Baramulla, Jan 21: As schools in the Kashmir division remain closed for the winter vacation until February 28, a group of students in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district has volunteered to teach their peers in their communities.
Despite the bone-chilling cold, these student volunteers are doing their part to keep education alive in their communities.
Zeenat Reyaz, a 9th-class student from Government Higher Secondary School, Achabal Rohama, Rafiabad has been volunteering since December to teach primary school students.
She has participated as a volunteer during the Baseline Assessment conducted by the Aspirational Districts Collaborative (ADC) team of Piramal Foundation, in Baramulla.
The Baseline Assessment was part of the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) under the National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN).
“I have been volunteering since December 2022 to teach students in primary classes. I am witnessing improvement in the reading and comprehension levels of the students,” Zeenat told Rising Kashmir.
Similarly, Hadi Ali, a 12th-class student from Sultanpora village of Pattan, has been teaching students up to 7th standard. He conducts weekly tests and rewards the top performers with stationery.
“It gives immense satisfaction and I am feeling proud that I am able to contribute by teaching students of both private and government schools in my community,” Ali told Rising Kashmir.
The ADC Team Baramulla has been in touch with the student volunteers to encourage them to continue their education while also teaching children in their communities.
An official said there are more than 120 such volunteers in 7 out of 18 Educational Zones of Baramulla where the ADC team is working in 100 demonstration schools. The team had previously asked the volunteers to conduct classes in their communities after orientation on the Read Along Program.
As the winter vacation continues for classes up to 12th standard, these student volunteers are stepping up to ensure their peers don’t fall behind in their education.
