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Number of schools you will visit, time of the day, presentation and politeness of the children, maintenance of facilities, examination results, progress of students, standard of the school, size of the school, step 1: plan the visit, step 2: identify your goals, step 3: connect with teachers, step 4: talk to students, step 5: examine resources, share this post on your network, file formats, word templates, google docs templates, excel templates, powerpoint templates, google sheets templates, google slides templates, pdf templates, publisher templates, psd templates, indesign templates, illustrator templates, pages templates, keynote templates, numbers templates, outlook templates, you may also like these articles, 12+ sample construction daily report in ms word | pdf.

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Report template bundle, 1. free school visit report, 2. free school visit report template, 3. free school faculty visit report template, 4. sample school visit report template, 5. free school governor visit report template, 6. free simple school visit report template, 7. free school visit report in pdf, 8. free school district visit report template, 9. free leadership school visit report template, 10. free school improvement visit report template, 11. free municipal school visit report template, 12. free governor school visit report template, 13. free primary school visit report template, 14. free school visit report template in doc, 15. free pre-school visit report template, how can you prepare the school visits reports, what is the requirement of the school visit report, what can you include in the school visit report, what is the objective of an annual school visit report, report templates, 14+ free school visit report templates in google docs | word | pdf | apple pages.

The school visit report is the statement that assists to document the procedure and process at a government or private school. These reports  are to the point and straightforward. You must give an explanation about the school first and then, you must what you did when you were there in the school. You cannot add additional information to it. You must reflect on the things that you learned from the visit. The school visit report is made by external visitors who come for investigation and interrogation in the school. There is an annual investigation of the schools to evaluate their purpose and needs.

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How to Write a Visit Report

Last Updated: March 30, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Madison Boehm . Madison Boehm is a Business Advisor and the Co-Founder of Jaxson Maximus, a men’s salon and custom clothiers based in southern Florida. She specializes in business development, operations, and finance. Additionally, she has experience in the salon, clothing, and retail sectors. Madison holds a BBA in Entrepreneurship and Marketing from The University of Houston. This article has been viewed 652,910 times.

Whether you’re a student or a professional, a visit report helps you document the procedures and processes at an industrial or corporate location. These reports are fairly straightforward. Describe the site first and explain what you did while you were there. If required, reflect on what you learned during your visit. No additional research or information is needed.

Writing a Visit Report

Explain the site's purpose, operations, and what happened during the visit. Identify the site's strengths and weaknesses, along with your recommendations for improvement. Include relevant photos or diagrams to supplement your report.

Describing the Site

• Reports are usually only 2-3 pages long, but in some cases, these reports may be much longer.
• In some cases, you may be asked to give recommendations or opinions about the site. In other cases, you will be asked only to describe the site.
• Ask your boss or instructor for models of other visit reports. If you can't get a model, look up samples online.

• If you visited a factory, explain what it is producing and what equipment it uses.
• If you visited a construction site, describe what is being constructed and how far along the construction is. You should also describe the terrain of the site and the layout.
• If you’re visiting a business, describe what the business does. State which department or part of the business you visited.
• If you’re visiting a school, identify which grades they teach. Note how many students attend the school. Name the teachers whose classes you observed.

• Who did you talk to? What did they tell you?
• What did you see at the site?
• What events took place? Did you attend a seminar, Q&A session, or interview?
• Did you see any demonstrations of equipment or techniques?

• For example, at a car factory, describe whether the cars are made by robots or humans. Describe each step of the assembly line.
• If you're visiting a business, talk about different departments within the business. Describe their corporate structure and identify what programs they use to conduct their business.

Reflecting on Your Visit

• Is there something you didn’t realize before that you learned while at the site?
• Who at the site provided helpful information?
• What was your favorite part of the visit and why?

• For example, you might state that the factory uses the latest technology but point out that employees need more training to work with the new equipment.
• If there was anything important left out of the visit, state what it was. For example, maybe you were hoping to see the main factory floor or to talk to the manager.

• Tailor your recommendations to the organization or institution that owns the site. What is practical and reasonable for them to do to improve their site?
• Be specific. Don’t just say they need to improve infrastructure. State what type of equipment they need or give advice on how to improve employee morale.

Formatting Your Report

• If you are following a certain style guideline, like APA or Chicago style, make sure to format the title page according to the rules of the handbook.

• Don’t just say “the visit was interesting” or “I was bored.” Be specific when describing what you learned or saw.

Sample Visit Report

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• ↑ http://services.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/471286/Site_Reports_for_Engineers_Update_051112.pdf
• ↑ https://www.examples.com/business/visit-report.html
• ↑ https://www.thepensters.com/blog/industrial-visit-report-writing/
• ↑ https://eclass.aueb.gr/modules/document/file.php/ME342/Report%20Drafting.pdf

About This Article

To write a visit report, start by including a general introduction that tells your audience where and when you visited, who your contact was, and how you got there. Once you have the introduction written out, take 1 to 2 paragraphs to describe the purpose of the site you visited, including details like the size and layout. If you visited a business, talk about what the business does and describe any specific departments you went to. Then, summarize what happened during your visit in chronological order. Make sure to include people you met and what they told you. Toward the end of your report, reflect on your visit by identifying any strengths and weaknesses in how the site operates and provide any recommendations for improvement. For more help, including how to format your report, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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School Visits: Go There to Know There

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Three middle school students perch on stools in the library of Rancho Minerva Middle School in Vista, CA. The room is packed with educators from as far away as Salem, MA. They take notes, snap pictures on their phones, and bombard the student panel with questions: How do you experience personalized learning? What do you like best about your school? What would you change?

Educators from Colorado, Illinois, California, and Kentucky have formed a circle of desks to debrief a day spent at Valor Collegiate in Nashville, TN. “It’s so impressive to hear students articulate how their behaviors impact their peers and vice versa--many adults cannot do this!” says one visitor. “I’m definitely going to take back how important it is for adults to do their own character building work before doing it with students,” says another. Still others ask probing questions of their hosts, like “How do you integrate the strengths of your social-emotional program with your academic classes?”

