Primary Schooling
$45.00
A head start in life. Pre-primary or primary schooling gives children from struggling families the chance to learn, opening up their future opportunities.
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Should the number of items sold or the funds raised exceed the amount needed for the projects these gifts are intended to fund, TEAR Australia will redirect donations to similar development work.
This young boy is part of a pre-primary school run by Symbiosis, a TEAR partner in Bangladesh, as part of its Urban Women’s and Children’s program. He is part of a class for children from the urban slum area of Mymensingh. In class, the children learn to read and write numbers and letters, but there’s still plenty of time for fun activities like singing and dancing. It’s a positive experience, which prepares children to start in a government school with confidence and stay in school longer, too.
The project has many benefits, such as reducing the discrimination that these children from marginalised backgrounds can potentially face. By providing early opportunities to socialise with other children in a school-like setting, and to learn basic numbers and the alphabet, Symbiosis has found that there is less discrimination when the children enter mainstream schooling. They perform at a similar level to other students – or exceed this – and therefore don’t stand out because of what they don’t know. The project also works with the parents of these children on improving functional literacy, which has many benefits for the whole family, including being able to help children with homework and encourage them to learn.
About our partner - Symbiosis
Symbiosis was established in 1995 in Bangladesh. Rural and urban slum-based Integrated Programs are central to the work of Symbiosis, involving education, health, Self-Help/Savings Groups and training in income generation. An important part of its work is also raising awareness, particularly among women, of social issues and legal rights. Symbiosis also educates people on the environment and promotes the planting of trees in many of its projects.
