The Singapore International Foundation (SIF) and the Parikrma Humanity Foundation have launched a three-year partnership to enhance the teaching standards of Mathematics and Science in the Indian state of Karnataka. The Mathematics and Science Curriculum Enhancement Project will be led by a team of Singapore International Volunteers (SIVs).
Through this project, educators from Singapore will work with their counterparts in Bangalore to raise the professional expertise of teachers, facilitate interactive and active learning classrooms, as well as promote knowledge sharing between professionals in Singapore and Karnataka's education sector.
Jean Tan, Executive Director, SIF, said, "By creating platforms such as this to facilitate people-to-people collaboration, we can work hand in hand to share insights and effect positive social change. We hope that through sharing resources and knowledge in primary education, we are able to contribute to a crop of educators who would be able to deliver high-quality teaching practices to benefit children's development."
The project augments the Karnataka state government's commitment to the larger UN Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring inclusive and quality education for all.
Besides facilitating professional sharing and knowledge transfer between established practitioners in both countries, over the course of three years, up to 700 Indian educators from Parikrma Humanity Foundation's schools and other government schools in Bangalore as well as 5,250 school-going children are expected to benefit from the collaboration, through the following initiatives:
- Training-of-Trainers workshops
- Online mentoring sessions for master trainers
- Public Education camp for parents
- A teacher aid which will be produced by both the SIVs and master trainers and used in subsequent teacher training programmes
- A symposium to function as a knowledge platform for sharing and exchange of best practices, and
- A study visit to Singapore for select master trainers to see the best practices shared being applied in the Singaporean context which will guide them in applying or adapting practices for their own schools
Shukla Bose, Founder, Parikrma Humanity Foundation said, "Singapore's education system has been globally recognised and we are excited to work together with the SIF to raise the teaching standards of our Mathematics and Science teachers to support children's learning at the primary school level."
The SIF in its mission statement said it plans to build enduring relationships between Singaporeans and world communities, and harness these friendships. Their programmes bring people together to share ideas, skills and experiences in areas such as healthcare, education, the environment, arts and culture, as well as livelihood and business. http://www.sif.org.sg
Parikrma Humanity Foundation is a non-profit organisation which aims to ensure that even the poorest child from the slums has access to modern education and opportunities. Founded in 2003 in Bangalore, Parikrma runs five centres for learning and a junior college for more than 2,000 children from 99 slum communities and five orphanages.