Trailed by a half-a-dozen visiting teachers, a senior walks backwards through the halls of High Tech High in Chula Vista, CA. Like a docent at a student-created museum, she points to the student products that line the walls, dangle from the ceilings, and spill out into the courtyards. She knows which class created the artifacts, and she can articulate each project’s learning goals. Pausing by a wall covered with floor plans and photographs of building construction, she explains with a grin, “This was my project from last year. These are the tiny homes we created for local artists to use as studios.”

These three vignettes capture moments from NGLC Learning Excursions this past year. In 2017 educators from throughout the NGLC grantee network came together to see next gen learning in action: observing classrooms, talking to students and educators, examining student products, and problem-solving around implementation challenges.

January is the season for resolutions, and we would be remiss not to suggest at least one, so here it is: make time in your 2018 professional learning calendar to either visit a next gen learning school or host a visit at your site. For this edition of Friday Focus: Practitioner’s Guide to Next Gen Learning , we spoke to leaders of schools in the NGLC network who have experience both as guests and hosts of school visits. We asked them to share their thoughts on:

• The professional learning benefits for both visiting educators and host schools
• Stories of memorable visits and how they shaped mindset or practice
• Advice and resources for making the most of school visit experiences

Bold Ideas in Motion

That’s what Ami Gandhi sees when she visits other innovative schools. Ami is the Director of Innovation and Collaboration at Intrinsic Schools, a network of public charter schools in Chicago, Illinois. Noting that there are many personalized learning frameworks available, Ami cites the value of seeing the “variety of ways to define it for your school.” According to Ami, seeing practice in action at different schools--those new to next gen learning and those in year five of implementation, both district schools and charter schools--"helps us think more creatively and connect theory to practice. It allows us to see what’s possible, and that’s very powerful.”

“It’s very rejuvenating to be a visitor at another school” as well, she reports. To illustrate, Ami tells the story of a December visit to Lee Elementary, a district school on the other side of Chicago that was piloting the Summit Learning Platform. Ami recounts what happened when one of the Intrinsic teachers sat down to talk to a student: “His mind was blown when he heard what the student’s day was like. He got so excited about student agency, how students could articulate what they were doing and said they loved going to school.” Right after that visit, Ami reports, that educator organized another group of teachers to go back to Lee to learn more.

Seeing is Believing

This is more than a familiar saying; it’s the name of a new kind of professional learning at Colorado’s Thompson School District. As part of a system-wide shift to personalized and competency-based learning, district and school leaders have launched a series of “Seeing is Believing” tours of district schools. In place of meeting in district office conference rooms, for example, Thompson’s school administrators design professional learning experiences in schools throughout the district, closer to the work of teaching and learning. Many of the events are also open to parents, community members, and educators from surrounding districts.

Jeri Crispe, Thompson’s Director of Secondary Education, describes this school-based, collaborative professional learning as something “uplifting and rare. It looks and feels different from any PL I’ve been a part of in 20 years.” Jeri contrasts traditional “sit and get” professional learning to the “hands-on and totally, authentically engaged” experience of being in colleagues’ schools.

Jeri’s enthusiasm about the tours is palpable. Spending a day learning about another school, she says, gives educators and school leaders “the opportunity to collaborate around design thinking and innovation, talk to students and teachers, observe classrooms, and share tools and resources. To explore possibilities and see what is already in place that we can build on.”

The Value of a New Set of Eyes

It’s probably not surprising that educators tout the value of visiting other schools in order to learn new ways to implement personalized learning and other innovations. What’s perhaps less obvious is the value for the host schools. All of the leaders we spoke to pointed to this benefit, and they have created structures for getting feedback from visitors, either with a form like this one from Intrinsic schools or by including debrief time in the day’s agenda .

According to Ami, hosting fellow educators “makes us crisper in our purpose and how we are tying practice to outcomes for students. They know your intentions and they can tell you what they are seeing. This is hard to do when you are in the weeds. The tours give you a better sense of strength areas and what really needs to be improved.”

Building professional networks

The interactive and collaborative nature of school visits also fosters strong relationships among colleagues engaged in the work of next gen learning. Jeri notes that for Thompson, the “Seeing is Believing” tours helped the district “come together as a system and see ourselves as one 13-year journey instead of 13 one-year journeys” toward reaching shared goals for students like social-emotional learning and college- and-career-ready competencies. Through the school tours, she says, “we created a sense of ‘we believe in ourselves as a system.’”

LeViis Haney, the principal at Chicago Public Schools’ Lovett Elementary, an NGLC Regional Funds grantee supported by LEAP Innovations, also emphasizes this benefit. In addition to receiving useful feedback, he points to how visits “connect our teachers with other educators both across the city as well as across the country. Those connections have been cultivated into relationships that have become support networks for us as we have expanded and scaled our work.”

LeViis adds that knowing that your school is serving as a model for others can also serve as a reminder to your school and broader community that “something special is happening here. It has helped to elevate the work for teachers and administrators as well as the students themselves. Being a part of a larger context of learning has helped to bring a deeper level of meaning for our work.”

Advice to School Hosts and Visitors

To get the most out of hosting a site visit, Ami advises educators to “be candid and humble. Show yourself to be as much of a learner as the visitors. Don’t try to look like year ten in year one.” She recommends that hosts “be reflective of their own journey” and include in the agenda time for collaboration around a problem of practice.

Echoing this same frankness, LeViis advises hosts “not to be afraid to open up your building. Leverage those opportunities to elevate everyone’s work. Give visitors the opportunity to give honest feedback--outside perspectives can be powerful for teams.”

Jeri makes the connection between hosting school tours and modeling mindsets and behaviors for students: “We expect kids to collaborate, take risks, ask for feedback, and be vulnerable, but do we do that? Are we taking that risk of opening up our doors and asking other teachers and administrators for feedback? We do with those we trust, but rarely do we step that far out of our comfort zone to become vulnerable.”

For visitors to other schools, Ami suggests that educators start off by asking foundational questions like “How do you make decisions?” and “How do you prioritize?” She recommends that visitors inquire about core values and beliefs and how practice and operations support them before “getting down to the tactical to ask questions like ‘how many minutes?’”

