Making Learning Joyful

Ratna decided to transition to work in the field of education five years ago, driven by her enduring interest in the way children learn, particularly in low-resourced schools. Her role as an auditor with the C&AG provided her with a substantial understanding of the Government school system. She emphasises the importance of children being happy to learn, asserting that for children to have equal life chances, they must possess a strong foundation.

Joyful learning and a strong foundation are the two factors that drive her love for strengthening education. Ratna is committed to raising the standard of education and learning outcomes in her role as CEO of Reach to Teach India. She puts out endless efforts to establish a setting in which kids can flourish and realise their greatest strengths.

Edited excerpts from her recent interview with BW Education: 

You often talk about joyful learning. What does that term mean to you in practical classroom terms?

When you speak of the word ‘joy, it holds a lot of different components and is not just one structured activity. Joy emerges when everyone involved is genuinely invested and enjoying the process of learning and teaching. It is a learning experience that is meaningful, engaging and emotionally resonant – for both the child and the teacher. So, when we talk of joyful learning, we actually focus on what is the key component of a child, curiosity. The moment you look at curiosity, you know  the only way to engage with a child is by ensuring that the curiosity is engaged and if a teacher can do this in a manner which is interesting both to the teacher and the child, that is what we mean by ’making learning joyful’.

For instance, a very simple example would be if one were to create activities. Now, activities necessarily mean interaction and the moment there is interaction considering all of us have the child still within us no matter how old we are, that interaction creates a particular kind of momentum that builds joy in whatever is being done. This is because the teacher and the child are together playing an active role in creating value out of which learning is derived. To me, this is the true spirit of joyful learning.

How has your experience in auditing with the C&AG shaped your approach to systemic change in education?

The Comptroller and Auditor General is responsible for audit of all Government functions within the country,  both at the State and Central level. As a result, all schemes that the Government of India implements, is independently audited, whether it is commercial undertakings, civil departments, defence, telecom, railways etc. Within civil departments, we audit all  educational schemes and how these were rolled out across the country. So, in the process, we get an inside systematic view of how education schemes and programmes are being implemented and their efficacy & efficiency. This experience was pivotal in shaping my understanding of the education system, particularly as our focus is on Government schools. From an audit perspective, we examined how programmes rolled out, whether targets were achieved and most importantly whether learning outcomes were achieved as intended. The ringside view of education that one got as a part of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s organisation probably gave me an edge when I decided to transition to the other side of the table, i.e., the development sector and look at it from an active implementing perspective.

Since the C&AG is appointed by the Government, how does it maintain true independence in auditing government actions?

The C&AG is completely and wholly independent of the Government and is a Constitutional authority and does not report to any Government Department or Ministry. This enables independence and the duties of the C&AG are spelt out by the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service) Act,1971 or the DPC Act.

You aim to reach 31.6 million children by 2030. What are the biggest enablers and challenges to achieving that scale?

I think the enablers are the fact that since we work with the Government and engage as a partner of choice, we are allowed to be a part of the system and which then enables us to work with the Government in a collaborative manner to take forward the vision for education the State has for itself. The fact that this is done in such a synchronous way allows for us to create, roll out, train, implement in collaboration with Government functionaries. In effect, they become the force multiplier by being the feet-on-street implementation force. We work with the Education Department by following a ‘doing and learning’ methodology. And by doing together and learning together, we ensure that whatever we are doing gets institutionalised within the system and that allows for us to exit. The challenges to this model is the critical assumption that Government will allow you to become a part of their system as partners to collaborate with. Unless Government allows you to become a partner of choice, this model will not be so effective.

The improvement in Arunachal Pradesh Board Exam results is remarkable. What were the key levers that made this possible?

The key levers of our success were that the Government accepted us, believed in us and we worked in collaboration, co-creating a model rooted in a common understanding of the issue and the solution. Stemming from a place of trust and co-creation, there was a great synergy. This synergy enabled us to achieve meaningful outcomes within just 24 months where Class X pass rates in the Board Examinations improved by 10 per cent, while Class XII pass rates improved by 12 per cent. So, when I say that Government acceptance is critical for a model like ours  to succeed, this is exactly what I mean as without this kind of a partnership, this level of impact simply would not have been possible.

Can you explain how the Comprehensive Learning Transformation Programme (CLTP) brings parents and communities into the learning process?

Learning is not restricted to the walls of the classroom but is also through interaction with the larger community, particularly parents. Parents are critical to children’s learning, because unless parents are made to believe in the system, they may or may not send their children to school. To cite an instance, we found that after school breaks, parents tend to hold girls back from school. The reasons for this are manifold and in such circumstances we make a special effort to reach out to those parents and engage with them explaining how continued education, especially for girls, can benefit not just the child, but the entire family. Beyond parents, the larger community plays a critical role in supporting a child’s journey of learning. As the saying goes ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. 

The article was first published on – https://www.bweducation.com/article/making-learning-joyful-556086