Parag Film
Start with children looking at a very well illustrated/ brought out book looking engrossed.-(Sadhna teaching English from Granny’s saree )
VO 1- If only everyday teaching and learning were such fun!
The past decade, however, has seen a remarkable rise in the number of first-generation learners who have enrolled in schools. However, ensuring children’s literacy, even basic oral and written proficiency remains a key challenge. In this context, age-appropriate, graded educational material for instructional and recreational purposes becomes critical. The linguistic diversity in our country calls for suitable reading material for children and neo-literate readers in regional languages.
VO 2 –In order to bridge the yawning gap between the demand and supply of quality educational material outlined in even in key policy documents like the National Curricular Framework, 2005, Sir Ratan Tata Trust’s launched its PARAG initiative in 2005.
‘Activity is the heart of the child’s attempt to make sense of the world around him/her. Therefore every resource must be deployed to enable children to express themselves, handle objects, explore their natural and social milieu and grow up healthy .’
(can use a quote with supers)
VO 3 – Parag supports the development and dissemination of innovative publishing focused on improving India’s elementary education. The initiative promotes regional publications, professional development among illustrators, writers and publishers; dissemination of quality publications; and networking among publishers and educationalists.
Break Sandhya working on a diorama-
VO 4- Producing quality material may be fun but it’s certainly not child’s play, as this enchanting little diorama may suggest. This set of characters has been used to illustrate a text from the Gudbud series on family values, brought out by The Centre for Learning Resources or CLR Pune, one of Parag’s grantees. Through its bilingual publishing CLR’ employs the globally researched understanding that a known language can fruitfully be used to learn a new one. The instructional, supplementary and recreational materials readers published by the CLR have grown out of their long experience in the teaching of both the first language and English in regional medium schools.
Interestingly many known artists and illustrators have collaborated their talent to make the learning experience from CLR enriching.
(Audio break: John in the recording studio, use visuals from radio learning session )
VO5 – Read along radio is a unique attempt at CLR to inculcate the reading habit in children.
Bite of Zakiya on bilingual books and rationale – bite saying 1000 functional words—–
(Visuals from publications to illustrate Zakiya’s point)
VO 6- An interesting concept actively used by CLR is the same text is used across 2-3 grades to create a familiarity with sounds and meaning incrementally making the learning experience gradual and fun. CLR’s texts are high quality visually appealing publications uncommon in regional language publications. They also target children from disadvantaged backgrounds
Bite –of teacher Teacher Ganeshwari Pardeshi –
(Storytelling session of Chintu’s Cap- English/Marathi)
VO 7 – Tie-ups with various publishers have been made for publishing “My World~My Words”, a bilingual pictorial reference book in English and with several language editions across schools.
(Visuals of MWMW published in various languages, Ms Hadap using the book)
Bite of Paro Anand –
A short break of the artwork of Anveshi books set to music-
VO 8– Anveshi Research Centre for Women’s Studies in Hyderabad, looks for new ways of understanding complex contemporary issues in education, culture and questions emerging from Dalit and minority communities. Anveshi’s project “Different Tales: Stories from Marginal Cultures and Regional Languages” presents a set of stories about lives and experiences that rarely find a place in mainstream children’s literature. These long unheard voices subvert fundamental stereotypes. Stories from Telugu and Malayalam have been sourced for publication in the 9-14 age group.
Bite of Deepa – We realized that stories with non-conventional themes and settings would call for a different approach and address in illustrations as well. Visuals are central to the way our books are imagined. We are fortunate to have worked with a group of eminent and committed artists from Baroda—Gulam Mohammed Sheikh, Nilima Sheikh and B. V. Suresh being among them. The collaboration has resulted in very different and thoughtful illustrative styles.
Bite of Gugu Shyamala on real-life experiences contributing to story. [translation)
VO 9 – Anuradha, a voluntary worker at Anveshi also teaches at Anand Bharati, an organization providing free education to domestic helpers of the area. As part of her story reading sessions, she has started to share some of the stories published under the project.
Bite of Anuradha at Anand Bharati- I use these stories to sensitise these girls and it has really widened their perspective….