And just in case you are not yet convinced of the value of school visits, we’ll close with these motivating words from LeViis: “My advice is to go see amazing things happening in other schools and do not be afraid to steal--I mean borrow--ideas! Have an open mind, and do not be afraid to ask questions. Give honest feedback so that you are helping to improve practice. Believe that you can implement new ideas in your schools/classrooms, but know that it will not happen overnight.”

• Sample visit agenda from a tour of Intrinsic Schools, with information about the visiting school and the purpose of their visit
• Feedback form used after visits to Intrinsic Schools
• “School Information” folder , an exemplar collection of documents about Intrinsic Schools that illustrates what a host school might share with participants before a visit
• Sample NGLC Learning Excursion agenda , with structured, debrief time and links to school-specific agendas
• NGLC Learning Excursions: A phenomenal experience , a 2-minute video that captures host and visitor perspectives from the NGLC Learning Excursion to San Diego-area schools in October 2017
• We See and Believe in Thompson School District , an Education Week blog post by school leaders from Thompson School District

The opinions expressed in Next Gen Learning in Action are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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Monitoring and school visits

• Governor school visits
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• Governor school visits: your how-to guide
• How to hold the senior leadership team to account
• How to monitor your school effectively
• School visits: looking at pupils' work
• Strategic vs operational: practical examples
• Top tips to get your governors on school visits
• Governor school visits Read our 1-page summary about governor monitoring visits so that you understand what they are and what’s expected of you. Download a copy to share with your governing board.
• Governor school visits: a chair’s guide and template schedule Use our guide to help plan and prepare for governor school visits. Understand how you can link visits to the school improvement plan, and how you can help your governors prepare and report back effectively.
• Governor school visits: questions to ask pupils Get more out of your monitoring visits and learning walks. Use our questions and advice to talk to pupils with confidence and get the insights you need.
• Governor school visits: your how-to guide Find out what to do before, during and after your school visits, including if you're doing a remote visit. Be clear on what's expected of you with our dos and don’ts. Plus, use our example questions and template reports to take notes on your monitoring visits and learning walks.
• How to hold the senior leadership team to account Providing challenge to the senior leadership team (SLT) is a key part of being a governor. Find out how to do it effectively, including how to involve SLT members in governing board meetings and what to do if problems arise.
• How to monitor your school effectively Even the most ambitious school improvement plans won't yield results without proper monitoring. Get a handle on what needs monitoring and how to organise and deploy your governors to get it done.
• School visits: looking at pupils' work Understand what your role is when looking at pupils' work, including why you might want to do this and what to look for. See examples of how other governors observe pupils' work when visiting schools.
• Strategic vs operational: practical examples Governors and trustees set strategy and hold senior leaders to account – they don't get involved in the day-to-day running of the school or trust. Sometimes it's hard to walk this fine line, but our practical examples will help you clarify your role.
• Top tips to get your governors on school visits Boost your board's engagement with school life with these simple ways to encourage them to go on school visits.

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Governors play an active role in their duties; each one has various responsibilities, ranging from staffing to curriculum. Please see the governor menu for the breakdown of the areas in which the governors hold expertise and offer challenge and support. Every time a governor visit is made, a full report is submitted to the board and actions identified. Within this report is a summary of the visit.

Please scroll down - the most recent summary will be at the top. Please do contact the governors if there are questions regarding any report. 

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Asha for Education

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Asha for Education volunteers make it a point to visit a project when they travel to India. Here are a few notes from their field visit ...

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Bal Ashram Trust

-ravi kandikonda, asha dallas..

Before we present this report, Asha for Education offers its heartfelt Congratulations to Kailash Satyarthi on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He is truly an inspirational figure who has undertaken such a pressing cause. On this occasion we encourage you to read more about Bachpan Bachao Andolan , the organization started by Satyarthi, and understand the importance of rescuing children from servitude. Bal Ashram is a rehabilitation center where rescued children receive basic education and vocational training to help them transition into society as well rounded individuals. The Dallas chapter of Asha has been supporting Bal Ashram, run by Sumedha Kailash, since 2006.

The project is located in the town of Viratnagar, which lies in the Aravalli mountain range between the major cities of Jaipur and Alwar in Rajasthan. Our visit began with a one and half hour taxi ride from Jaipur along NH 8 early in the morning. We reached the Ashram around 9:15am and were welcomed by Adesh.

Meanwhile, the children had all settled down near the prayer room sitting in organized rows and were ready to meet their visitors, my wife and me. As we entered the area, a couple of young girls came forward and applied the traditional ‘tilak’ to our foreheads and gave flower garlands. We were seated in two chairs and then started conversing with the children. We asked them to introduce themselves, one by one, and tell us where they are from and what they want to become when they grow up. The children were excited in telling us what they wanted to become – policemen, doctors, painters, electricians etc. At one time, it got a bit emotional when one of the boys said he used to beg on the streets before he was rescued by the Ashram. It was heartening to see where he was today compared to the life he was leading.

Asha Dallas supported the construction of makeshift classrooms for the children of Banjara community. The chapter also funded a borewell that helped one community save lot of time that was spent in sourcing water for daily use.

It was time then to play some cricket with them and quick game of carrom board with the youngest children. The playground was surrounded by many trees. We were given a tour of the library and the hostel rooms, which seemed clean and well maintained. The children were being given very good health and hygiene training as part of their bridge course.

Asha Dallas supported the construction of makeshift classrooms for the children of Banjara community. The chapter also funded a borewell that helped one community save lot of time that was spent in sourcing water for daily use. I had the time to visit two such communities, which were slightly away from the Ashram. Adesh accompanied us to the first community, which was a collection of huts. The children were prepped regarding our arrival and were sitting in the classroom reading their notebooks and talking to each other. When we arrived here, we were again welcomed with some more ‘tilak’ and flowers. We spoke at length with the teacher who was available for the visit. He is the sole teacher who lives nearby and helps with teaching the kids basic reading, writing and speaking. The make shift classroom was simply a four pillared structure with a thatched roof and no walls.  I clearly saw a need to put a wall around the structure that gives more protection from the local animals (goats, dogs etc.), rain and hot winds during summer.

