About

RIB’s activities are guided by a group of illustrious personalities of Bangladesh who form its Board of Directors. They consist of a number of former and present University Professors, International Civil Servants, a former senior Government servant, human rights experts and activists, and renowned authors. They are:

Shamsul Bari

Chairman

Hameeda Hossain

Vice-Chairperson

Meghna Guhathakurta

Executive Director

Md. Anisur Rahman

Rounaq Jahan

Muhammed Zafar Iqbal

M.M.Akash

Monwarul Islam

Selina Hossain

Muinul Islam

Gitiara Nasreen

What is Kajoli?

“Kajoli Model” is an early childhood learning (ECL) model developed by Research Initiatives, Bangladesh (RIB)in 2002 following the successful completion of a unique action research.The research was specifically aimed at developing a model that would attract children from the most disadvantaged communities in Bangladesh to learning and schooling.

As an action research, the development of the model which emerged in the initial years of research in Kajoli, Magura, continued over the years in some 150 “Kajoli model centers” all over Bangladesh. In the process adjustments were progressively made to the model. While some of these centers have subsequently closed down, over 120 of them are still in existence in some 10 districts of Bangladesh. Over 5200 children are graduating every year from these centers and moving on to the Government primary school system. More centers are coming up regularly.

How did Kajoli begin its journey?

Kajoli began in January 2003 in Kajoli (hence the name of the model), a village in Sreepur Upazila of Magura District in southwest Bangladesh. The research was actively supported by members of the staff and the Board of Directors of RIB. It could thus be considered as an in-house research program of RIB itself.

What are the aims and objectives of Kajoli Model?

The Model emphasizes upon education in the broader sense of the term and not simply upon the ability to read and write. It aims to help lay the foundations for children from disadvantaged families to develop into fully-fledged individuals, ready to face the multifarious challenges of life with courage, confidence and social consciousness.

The specific objectives of the Model include:

To develop a one year program for an early childhood learning model aimed at attracting children (pre-school age, four to five year old) from the most disadvantaged communities in Bangladesh to learning and schooling. An underlying purpose was to dispel the notion among parents of such children that education is a difficult and costly process, meant only for the rich and the well to do.
To make pre-school learning a “fun and game” affair, so that after spending a year at a Kajoli model center, the children would be eager to continue studies at the local free government primary school. In other words, the Kajoli centers would serve as a bridge for the children to enter into the world of schooling and education.
To ensure that the model would be so easy and inexpensive to implement that local communities throughout Bangladesh would be encouraged to open Kajoli centers in their own localities, on their own initiatives and without outside support. In other words, Kajoli centers would be community-owned and community-supported, ensuring their independence and sustainability.
An underlying objective of the research was to help revive the age-old tradition of community-service and volunteerism which had characterized Bangladesh society before the emergence of the more recent externally-funded NGO-culture in the country.

What are the salient features of Kajoli?

The most outstanding features of Kajoli that helped it to emerge through trial and error over the years include:

The learning component
The community participation component

Learning Component

Since a basic objective of the model is to make learning attractive to the children and to prepare them psychologically for entry into primary school, there is a lesser emphasis upon formal education. As a result the children of Kajoli model consider their centers to be playgrounds and their Kajoli teachers more as companions and friends.

What are the learning materials used in the centers?

The uniqueness of the Kajoli Model can be attributed to its innovative and playful learning materials. Only a small number of learning materials has been introduced in a deliberate attempt not to create extra burden on the kids and impede their childhood fun. No books, paper or pencil are required under this Model. Children are, however, introduced to books, paper and pencils only in the last two months of the year, when they are readied to enter formal school.

Following are the materials used in a Kajoli center:

Pocket Board
Pocket Cards
Ganitmala (for math)
Blackboards
Story/rhymes books

How are the learning materials used in Kajoli centers?

Success of Kajoli’s teaching/learning approach largely depends on the appropriate use of the materials in a playful manner. Therefore teachers are required to make the use of the materials in as joyous and fun full manner as they can.Despite this “fun and game” approach, however, it has been seen over the years that through the innovative use of pocket board, pocket cards, black boards and other materials Kajoli children learn to read, write and count much faster than the traditional methods.

About us

Board of Directors of RIB: