About Livingstone School Bangladesh

PROJECT PROFILE

of

LIVINGSTONE SCHOOL BANGLDESH

Executive Summary:

Particulars	General Information
Name of the School project:	LIVINGSTONE SCHOOL BANGLADESH (LSB)
Date of Establishment of the School project:	Established in the year of 2009
Name of the Project Leader & address:	Mr. Bimal Roy, Founder & Director of Livingstone School Bangladesh, Vill: Rajabashor, PO. & PS. Parbatipur, Dist: Dinajpur.-5250. E-mail address: orghar@gmail.com Cell Phone No. 01717722292 & 01716127423.
Location of the School Project.	Vill: Rajabasor , Union: 2.no. Monmathapur, Sub-District Parbatipur, Dist: Dinajpur. Bangladesh

Introduction: The inspiration for starting Livingstone School Bangladesh (LSB) was conceived by the leader of the project when engaged as Teacher at the English Medium School run by Parbatipur LAMB Project. LAMB school has its own limitation and mainly being operated for the children of their own foreign and national staff. Alongside it was a painful experience that the opportunity of quality education is made available for only few live in capital and big cities and in one small pocket of Parbatipur when we all preach about equality and ensuring child rights to access in the education system of the country.

The initiative of starting a quality school which caters education both in Bangla and English version translate the lip service of equality into reality and open up an avenue for all common children to be parted with quality education in the project catchments’ area. And this opportunity has been made available for the families of all walks of the community. The desired school now located in the Union of Monmathapur under Parbatipur Sub-district that was started in 2009 with 14 students/children at the residence of the founder of the school.

The founder, Mr. Bimal Roy’s dream was to set up an example for the Educationalist and the pioneers those who are trying to improve educational facilities to try utmost not only increasing quantity but in quality too. So that these children from the rural areas with affordable cost can stay at home along with other members of the family and enabling them to compete proportionately with the privileged group in the future national development plan and every sector of the country. The process would curve the alarmingly growing classes among the children due to general education system in the country and quality education for few elites. Presently the trend of education has become an important commodity and only the rich and affluent families have the access to buy it. The model of the school has been thought out to act as a research and training centre for grooming the teachers and whole management of the schooling system are in operation within the catchments areas of the Livingstone School Project. The set out genuine effort will ensure quality education. More so this school will help other schools in the areas in order to make them able to explore their full potentiality in maximizing hidden opportunities and talents of students, teachers, and surrounding communities for ensuring good governance, management and obviously provide ultimate goal of quality education for laying foundation for a better future.    

                                                           

 

Livingstone School Bangladesh

Vision:  I have come in order that they may have Life – Life in its all fullness (John 10:10).

In accordance to this promise, LSB envisioned fulfilled communities where people of different faiths, age gender and all generation are living in justice, dignity & peace.

Mission: To walk with vulnerable and advocate for and work alongside people are affected by poverty and injustice and striving for their emancipation and empowering themselves for claiming their rights and releasing themselves from the bond of the captives and living with the healthy relationship with God and his creation. According to Luke 4:18 & Isaiah 11.

Goal of Livingstone School Bangladesh:  The goal of the LSB is to ensure quality education for all socio-economic backgrounds of families living in the midst of their own environment, culture and home within their affordable financial capacity.

Objectives:

1. To upgrade the quality of education at the countryside.
2. To instill confidence among the parents and guardian of the children that the quality education is achievable at their respective living place.
3. To create equal opportunity for all children of the family to the access of quality education.
4. To create opportunity for the students of rural areas to the access National English version/ medium schooling.
5. To upgrade the standard and capacity of the teachers and management of the existing educational institute in the catchments areas.
6. To bridge the gap of present incongruity in catering education among big cities, towns and rural areas.
7. To protect education from commercialization and on going practice of purchasing education as a commodity.
8. To inculcate a value system in the whole educational endeavor.
9. To initiate a process to merge the handicapped in the mainstream of the on going educational system.

Motto: Ensuring Quality education for all children on the earth!

Values of Livingstone:  There are some specific values that has been conceived and enshrined in the operating policy of Livingstone Schooling system, those are as follows:

1. Fair and equitable access to education for all.
2. Maintaining a quality standard in attaining education, knowledge, understanding and skill.
3. A Christ centered empathetic attitude for all neighbor.
4. Ensuring  blossoming all aspects of human life (social, cultural, mental, emotional and spiritual)
5. Enabling to build a just society and be a peace maker. 

                                                                                               

Media of disseminating education: Both English and Bangla.        

Curriculum & approach: Livingstone School Bangladesh is following National Curriculum &Text Book Board of Bangladesh (NCTB) for both of its English and Bangla version students for primary and secondary standard education. Alongside English (British) National curriculum & U.S.A. curriculum are being taught to equip the students with world standard knowledge and skills. Additional talent blossoming and exercising of values related books are being taught.  Education related to God & Creation, Environment and climate impact on our socio-economic and cultural life has been an integral part of the whole educational approach and policy of LSB.