We went to the second school where we had helped install a borewell. I actually pumped some water and drank from the bore; it tasted good. I was so happy to see a direct benefit that the Dallas chapter was able to provide to the community. The elders in the community (mostly mothers and grand mothers) came forward to speak to us thanking us for the borewell and asking us to fund the construction of a wall around the make-shift school.

We got back to the Ashram just in time for some hot lunch that was prepared in the Ashram for the children and the visitors. We had a very nice chat with Kailash, Sumedha and a visiting intern from Britain. We were then given a very warm send-off to the airport and we returned to Hyderabad with a lot of memories, and a sense of urgency to help the Banjara community.

-Satyajit Nath, Asha Seattle

I met Lanu Aimol, the founder of Society for Health & Educational Development (SHED), in Guwahati on March 19, 2014. I have met him twice earlier, in the last two years. Through my interactions, I have seen that Lanu is dedicated to take care of underprivileged children – both able-bodied and differently-abled – and provide them a safe place to get their education and a sense of dignity.

First visit in 2011

When I first met Lanu in 2011, I was amazed to note that he had a full-time job as a mental health practitioner in a government department, while running a school for disabled children as a separate NGO. In addition, I also found that he regularly contributes a portion of his government salary to run SHED.

Back in 2011, SHED operated from a rented building in Bhetapara (close to the capital town, Dispur). When I visited the school, I was struck by Lanu’s and the staff’s dedication to the children. The staff runs the administrative office taking care of bills, student fees, project proposal data, as well as day-to-day logistics. I interacted with some of the children in the school. The disabilities included intellectual disabilities/mental retardation (MR), cerebral palsy (CP), Down’s syndrome, epilepsy, sight-disability, as well as physical disability. It was humbling to interact with the children.

Bimola, who has sight-disability, sang Assamese and Hindi songs beautifully. Bhaskar, who has Down’s syndrome, danced the Bihu dance with grace and energy. I also met with Rafiqul, whose right hand is amputated, who showed tremendous energy and joy when he came to meet with Lanu in his office.

Second visit in 2012

SHED was witnessing a crisis when I visited them in 2012. The landlord and neighbors in the rental building in Bhetapara were trying to push SHED out of the neighborhood. Their unfounded fear was that the disabilities in those children, would somehow rub off on their families. However, after some investigation, I found that the real issue was the landlord’s apprehension that the value of their property will be reduced due to the presence of an “unwanted entity” in the neighborhood. Even though Lanu and his teachers tried to reason with the landlord and the neighbors, SHED eventually moved to a plot of land in Sonapur, over 20 kms from the Bhetapara building. I visited the new location in November 2012.

In 2013, with some support from Assam Foundation of North America and Lanu’s own personal funds, SHED completed the formalities of acquiring this piece of land. Construction started in December 2013, with Lanu and the rest of the team pitching in to construct the new school building.

Asha’s support will help SHED continue to employ good staff members, provide necessary hostel capacity to admit hearing impaired children, and make the school infrastructure safer for the children from its current temporary settings, particularly in the rainy season and in winter.

Third visit in 2014

When I caught up with Lanu during my March 2014 visit, it was great to know that SHED and the students had made the transition to Sonapur really well. It was also good to see that the plans to extend support to non-disabled students were also becoming real.

SHED and the team faced many challenges in the months since then, including the water supply in that remote location being cut off. They were able to get a ringwell installed urgently, with support from Assam Foundation of North America, to ensure the children’s health was not impacted. The lack of adequate hostel facilities and good quality classrooms that are weather proof continue to be challenges for SHED.

Given my observations noted above of the consistent ability of the SHED team to overcome obstacles, I have no doubt that they will continue to do everything needed in their power to solve those problems. The proposal from SHED to Asha this year, if approved, will enable SHED to overcome those obstacles faster, and serve even more differently-abled and able-bodied children of underprivileged backgrounds in the area.

– Kirthna Subash, Asha Minnesota

Balavidyalaya.

Background:

This hearing impaired school provides a learning environment with a student-teacher ratio of 4:1, at absolutely no cost for the families. Balavidyalaya believes in the philosophy that it is the right for every child to have chances to learn to talk. The ultimate goal of the school is not only to develop age appropriate language skills in either English or Tamil for young children, but the curriculum followed at school prepares each and every child to participate in the mainstream education at the earliest possible age. The school also has its own teacher-training program (DTYHI) which is recognized by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) and the Government of Tamil Nadu. Balavidyalaya has a Diagnostic Centre, which they use to diagnose the children and prescribe suitable hearing aids, and also to carry out periodic assessments to ensure the children get the maximum benefit from the hearing aids.

Number/Age of Students: 100 between the ages of 6 months and 6 years Number of Teachers: 20 Number of Classrooms: 18

Average income of families : Rs. 10,000/mo Min income : Rs. 5,000/mo (plumber’s son) Max income : Rs. 1.1 lakh/mo

Observations

Teachers : I found that the teachers were very enthusiastic about helping each child. The children aged 3-6 years were assigned in a 1:4 teacher to student ratio classroom that seems to work well. Teachers seemed to know each student and the families on a personal level, and were able to update the parents on their child’s progress at the end of the school day. Children below 2 years are assigned a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio, and a parent is strongly encouraged to join the child for the lessons as well.

Students : The majority of the students looked happy to be there, and seemed comfortable in their environment. They listened to the teachers and were excited to show me everything they were learning. Parents in the early intervention program for children that are just a few months old, played a huge role in helping their kids follow the teacher’s instructions and stay on task, whereas, children above 2 years old were very independent and didn’t need parents sitting with them in class.

The Common Causes of Hearing Impairment for Balavidyalaya Students are rubella and genetic syndromes. These causes that cause the hearing impairment in 40% of the children in Balavidyalaya, occur as a result of marriages within the same family (especially between second cousins). In fact, 50% of the families in Balavidyalaya have consanguineous marriages. In order to decrease the percentage of hearing impaired, Balavidyalaya has spent the last two years travelling to colleges and secondary schools all over Tamil Nadu in order to speak to students about the harms of consanguineous marriages.

