of the Kolkata Police with civil society organizations, corporates and government systems. The project has reached out
to about 10,000 children of the most deprived and under resourced communities in the slums of Kolkata and its outskirts, in the last 15 years.
More than 150 children have successfully completed their board examinations, many of whom are now gainfully employed, and who still keep
coming back to the centres to meet their teacher didi and to help the
little ones. It is here that lies the success of the programme which
believes that education is about finding ones place in society and from
there reach to out to others, to help them find their space.
typographia.tga@gmail.com

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Vikramshila Education Resource Society started its journey in 1989

Vikramshila Education Resource Society

Designed and printed at :

Over the last 14 years, the Naba Disha education centres

New Pastures, narrates different interventions in art,

Hello meet the New Us!

Through Childrens Lens

Birla Industrial and Technological Museum

The story that begins

S ystems of education evolve when alternatives to the mainstream are

environment and childrens physical as well as emotional well-being. The

Md. Saddam Hussain

Md. Sarfaraz Nawaz

Figure 1 : Students profile

This resulted in a sample size of 16 persons who were interacted with,

Through Childrens lens, p. 21 onwards.

information through tangible numbers since a very subjective approach

HELLO! Meet the new us

Where we started from

T his is a great question that stands posed before humanity at large

The skills necessary for successful achievement in many subjects are

National Curriculum Framework; 2005 (NCERT).

The following excerpt exemplifies the seeping of critical questioning of

NCF 200513 also speaks of contextualizing of knowledge. Unless the

National Curriculum Framework; 2005 (NCERT).

Excerpts like above provide as indicators of the bridge between the

Education is the most powerful weapon

Through Childrens Lens

my mother regarding my chances of getting education. This opportunity

Education is the ability to listen to almost anything

and with external motivation I could make a career in dancing as well.

child reporter which gave me a chance to interview the famous Masdur

Children must be taught how to think,

The roots of education are bitter, but

Education is the best friend. An educated person is

It was in standard V that I joined Naba Disha, learning, tumbling and

Educating the mind without educating the

Respect is earned and the Hindu lady

Education is not preparation for life; education

medium school. The shift from an English medium to an Urdu medium

training from Institute of Hotel Management, theatre workshop where

Education is the key to unlock the golden door

I am aware of my duties as a member of my family and with every

An investment in knowledge pays the

Vikramshila Education Resource Society started its journey in 1989

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