Meeting on 30-01-2013

Minutes of the Meeting on 30/1/13 :

1) The turnout was 21 out of around 50 volunteers despite mails being personally sent to all the volunteers. Out of the absent volunteers , only 3 confirmed their unavailability.
 

2)The feedback on assembly was taken , and new volunteers shared their experiences with PRAYAS .The issue of improving general knowledge of kids was taken and it was emphasized that volunteers are free to experiment with their classes , but they have to put more effort for it.
 

3)For improving assembly standards , it was emphasized that volunteers devote some time for preparing kids of their classes for assembly .It was also discussed that presence of volunteers during assembly improve the morale of kids .Volunteers should try to be present in assembly at least on the day when their class kids have to present in assembly.
 

4)It was proposed that a database can be maintained, at class level ,of each child, which could include the interests and areas in which he/she excels . Be it academics, co-curricular, or extra curricular.
 

5)Charging of nominal fees from kids was discussed among the volunteers , and everyone appreciated the drastic improvement in kids attendance after introducing this concept. To make clear , fees is charged only from those kids who have an attendance below 90% during a month. Rs 10/- for primary, Rs 20/- for class 6th -10th & Rs30/- for class 11th-12th.Special cases are exempted from paying this fees.
 

6)The discussion regarding persistence with the kids that are not academically bright took place . It was explained that in most of the systems the kids that are not academically bright are left out , and that is where we should work more hard instead of leaving them.
 

7)Volunteers shared their experiences and problems with the naughty kids .It was shared that patience and experimentation like reverse psychology, making use of emotional attachment with kids have worked in past and might work in future too.
 

8)The extent of freedom given to the kids at PRAYAS was discussed. Most of us agreed that a lot of freedom is given to the kids and some expressed their concern about the misuse of this freedom leading to indiscipline. Then it was emphasized that though some kids do misuse the freedom given here, this independence has benefited most of the kids. At least it has created a platform where the kids can freely discuss issues that are not entertained at home.
 

9)It was emphasized that the volunteers should not impose their ideology on the kids regarding subjective topics like religion, etc. The volunteers should present a balanced view about all the aspects regarding the topic and let the kids make an informed decision.

Please comment on this thread to discuss any of the above mentioned points.