One third of Balavidyalaya’s funds come from the Government of Tamil Nadu, and two third of the funding comes from Asha-MN and donors in India. The other organization supporting the school is Apex Foundation, located in Virginia, that gives them once a year donation and supports their website and online tools for the school.

Asha-MN supports new equipment necessary for teaching effectively that is expected to last for a couple of more years. However, one of the main teacher learning materials Balavidyalaya has trouble funding is textbooks. Because Balavidyalaya has its own unique curriculum that aids them to teach children verbal communication skills, they require special textbooks (licensed by the Government of India) that are different from those used by other hearing impaired schools in Tamil Nadu. These textbooks are difficult for the school to afford, as they are specifically for Balavidyalaya and therefore, more expensive. Last year they were able to fund the books, but this next school year they are not sure if they can.

Seva Mandir

– amit sharma, asha silicon valley.

Project Background

Seva Mandir is an NGO that has been working in Udaipur district for over five decades with objective of rural institution development, sustainable livelihoods, community rights, and empowerment through education. The work of the organization spans entire Udaipur district and has been primarily divided between (a) Natural Resource Development, (b) Education, (c) Health, (d) Women and Child rights, (e) Village Institutions and Panchayati Raj.

Asha for Education -Silicon Valley chapter (AfE-SV) has been supporting Seva Mandir’s education program in entire Badgaon block of Udaipur district since 2007. AfE-SV & Seva Mandir reach over 1400 children in Badgaon block through 20 Non-Formal Education centers (Shiksha Kendras) and upto 5 Activity Centers in government schools. The Activity Centers work to improve the quality of government schools in Badgaon block and have shown tremendous improvement in quality as well as capacity of these schools.

Maruwas NFE Center

Maruwaas is one of the oldest NFE centers and is in close proximity of Ahmedabad-Udaipur highway. This place has changed quite dramatically over the years, I was told by Farheen. The village is right off of NH-8 and at the face of it seems well connected and would make one feel that it’s a suburban area quite a bit different from remote village like the ones in Selu or Delwada. The reality is a bit different though. The highway completion has brought access to highway road transport and more people are more freely traveling to the city for work, as well as it has given daily wage labor contractors an easy access to the villages. The village kirana (small scale grocery stores) bore the most significant change though. The inventory of processed, particularly packaged food has increased in the villages.  I was able to see a variety of discarded plastic bags, chips, noodles etc. and plastic bottles much like what I’m used to seeing in the urban and suburban areas.

Walking deeper into the village makes one realize that the ‘benefits’ of the development have been mostly superficial. The interiors look no different from other villages that I’ve visited over the years. The NFI center runs in a rented two room facility with no toilets or electricity. The village does have electricity lines but metered connections are rare, and mostly limited to subsidized connections for water pumps used for irrigation purposes. There are 24 students in this school of mixed age groups and one instructor, Shehnaz, who is from a nearby village.

Children seemed very enthusiastic and inquisitive; the confidence and ability to openly communicate is quite discernable. In a group activity that I observed, children seem to participate enthusiastically.

Seva Mandir has been working with the Government school recently to improve the attendance and retention.

The classroom is ornate with handmade charts of Hindi and English Alphabets, Map of India, and names of States and, interestingly, Water Cycle. Most of these charts except for the maps were created by the students as a group exercise

Other observations at the NFE Center:

• Every NFE center maintains a cupboard with workbooks, story books, and general stationery for the children and this center was no different. There were plenty of books although most of the story and workbooks did seem to show their age.
• The classroom is ornate with handmade charts of Hindi and English Alphabets, Map of India, and names of States and interestingly Water Cycle.
• Most of these charts except for the maps were created by the students as a group exercise
• Children were organized in three groups of children by learning levels.
• Children seemed very enthusiastic and inquisitive; the confidence and ability to openly communicate is quite discernible.
• In a group activity that I observed, children seem to participate enthusiastically.
• I observed 6 children completing their writing assignment and all but one had fairy legible handwriting. And were able to read their workbook aloud and write without taking breaks.
• It was quite hot at 10:00 AM on a bright June morning, and it was becoming very humid inside the classroom full of 21 children and four adults (Sehnaz, Anjela, Farheen, and myself). While the classroom has the hookup for ceiling fan the school had no electricity connection.
• Overall good impressions and a typical NFE center that Seva Mandir runs in the region.
• There is a balwaadi close by that is also run by Seva Mandir
• The government primary school is about 1½ KM away and a few children from the school are enrolled in the Government school, although the attendance is quite low and the drop-out rate is relatively high.
• Seva Mandir has been working with the Government school recently to improve the attendance and retention. The intervention timing is interesting though and I believe it’s because there is an entire group in NFE that is preparing for enrolling in the Government school at grade-V and VI.

Overall it was an encouraging and satisfying discourse. And quite impressed with the continued improvement that Seva Mandir NFE centers have shown over the years.

My first visit to a government school in rural India.

Seeing the schools in Kushtagi and Mundargi was the favourite part of my time with Akshara. Our school visits were unannounced, like the house visits, so we were able to see a real school day in progress, and Akshara was able to check on the students’ progress.

Another reason Akshara came to the schools was to see how, if at all, classrooms were utilising their GKA Kits. These kits contain educational resources for mathematics and English classes, such as counting mats and blocks and conversation sheets, that seem as if they should be standard in every classroom – especially the math tools. These are tools that helped me, as a younger student, visualise operations like addition and subtraction. They helped me learn when I was starting my primary education, so it made me optimistic to see the students in Mundargi and Kushtagi using the same tools so effectively.

When we initially arrived at the schools, the first thing that I noticed was the resourcefulness. The same resourcefulness that I saw in the residential areas is found in schools; class bells are made from small hammers tied to thick metal trays, small pillows are attached to blackboards by string to create erasers. Making do with what you have is a concept that has grown increasingly rare in countries like the U.S. and big cities, where shortage of resources is rarely felt.

One area where this scarcity is not felt, however, is in style. By this, I mean the uniforms and book bags each student was equipped with, provided by the state government. Regardless of the poverty they encountered at home, every young student was clad in a blue and white uniform.