Brief description of the Livingstone School project: The project area is situated in the northern part of the country in the sub-district of Parbatipur in Dinajpur district. The project catchments areas stretched over 10 Unions and one Municipality (Pourosova /Municipality) under the sub-district of Parbatipur. Total population of the sub-district according to concerned Social welfare office are 365103 of that 181331 are women and 183772 are male respectively. The main sources of income are agriculture and agricultural labors and small percentage are in the job sector. In this sub-district a substantial numbers of minority ethnic groups are living and majority are land less living on others land and selling their labors to their land lord’s agricultural fields. The schooling capacity and facilities is very poor and substandard education being catered in the areas in question. Medical facilities have improved due to arrival of LAMB hospital about 20 years back. It is worth mentioning that in this sub - district over 6500 numbers of handicapped (differently able) of different age group are living and most of them deprived of health and education facilities.

The Livingstone School Bangladesh was started based on the philosophy and spirit that has been narrated above in the background story of the school’s Vision, Mission, and Values. Livingstone school Bangladesh was started in 2009 with 14 children and 4 teachers. The class started at one room at the resident of the Principal with the support of some friends at home and abroad. Besides imparting education a small feeding program for the child was at place. Now it is almost nine years passed and by now it has succeeded to construct its own school building on its own 45 decimal of land. In this journey many friends, relatives and well wishers from home and abroad of the founder come forward with the support to bring the effort at this stage where 200 children have been enrolled in different classes from PLAY group to Standard VIII. The school building located at the village: Rajabasor on the road side adjacent to the LAMB- hospital parbatipur. On the other side of the school is railway track has stretched towards district of Dinajpur. The location of the school is completely free from any kind of pollution and there is no negative impact on the environment on the other hand it is very much environmental friendly atmosphere. The school has a small play ground and equip with good numbers of playing instruments made of metal such as Swing, slide, Monkey bar, see-saw etc. It is 4 km away from the centre of Parbatipur sub-district. The school is giving education both in Bengali and English version on different subject. The teachers are well trained and their numbers has reached to 15 from 4. The children of the poor families from remote areas and from the minority ethnic groups have been enrolled in different classes. Most of them enjoying free education, Tiffin/meal and transport facilities. It is worth mentioning that Livingstone school charging costs of education from all other families financially solvent. LSB has already proved that its teaching quality and capacity has reached a level and that needs to be sharpen more as because there is no end of excellent of life. Mentioned may be made that in the year of 2016 from LSB 5 students for the first time appeared for Junior School Certificate (JSC) examination following English version of Bangladesh National Curriculum and all of them obtained A+ grade and one of them has got Golden A+.

Along side, main subjects like Bengali, English, Social Studies, Science, Mathematics’ general knowledge etc they are being taught and equipped with basic values of life. This will help them to learn practical skill in leading and reshaping their lifestyle as they encounter daily events. Computer literacy class is mandatory for all children from KG.-II.

There are schools in the catchments’ areas which only teaches children to memorize the selected subjects and beside that due to lack of teaching aids the learning has hardly any practical implications in their daily life. The existing educational facilities cripple life span of the grown up adult and maximum end up with a clerical job. Livingstone education philosophy put much emphasis on the blossoming and development of those aspects of human life (physical, social, emotional, ethical and spiritual) which would ultimately help to grow a person to his or her adulthood with dignity and to become an effective citizen of the society and country at large.

Apart from ongoing academic education up to JSC & SSC level, Livingstone school is engaged in extension program. The purpose of the extension activities are to serve the local surrounding community to improve their personal hygiene and health, sanitation facilities, eradicate illiteracy and uplift the quality of teachers ,students and management of the existing educational institutes within its limitation. The initiative has created an opportunity to instill a congenial atmosphere in the surrounding society that has become supportive from all corners to improve the efforts and standards of education. One community facilitator and one regular home visitor are engaged for the extension program.

Governance & Management: As the success of any project or development initiative very much depend on its efficient management and good governance. To ensure these two vital aspects in place; accountability, transparency, delegation and responsibility has to be instilled in all sectors of LSB operational system. Along side placement of efficient & right staff at right place needs to be ensured in its all academic and administrative sectors. In order to do this the following key staff positions have been particularly envisaged in the total staff requirements and budget.

1. Principal
2. Deputy Principal
3. Finance Officer ( To maintain computerized accounting system) 
4. Head Mistress/Master of the primary section
5. Head Mistress/Master secondary Level.
6. Curriculum Coordinator for Primary Level.
7. Curriculum Coordinator Secondary Level.
8. Coordinator for Community School and Online Class.
9. Chief Computer Instructor.
10. Librarian
11. Coordinator Vocational Training and Farm.

