Of all the debacles and crises in India, why should you read about the promotion and distribution of learning toys? Because it is a key component in the "Joyous Learning" revolution taking place in India. Learning toys have the potential of dramatically changing the outlook of India's youngest generation.

Why learning toys?

Researchers are now finding that educational media are absolutely vital to a child's learning process. Children are playful by their very nature, and teaching through the promotion of this natural instinct is a highly effective methodology. Studies such as PROBE (Public Report on Basic Education, 1996) and the United Nations' "State of the World Children 2000" woefully point out the dire lack of even the most rudimentary teaching aids, blackboards, posters, and books which children in India's wealthier schools enjoy. In an environment where the disadvantaged child is hungry, out of school, and working, whose foremost concern is survival, illuminating a child's spirit with a meaningful toy seems to make a world of difference.

Learning toys accomplish three things:

• They grasp a child's attention immediately.
• They engage the child fully in the process of learning by utilizing visual, auditory, and motor involvement.
• They explain abstract concepts, especially important for subjects like math and science.

At the grassroots level, teachers are forced to create learning tools from household items that would otherwise be discarded. Given the growing number of areas which require a teacher's attention - from classroom work to community outreach - teachers cannot dedicate serious time to developing media. On a larger, institutional level, NGOs find it cost-ineffective to make their own materials, and have to spend considerable time researching and acquiring appropriate materials. Thus, relief is urgently needed in the arena of learning material support. Since few people work in the domain of educational media - which requires background in both design and education - Sutradhar fulfills this void by linking creators of learning media to the vast number of schools who require their creations.

More about Sutradhar

Retail Store & Library | More

In 1995, Sutradhar opened a retail shop in Bangalore to sell learning materials. Staff from government schools, NGOs, teacher-training institutes, as well as upper-middle class mothers, regularly visit to learn about media in education. Attracting 1500 visitors annually, the center has since become a living laboratory, spawning a bevy of ideas and activities. Since the store sells its non-library products, it has a means to achieve self-sustenance measurably. In addition, the craftsman and small producer now have a built-in marketing vehicle for their wares.

Research | More

Sutradhar has undertaken the mapping and investigation of many factors in the education landscape. Moreover, all completed research results in the immediate production of a product or service for the benefits of the community at large. For example, in order to serve the needs of schools in Bangalore, a survey of all child-related NGOs was compiled into Fingertips - A Child Resource Directory.

Research has led to discovery of needs for new tools or the need for design modifications to existing tools. The fulfillment of this function has produced two Sutradhar-borne products: the Early Learning Kit, and Vegetable Flashcards. Sutradhar's newest project involves designing toys for children with physical and learning disabilities. Another project involves contracting traditional toy-making industries such as Chennapatna for mass-production of toys and crafts with an Indian focus.

Teacher-training | More

Sutradhar specializes in teacher-training in two areas. A training program is being initiated for teachers in NGOs, as most of these groups lack pedagogical expertise. In addition, the children at non-formal education (NFE) centers are not a captive audience, but come and go for short spans of time. Nor are they innocent children; their world of experience renders them quite adult, and engaging them must acknowledge this. The second area of training involves the learning tools themselves. Since learning toys are ineffective without the teacher guiding the student through the learning process, Sutradhar has conducted workshops and used resource persons to train teachers for their specific needs. The theatre-in-education program in government schools involves developing a methodology and curriculum for addressing issues of teaching gender and sexuality.

Public Forums | More

Every year, Sutradhar conducts a 3-day annual Resource Exhibition to promote and showcase learning tools. An Open Series Forum is conducted to create a public platform between educators, to bridge the gap between research and practice. Other forums organized include a Folk Toy Seminar and the Arts Education Forum.

Part of the organization's marketing and outreach strategy involves disseminating ideas to the public at large. To that end the organization has initiated a Features Service to inject intriguing ideas and developments on education into mainstream news publications such as The Hindu and the Times of India. The upcoming 25 government school innovations project, are in the process of being published

Sutradhar is expanding projects and needs your help. To find out more information, you may write to sutra@vsnl.com.