In the United States, most state-run school systems do not have uniforms, instead opting to set general dress codes (which are usually just lists of ‘do not’s, for example: girls, do not wear skirts or shorts more than four inches above the knee in length. Boys, do not wear your hair long … or shorts more than four inches above the knee). However, in private schools, like the one I attend, uniforms are standard. Most of us private school students love to hate the uniforms impressed upon us by the school administration because we have plenty of our own, more comfortable, clothes that we would much rather wear. 

Despite this scarcity, these students thrive when given the opportunity. The bright (and adorable) students in the primary schools of Mundargi and Kushtagi share an enthusiasm for learning and a competitive spirit that shined through the dimly-lit classrooms when the Akshara team and I arrived.

Whenever a math problem would be presented to the class, the children would rush to open their notebooks and solve the problem first, handing over their work for checking as soon as they finished. In the event a student was wrong, they would just as quickly start working the problem again. When a passage in English was to be read, virtually every student wanted to show us their ability to read and write in English, a refreshing difference from the culture of primary schools in America, where conformity is too-often valued over exceptionality.

To feed into students’ eagerness and curiosity, Akshara has set up libraries both in classrooms and local tea shops. Each library is stocked with age-appropriate books in both Kannada and English, to encourage students to expand their familiarity with both their local language and one more widely spoken.

I visited the villages on the right day because I was present for the inauguration of one such library, an event that attracted the Gram Panchayat of the village, as well as parents and students to the small café. Each person present was given a few books to put in the library, so no one was left out of the celebration. The concept of tea shop libraries is, I think, brilliant; the availability of books in both tea shops and schools expands opportunities to read for both students and parents and encourages parents to read with their children.

These visits to Mundargi and Kushtagi showed me a side of life I could never have imagined. They made me thankful for my plentiful life in the United States and optimistic about India’s future. India is a complex country with a variety of cultures and traditions. To lead in tomorrow’s world, it needs something or someone to help it achieve its vast potential – a good education is that something and Akshara is that someone.

– Ajay Dayal

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12 Comments

• says : OMG... it was so bad... I can feel the disgusting atmosphere.. I'm so sad to know that. T______T. I wish the victims will recover soon. It was so dangerous... how can a government plan which is supposed to make the kids healthy, turns out into a massacre plan?? I hope the government will deal with the problem as soon as possible. Posted 05-12-2014 14:27
• says : from what country are you from? I think we have a common problem about the carelessness of the government to the schools or social place they support. It seems like they are not that care. It is our duty as a private person to serve the needs of civilian, we can help them and encourage them to fight for their rights. After all it's a good act. Well done Posted 04-12-2014 17:23
• says : This is grave situation indeed. But with persistence, awareness & co-operation we can achieve the desired results. It is not always that huge costs will lead to cleanliness. You can live in a simple yet clean manner. In the same way surroundings can be kept neat by daily cleaning and simple food can be cooked in the backyard as well but in a clean manner. Wash hands, utensils & vegetables before cooking. Serve in clean utensils & try to eat it warm & hot. Well done Basu & keep it up. Posted 04-12-2014 13:08
• says : While the idea of mid-day meal may be good but it's not serving its purpose. You could inspire the kids to raise the issue with administration.(lead them if...) Posted 04-12-2014 09:53
• says : Thanks for your concern Basu, it's really sad to see such poor sanitation and mid day meal. Unhygienic toilets may result in transmission of various diseases, open cooking area (just fenced with a piece of cloth) will lead to contamination of food with parasites and microbes :( School is a temple for learning so this is a place that should be role model. I appreciate your efforts of convincing concerned person but please follow up to see if there is any progress. If the condition doesn't get better then you along with other youth groups can go together for demanding action. Keep up your high spirits alive :) Cheers :) Posted 04-12-2014 08:52
• Arushi Madan says : The unhygienic places and methods of cooking for such mid day meals in school is really pathetic. Many news channel reporters have also done similar inspection and telecasted reports with hope to wake authorities concerned hoping situation will improve. But unfortunately it persists. Very sad indeed. Clean environment and safe and healthy food are the basic necessities every school child should be given.Thanks for sharing , Basu. But good to know that you went there with positive message to teach them about environment and promote Tunza. Good that you met the principal and shared your feedback. Hope he would do something. You should do follow up with him and form a group of few volunteers to revisit there , offer your help in improving the situation there. Posted 03-12-2014 13:47
• Rohan Kapur says : Thanks for the report, Basu. The situation in this school is worse as far as cleanliness & infrastructure is concerned. It is very good that you educated them about Tunza. I feel that you must have included pics of the Tunza event you conducted. Coming back to school cleanliness part. This can be managed by convincing the principal, while infrastructure may take time to develop & it involves big cost, they can live in a clean environment. Mid-day meal also can be cleanly cooked in a simple manner without increasing the cost part. Together we CAN bring the change around us. Posted 03-12-2014 13:15
• says : It is deplorable that such things still happen in today's day and age! Posted 03-12-2014 05:53
• says : In Thailand we are facing the same problem. In rural area, the school are bad and have little to none sanitary food and suitable facilities. So, when I have holiday, my family usually take me to those schools to tell them stories and teach them about morality, nature, and so on. We also bring food, books, and toys to them. Some of them said that little book is the very first one they ever own. I feel bad for them. Hopefully, the government can help in bigger scale than me and my family's participation. Posted 02-12-2014 22:21
• says : Sad to see such conditions in the school. however We are glad to know youwent to the school, taught children about Tunza,UN, green living and environment and also had meeting with principal. Hope school administration take such issues very seriously. Posted 02-12-2014 20:20
• says : Yes, I did that too. Posted 02-12-2014 18:32
• says : Oh man, i never expected to find dead lizards and frog in the food. it sounds really bad. I have some advice, when you visit a place with bad condition, make them realize about the waste around them and give them stimulus to take the waste into garbage can together. just my thoughts. Posted 02-12-2014 17:45

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Home » Check MEA Visit Report

Check MEA Visit Report

Check MEA Visit Report.  Monitoring and Evolution Authority (MEA) visits Punjab Government Schools every month. MEA submits online reports for all visited schools. You can check online MEA submitted reports for your school here on sedinfo.net. To check MEA visit report enter EMIS Code of any school.