To do this a continuous motivational, quality improvement training and incentive will remain in place at the regular interval of time. Through the process an ownership feelings towards the project will grow among the members of staff. Same time gender balance, equity, reward and punishment and properly execution of personnel policy will lay a substantial foundation to inculcate a team spirit among the staff member and ultimately would help to attain a good governance and quality management in the whole program.  The above values and guiding principles and quality of the leadership will gradually solidify sustainability of its management system and contribute towards its overall financial and social sustainability.    

Expected Results/Outcome: The following results are expected from Livingstone school as moving forward with its well implemented and well managed comprehensive activities as designed above.

1. Access to the quality education from poor background child has increased.
2. Increased numbers of English version students of NCTB Curriculum.
3. The quality of teachers and schools of the catchments’ areas has improved.
4. The trend of private tuition has reduced.
5. The contribution for the management of the educational institutes from the community people has improved noticeably.
6. The cost of the quality education has been within the affordable reach of the parents.
7. The social disparity among the members of the family being bridged.
8. All learners are equipped with digital skills to compete for higher education in and abroad.
9. Accountability and transparency in the government and private educational institute has been established and became supportive to each other.
10. Present drop out rate particularly from class V to VIII and in general has reduced.
11. Integrity and relationships among parents, teachers, public representative and members of the community has improved and became conducive for the existing institution to continue quality education system.
12. Open a door for the handicapped (differently able) children to merge them into the standard (usual) education system as conducted by public and private sectors.
13. The existing institutions have able to achieve 100% quality result in the project areas.
14.  Students are well equipped along side general education with vocational skill such as basic agriculture, livestock, aquacultures, agro food processing etc.
15.  Develop numbers of effective leadership quality in different disciplines in home and in the global society.
16. The gap between male and female learners will be bridged and gender equity and equality will be established.
17. Knowledge and basic skill and interest on ICT have rouse among the students of LSB and out side school.

         

The overall expected outcome/results of LSB would be, the centre will act as a education hubs in catchments areas of offering a comprehensive and complete education program that will instill in the attitude and behaviors of the graduates of different schools the sense of responsibility, accountability, transparency and other human values to exercise their rights and duties by practicing democratic principles in building a tolerable, healthy and peaceful society.

Sustainability of the project:  The question of sustainability in all respect within a time frame is a vital aspect of this schooling program. The projects consider sustainability mainly in two sectors those are economic and social in the next ten years. If the curriculum, leadership and management of the schooling project are accepted and respected by the all section of the people that will make social acceptance faster and this will lay the foundation its thrust towards economic sustainability. The cost of the envisaged comprehensive education policy that has been designed for LSB, primarily will be meeting up from the income of tuition fees from the students. The proposed hostels for the students will also contribute to its sustainability approach of the project. Along side socio-economic sustainability, the project put same emphasis to the environmental sustainability and there to land would be purchased to provide vocational (Agriculture, Livestock aquaculture related) education as the students promoted to grade VI. The environmental friendly agriculture & cultivation method (life oriented) will be taught to the children and instead of chemical fertilizer and pesticides all natural pesticides and compost will be used in the farm.  This land will take shape of a farm which will be located adjacent to school and eventually will start producing income for the schooling project and provide education of life giving agriculture and keep alive future land quality for steady production and economic gain. 

The project plan for imparting teachers training for institutions and special coaching for the students on different subjects from around government and non-government schools will generate a sound income for the school and as a offshoot strengthen social bond and high level of acceptance between project and communities ultimately ensure overall socio-economic and environmental sustainability of the school and the catchments areas of the project. In the near future the model would be replicated in the various communities at the adjacent districts and different parts of the country and through advocacy government could be encouraged and in the process a greater sustainability can be achieved.

Conclusion: In concluding our submission it is worth mentioning that planning is part of the work and should be a continuous process of every school as it strives to meet the educational needs of all its pupils. School Development Planning (SDP) is a systematic approach which involves the whole school community in their ongoing quest of providing quality education and makes it available within the reach of all families mostly leaving in rural Bangladesh.

School Development Planning (SDP) is a process undertaken by the school community to give direction to the work of the school in order to ensure that all pupils (children) receive a quality education in terms of both holistic development and academic achievement.

 Keeping this view in mind it is imperative for schools to engage in planning in regular intervals because it helps them to manage change in the best interests of their pupils and immediate communities. School Development Planning provides schools with a continuous improvement strategy that empowers them to take ownership of their own development. It will provide valuable guidance to LSB and schools around be encouraged by seeing the progress of LSB and think about the beginning of their respective SDP process. It will also serve as a reference document for schools already engaged in SDP, to assist them in monitoring their progress and in planning for further development. I wish all concerned stakeholder and well wishers of LSB will be pleased and encouraged to go through the above documents and extend their all-out support for the  success of this important initiative.

Finally, the project is very much concerned  with the meaning of sustainability that suggest  meeting the needs of the future depends on how well we balance social, economic, and environmental objectives--or needs--when making decisions today about the above comprehensive on going and proposed Educational project.