Visual of Durga Bai working on illustrations to be used in Khichadi.
VO 10- Durga Bai here is working on the visuals for the first-ever big book in Hindi to be published by Eklavya Trust, another of Parag’s grantees. The story in this is a folk tale that exists in many variations as part of the collective memory of children and adults in north India. Eklavya has been experimenting with the use of familiar texts to enable faster learning.
(Other office working shots, like Indu working on the reprint of a book or Jitendra working on a visual for Chakmak, can be used here too.)
Interview of Mr C N Subramaniam, Director Eklavya on the thought behind publications like Akkad Bakkad, Khichadi etc. and the range of publications brought out by Eklavya.
(Audio break: Pitara jingle, visuals of Bhopal Pitara can be used)
VO 11 – This is a Pitara – an interactive storehouse of innovative educational resources from all over India, chosen through a careful selection process. A treasure trove of learning materials including books, charts, posters, toys, games, and puzzles, Pitaras also serve as activity-cum-learning centres for children and teachers. The material is carefully sourced and selected from a range of both mainstream and non-mainstream publishers in order to enable the evolution of Pitaras as a one-stop-shop for all kinds of educational needs.
(Shots of Ritika reading from Akkad Bakkad or children’s activities during summer camp or in Durg Pitara can be used)
VO 12 – Conceived as an interactive forum, there are 3 Pitaras run by Eklavya in Bhopal, Indore and Patna. As part of the expansion plans for Pitara, Eklavya has solicited collaborations with various groups to set up and run Pitaras in Udaipur, Faizabad, Kanpur, Surat and Durg.
(India map showing existing Pitara locations, Faizabad Pitara visuals etc)
Interview of Rajesh Khindri on the thought behind Pitaras, the need, the range of groups we source from…
VO 13 – Pitara has been catering to the needs of a range of its visitors. It is regularly and extensively used to enrich the libraries and activity centres of many local schools, to enhance the teaching methods of teachers like Sadhna /Arti.
Bite on the fractional sets used for Maths –activity-based learning
(optional vo)Paras also fulfil the special demands of teaching-learning materials for challenged children studying at the Centre for Comprehensive Rehabilitation, cater to the requirements of the non-formal learning centres for disadvantaged and working children run by Muskaan in the slums of Bhopal. (Shots of CRC, Muskaan, KVS No. 1 fractions lesson in the activity room to be used. Children’s activities during summer camp in Bhopal or in Durg Pitara can also be used if needed).
VO 14 –Vidhu, now in Class 12 has been coming to Pitara regularly since he was 10 years old., and has an insatiable appetite for books
(Shots of children and some mothers busy with activities in Pitara).
Audio break of Vidhu narrating his experience of coming to Pitara (Shots of Bihu playing with the Pitara TLM and Mona with Abhishek on her lap balancing the balance toy).
Bite of Amit and Mona Raje.
VO 15 Pitara has recently initiated an experiment to reach its materials to some select rural areas through other fraternal agencies at special discounted prices. Pitara helps volunteers of these partner organisations to put up bookstalls in weekly village hats and also sell them in the nearby villages and schools.
(Shots of Bilkisganj haat, preparations, stall, sales, etc.).
Bite of the Bilkisganj vegetable vendor on the importance of these bookstalls.
VO 16 – Pitaras are the brainchild of the Bhopal based Eklavya Trust. Eklavya has brought out approximately 50-new titles across various genres over the three-year grant period. Dissemination and marketing of these books through mail orders, fairs, bookshops and Pitaras are all part of its mandate.
(Visuals of all Eklayva publications under Parag, packaging of books at Bhopal)
Bite of Faizabad Pitara founder, Ms Manjula Jhunjhunwala, Jingle Bell Academy at the school book fair
Bite of Krishna Kumar –
VO 17 – Contemporary children’s literature in India is at a critical juncture – material development and dissemination need to go hand in hand with promoting a culture of reading. This requires a concerted effort across platforms of learning both personally and professionally, along with avenues for visibility. Parag is committed to promoting the link between language instruction, quality literature and a holistic learning experience to meet the demands of the future citizens of a new educated India.