The Program Monitoring and Implementation Unit (PMIU), School Education Department, employs 1100 field officers. These field officers visit all the public schools across Punjab, every month. During their visits they report key stats including student enrollment, teacher presence, and the availability of utilities. The benefits of the new monitoring mechanism have been enormous, and include real-time reporting. Real-time reporting with pictorial evidence, geo-tagging of sites visited. Automatic SMS alerts on target performance.

MEA Schools Visit Report

Monitoring and evaluation provides a consolidated source of information of project progress. It contributes to transparency, accountability, retention and finally to the development of an institution. It also helps in the evidence-based policy making and ensures that desired outcomes are achieved. Owing to critical importance of the process, Government of the Punjab (GoPb) has instituted a comprehensive school monitoring mechanism. Its key components are Annual School Census and Monthly Monitoring System. At the apex of the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system is the Program Monitoring and Implementation Unit (PMIU), which works in conjunction with the Department of School Education, acting as the monitoring and implementation wing of the Department. PMIU’s key task with regard to monitoring is to regulate an effective data collection system at the district level.

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What the New Overtime Rule Means for Workers

One of the basic principles of the American workplace is that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. Simply put, every worker’s time has value. A cornerstone of that promise is the  Fair Labor Standards Act ’s (FLSA) requirement that when most workers work more than 40 hours in a week, they get paid more. The  Department of Labor ’s new overtime regulation is restoring and extending this promise for millions more lower-paid salaried workers in the U.S.

Overtime protections have been a critical part of the FLSA since 1938 and were established to protect workers from exploitation and to benefit workers, their families and our communities. Strong overtime protections help build America’s middle class and ensure that workers are not overworked and underpaid.

Some workers are specifically exempt from the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime protections, including bona fide executive, administrative or professional employees. This exemption, typically referred to as the “EAP” exemption, applies when: 

1. An employee is paid a salary,  

2. The salary is not less than a minimum salary threshold amount, and 

3. The employee primarily performs executive, administrative or professional duties.

While the department increased the minimum salary required for the EAP exemption from overtime pay every 5 to 9 years between 1938 and 1975, long periods between increases to the salary requirement after 1975 have caused an erosion of the real value of the salary threshold, lessening its effectiveness in helping to identify exempt EAP employees.

The department’s new overtime rule was developed based on almost 30 listening sessions across the country and the final rule was issued after reviewing over 33,000 written comments. We heard from a wide variety of members of the public who shared valuable insights to help us develop this Administration’s overtime rule, including from workers who told us: “I would love the opportunity to...be compensated for time worked beyond 40 hours, or alternately be given a raise,” and “I make around $40,000 a year and most week[s] work well over 40 hours (likely in the 45-50 range). This rule change would benefit me greatly and ensure that my time is paid for!” and “Please, I would love to be paid for the extra hours I work!”

The department’s final rule, which will go into effect on July 1, 2024, will increase the standard salary level that helps define and delimit which salaried workers are entitled to overtime pay protections under the FLSA. 

Starting July 1, most salaried workers who earn less than $844 per week will become eligible for overtime pay under the final rule. And on Jan. 1, 2025, most salaried workers who make less than $1,128 per week will become eligible for overtime pay. As these changes occur, job duties will continue to determine overtime exemption status for most salaried employees.

The rule will also increase the total annual compensation requirement for highly compensated employees (who are not entitled to overtime pay under the FLSA if certain requirements are met) from $107,432 per year to $132,964 per year on July 1, 2024, and then set it equal to $151,164 per year on Jan. 1, 2025.

Starting July 1, 2027, these earnings thresholds will be updated every three years so they keep pace with changes in worker salaries, ensuring that employers can adapt more easily because they’ll know when salary updates will happen and how they’ll be calculated.

The final rule will restore and extend the right to overtime pay to many salaried workers, including workers who historically were entitled to overtime pay under the FLSA because of their lower pay or the type of work they performed. 

We urge workers and employers to visit  our website to learn more about the final rule.

Jessica Looman is the administrator for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. Follow the Wage and Hour Division on Twitter at  @WHD_DOL  and  LinkedIn .  Editor's note: This blog was edited to correct a typo (changing "administrator" to "administrative.")

• Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
• Fair Labor Standards Act
• overtime rule

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Statement from President Joe   Biden on 25 Years Since the Columbine High School   Shooting

Twenty-five years ago today, two students walked into Columbine High School with assault weapons and other firearms they obtained without background checks. They killed twelve of their fellow students and one teacher, injuring nearly two dozen others, and transforming classrooms into crime scenes. Jill and I continue to pray for the survivors and families impacted by this traumatic event, as well as a community that was forever changed. We know that pain never goes away.  Since Columbine, over 400 school shootings have exposed over 370,000 students to the horrors of gun violence. From Newtown to Parkland to Uvalde, we have seen communities across the nation be torn apart by senseless violence. Students across the country now learn how to duck and cover before they learn how to read and write. This violence must end.  I’ve met with countless families who’ve lost loved ones because of gun violence. Their message is always the same: do something. My Administration has answered their call. We created the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris. I signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant gun safety legislation in decades. Last week, my Administration implemented the largest expansion of the gun background check requirement since 1993, addressing the loophole that allowed the Columbine shooters to obtain guns. This action means fewer guns will end up in the hands of domestic abusers, felons, minors prohibited from purchasing firearms, and other dangerous individuals. My Administration will continue taking action, but Congress must do their part. We need universal background checks, a national red flag law, and we must ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. We need Congress to do something—do something—so that communities won’t continue to suffer due to the epidemic of gun violence.

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University protests

Protests at Columbia and other schools escalate

Chandelis Duster, Christina Zdanowicz and Lucy Bayly

Follow the latest live coverage about pro-Palestinian protests on US college campuses here.

