Thalir Thiran Thittam (A Transformational Change Through Awareness)

While the world of work is increasingly becoming a level playing field, students coming from a less privileged social or economic background have an initial disadvantage in coping with the others which places them with a huge handicap as they begin their career.

Unless the students prepare themselves sufficiently both psychologically and socially, they would be at a loss to face the ‘real world’.

Students have huge potential. While regular curriculum equips them with knowledge and hard skills, it does not cover the soft skills relating to both emotional intelligence and social intelligence which become the deciding factor to move ahead in a competitive world.

‘Thalir Thiran Thittam’ was envisioned to support students with consistent and persistent inputs of skills and attitudes, which are extremely important in life, but not covered by the regular curriculum, over a period of time with an ideal of creating a ‘transformational change through awareness’

The objective of this program is to

• Equip students to make informed choices by providing them with skills that they need to cope with issues and problems related to the entire spectrum of their survival and well being
• Prepare students to become more responsible and confident adults, enabling them have a high self esteem and self worth,
• Make students fit for the real world in which they would lead lives as responsible citizens, contributing well to themselves, their families and the society at large.

Methodology

The framework of United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child has been used as a basis to develop the curriculum, which spans the formative years, from the 7th standard to the 12th standard over a period of six years.

The program employs Active Participatory Learning Methodology rather than the normal instructional methodology for the program using electronic visual and audio learning kit for the students supported by the school teachers acting as facilitators.

Participatory learning:

• Builds on the experience, opinions and knowledge of group members
• Provides a creative context for exploring possibilities and defining options
• Provides a source of mutual comfort and security which is important for the learning and decision
  making process

The program follows a six stage phased process of

• Curriculum Development
• Curriculum Delivery
• Program Implementation
• Reinforcement
• Impact Assessment
• Action Research

Program for Government Schools

A Memorandum of Understanding was entered into with the Government of Tamil Nadu, to run a pilot project for implementing the ‘Thalir Thiran Thittam’ for the seventh standard students in five schools. This program covered about 465 students and about twenty skills were imparted over a period of one year (August 2008 to March 2009). Feedback was taken from all stakeholders – students, parents, teachers and heads of institutions.

Based on the feedback, Thalir Thiran Thittam will be implemented in about 4000 schools in the current year 2009-10, covering both high schools and higher secondary schools across Tamil Nadu. The curriculum for the 8th standard to the 12th standard is being completed in the current year and introduced laterally in the year 2010-11 across these 4000 schools.

Program for Aided/Private Schools

Corporate Entities have come forward to support the implementation of Thalir Thiran Thittam in Aided Schools as part of their CSR Activities. Aparajitha ensures that the sponsorship reaches the intended schools through a transparent implementation system in place to provide such entities with progress and feedback reports of the implementation. To find out more about Thalir Thiran Thittam and how you can be involved in creating transformational changes in the lives of individual students and the society simultaneously, contact us.

Corporate Sponsors