Summer camp mode to enhance learning outcomes for primary students
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Bhubaneswar: In a bid to transform primary education in the state, several civil society organisations have launched an initiative called 'CAMaL Ka Camp' (Combined Activities for Maximised Learning), which employs an interactive approach combining songs, games and storytelling to enhance learning outcomes for students of classes IV to VI.
The programme, aligned with National Education Policy (NEP) guidelines, has established 5,047 learning centres across 2,884 villages, primarily focusing on tribal areas. A six-week camp, conducted during summer holidays, successfully engaged 55,147 children with specially designed learning materials. "We have collaborated with govt schools to organise the camps for the students," said Ruchi Kashyap, executive trustee of the Atmashakti Trust.
Responding to statistics from the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER)-2024, which revealed that only 59.5% of Class V students in Odisha's govt schools could read at Class II level, the programme mobilised 6,936 trained volunteers to facilitate community-driven learning experiences.
"The effort to make foundational learning accessible through engaging methods is commendable," said Kartik Kumar Panda, headmaster of Government Upper Primary School, Gadaiguda, in Malkangiri, adding that such programmes can be a key part of education reform efforts.
The initiative has received strong support from district and block-level authorities, while Atmashakti Trust continues its broader mission across 16 districts, reaching around 15 lakh families through various social development programmes.
"The camp's success in combining educational innovation with community participation marks a promising step toward addressing learning gaps in rural Odisha, particularly in tribal areas where educational challenges have been historically significant," Kashyap said.
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