Achievements

Success Stories

In 2005, Vidyalaya was till upper primary, equivalent to 8th standard. A group of girls who had passed the 8th standard examination conducted by the government schools wanted to study further. They approached the administration of Digantar and told them that all they needed was a space and some minimum teacher support and they would be able to study further. Digantar agreed to provide the necessary support on one condition: all the girls would have to promise they would not leave the school before appearing for their 10th-class board examinations and will have to get that promise endorsed by their parents in presence of the School Coordinators. The girls promised and managed to accept the condition by their parents. The first group to be taught for secondary education at Digantar consisted of 20 girls, out of which 18 completed their 10th class education, and all 18 of them completed their 12th standard. Furthermore, 11 of these girls pursued higher education at the graduation level. These girls were the first in their village to pass 8th standard and above.

In 2008, one of our girls from the community faced opposition from her home when the men of the family told her she was not allowed to study further or appear for board exams. The mother of the girl wanted her daughter to appear for the exams and smuggled the daughter out every day for all her examination days helping her jump the backyard wall while the grandfather of the girl guarded the front door of the house. Needless to say, our teachers were ready to receive her every day as she jumped the backyard wall and took her to the examination centre. The girl passed 12th standard from Digantar Vidyalaya in the midst of these challenges. Subsequently, she got married., and she is currently a housewife. Although she could not pursue further education, but she is very much concerned about the education of her children.

A lot of children currently studying in Digantar Viayalay are the children of the students who themselves have studied in Digantar Vidyalaya.

• • The first batch of girl students in the village Kho Nagorian, who passed Elementary, Secondary, Higher Secondary School exams, and completed their graduate education, were all Digantar students.
• • Many now have gone to become teachers and other jobs ranging from bankers to lawyers.
• • For the last about 10 years, between 5 to 8 groups of about 40 B.El.Ed. and B.Ed. students have been visiting the school every year, to understand free-paced pedagogy and Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE). These visits significantly help them in understanding an alternative pedagogy and school organisation. One of the most often heard comments during debriefing is that they have witnessed such a close connection between theory and practice for the first time. As a result, they now believe that it is possible to actually practice free-paced, integrated (ungraded) schools and continuous and comprehensive evaluation.
• • Some groups of teachers from other organisations come for short-term (three days to a weeklong) orientation and training workshops.