Primary teachers in Peren district completed Building as Learning Aid (BaLA) training on June 12, learning to use classroom walls as teaching tools for literacy, numeracy, science and cultural studies.
Held at Government High School (GHS) Jalukie B, the training introduced teachers to a BaLA classroom designed around a traditional Zeliang folktale about an orphan boy who transforms into a hornbill. Educational elements such as alphabets, multiplication tables, measurement scales and geometric shapes were integrated into the artwork to support learning across subjects.
The training, facilitated by Shiksharth co-founder Ashish Shrivastava, marked Phase II of the BaLA initiative under the District Empowerment Program (DEP). The first phase, implemented in Mon district in 2025, used the Konyak folktale of Halem, the Flower Goddess, to integrate local culture into classroom teaching.
BaLA transforms school infrastructure into active learning spaces by using walls and other surfaces as educational resources for Classes I to V. Teachers attending the session explored ways to incorporate the artwork into daily lesson plans covering literacy, mathematics, environmental studies, science, geography and cultural education.
BaLA is part of the District Empowerment Program (DEP), a three-year initiative supported by HDFC Parivartan and ShikshaLokam, implemented by Elevate Foundation, working across Mon and Peren to benefit nearly 12,000 students.
DEP is a three-year initiative supported by HDFC Parivartan and ShikshaLokam and implemented by Elevate Foundation. The programme aims to benefit nearly 12,000 students across Mon and Peren districts.