Rep. Torres: Columbia president “should step aside” if she cannot lead with moral clarity

From CNN's Chandelis Duster

New York Rep. Ritchie Torres, a Democrat, criticized Columbia University President Minouche Shafik, saying she has “chosen to surrender control of Columbia to an antisemitic fringe." Torres also said canceling in-person classes is “an admission of failure” by Shafik.

“If you cannot ensure the safety of your students, then you have no business serving as President of any university, let alone the alma mater of Alexander Hamilton,” Torres said in a statement. “What Columbia University needs is not an appeaser of antisemitism but a leader who will fight with moral clarity against it.”

He continued, “That Columbia University has failed its Jewish students so profoundly is an indelible stain on the soul of the institution. If the President of Columbia University cannot lead with moral clarity, then she should step aside for a true leader who can and will.”

Hakeem Jeffries: Antisemitic rhetoric "unacceptable and deeply disturbing"

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Tuesday condemned antisemitism amid ongoing protests at Columbia University and other colleges across the US. 

“The antisemitic rhetoric and intimidation deployed by some students and outside protestors on college campuses in New York City and beyond is completely unacceptable and deeply disturbing,” Jeffries, a Democrat who also represents New York, said in a statement. “Every American has the constitutional right to free speech and peaceful assembly in the public square. However, intentionally targeting Jews or any community on the basis of race, religion or ethnicity, acts of harassment and the use of physical violence will never be tolerated.” 

He also said the effort to crush antisemitism and hatred “is not a Democratic or Republican issue. It’s an American issue that should bind us all together.”

“We will continue to do everything possible to protect the Jewish community during this very fraught moment, fight the cancer of antisemitism and redouble our efforts to bring communities together,” Jeffries said.

Trump says Columbia University made “grave mistake” making classes hybrid amid tense demonstrations on campus

From CNN's Kate Sullivan

Former President Donald Trump said Tuesday he thought leadership at Columbia University made a “grave mistake” in making all classes at its main campus hybrid until the spring semester ends after days of tense demonstrations on campus.

“What's going on with the colleges where they're closing Columbia now? I mean, it's just crazy. Columbia should gain a little strength, a little courage and keep their school open. It's crazy. Because that means the other side wins,” Trump told reporters at Trump Tower as he took a few questions after greeting former Japanese prime minister Taro Aso.

 Trump said, “The people running Columbia have made a grave mistake.”

Barnard students on suspension "no longer have access" to most campus buildings

From CNN's John Towfighi

Barnard President Laura Rosenbury confirmed in a statement yesterday that students on interim suspension "no longer have access to most Barnard buildings."

She said Dean Leslie Grinage is "helping students find alternative housing arrangements when needed."

The statement also said Barnard will consider lifting suspensions for students who have an otherwise clean record and commit to a probationary period.

A Barnard student alleged on X that she was suspended and evicted from housing.

Correction: This post has been updated to correct President Rosenbury's first name. It is Laura.

House Speaker Johnson to visit Columbia University Wednesday

From CNN's Melanie Zanona

House Speaker Mike Johnson will head to Columbia University Wednesday to visit with Jewish students and deliver remarks and hold a press conference “regarding the troubling rise of virulent antisemitism on America’s college campuses,” according to his office.

This comes as pro-Palestinian protests have rocked major American universities, including Columbia. After days of tense demonstrations, Columbia University announced it is  moving to mostly hybrid classes  on its main campus until the end of the semester, April 29.

New York House Republicans have called on Columbia president Minouche Shafik to resign immediately for failing to crack down on the protests.

Students, faculty and staff at University of New Mexico protest in support of Gaza

From CNN's Taylor Romine

Students, faculty and staff at the University of New Mexico started protesting Monday in support of Gaza and have done so peacefully, the university said in a statement Tuesday. 

On Tuesday, "members of our UNM community assembled at the UNM Duck Pond in peaceful protest," the statement said. Some people brought tents and sleeping bags, which is in violation of school policy, and campus police told them citations or arrests would occur if not removed, they said. 

"Police monitored the situation throughout the evening, without incident, and around midnight advised those who were remaining that their tents needed to be taken down or they would be cited," the statement said. "The tents were eventually taken down, with some people remaining at the duck pond."

As of Tuesday, there are about a dozen people at the duck pond with banners and chairs, but no tents, the statement said, and the university continues to monitor the situation. 

"The University is grateful to our entire community for modeling how protests can occur in a way that both upholds freedom of expression and ensures a safe and productive campus environment for everyone," the statement said. 

Students at Columbia University encampment say they plan to occupy until demands are met

From CNN's Omar Jimenez and Taylor Romine

Students occupying the West Lawn at Columbia University said Tuesday they are planning on staying there until the university meets their demands of divestment.

They are asking for a “complete divestment” from anything related to Israel, financial transparency into the university’s investments and amnesty from any disciplinary measures for students participating in the protests.  

“This is what we are here for – calling for an end to genocide and for Columbia to financially divest from the violent Zionist settler entity,” a student who identified themself as W told CNN. 

“We are putting our principles into action, and we plan to continue to do so by being here every day until Columbia divests." 

The group is in negotiations with the university through a legal negotiator, said student organizer Khymani James, who declined to share details of the negotiations.  

When asked about the encampment making Jewish students feel unsafe on campus, W said protesters try their best “to make sure everyone feels safe in the encampment," and their community guidelines “preach and hope for peace continuously.” 

Columbia University officials warn ongoing encampment is in violation of university rules

From CNN's Sara Smart

Columbia University officials warned Tuesday that the ongoing encampment is in violation of university rules — but school leaders have not given specifics on disciplinary actions.

“The safety of our community is our number one priority,” university spokesperson Ben Chang said in a press conference Tuesday afternoon. “That includes the safety of the encampment that continues to grow. We are watching this closely.”

University officials met with student organizers until 2 am ET Tuesday to discuss the situation, Chang said. “Columbia students have the right to protest but they are not allowed to disrupt campus life or harass and intimidate fellow students and members of our community," he added.

Chang said acts of vandalism, reports of harassment and discrimination have all been reported during the ongoing protest.

Officials will not release the specifics of student suspensions as “disciplinary actions continue” on campus.

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