FAQs/08
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) of Parents/Heads of families of desirous of getting their children/other members of their families admitted to Prayas Foundation Course (PFC).
Question No. 1: Which program of ‘Prayas is most important?
Answer: ‘Prayas Foundation Course (PFC)’ is most important program which includes personality profiling and planned development initiative and is therefore is an integrated personality identification and development program which brings paradigm shift in the thinking and behavior of participants. Therefore this is the flagship program of ‘Prayas’. The most important aspect of this course includes assurance to reply to all queries of participants about the topic being brainstormed and availability of long-term mentorship on payment of annual charges of Rs. 1000 (one Thousand) in normal case and only Rs. 500 (Five Hundreds) in case of candidates belonging to weaker sections of society. .
Question No. 2: What is purpose of Prayas Foundation Course?
Answer: This program aims at developing an internally driven, proactive and self-motivating personality in participants to enable them to face all challenges of their life successfully with happiness and peace. This program does not restricts entry of applicants on the basis of their economic condition as its charges are fixed on twin principles of ‘No Profit No Loss, and ‘Cross-subsidization’ and 05 seats are reserved for candidates from economically weaker sections and they are given discount depending upon their ability to pay.
Question No. 3: What is minimum age of a participant for taking admission in Prayas Foundation Course?
Answer: The minimum age for participation is Prayas Foundation Course is 13 years.
Question No. 4: Why this course is not conducted for individuals who are aged 13 years or below?
Answer: We must understand and note that the personality of an individual starts emerging quite early in his/her life and continues to change or develop in meaningful ways throughout his/her lifespan. According to Paget’s’ theory of cognitive development, there are four stages of personality development which correspond with the age of child. They are sensorimoter (up to 2 years), pre-operational (2-7 years), concrete operational (7-11 Years) and formal operational (11 years to 15 years). Therefore up to 11 years of age the personality of an individual is in fluid stage and takes definite shape only after 11 years and this process goes up to 15 years. However as the result of high school (10th Standard) is very important for motivation for further studies and a child of 15 years is likely to pass 10th standards, it has been decided to permit admission of a student of 13 years to the Prayas Foundation Course so that he or she get about two years time after completion of the course to prepare well for the examination of 10th class with a proactive personality. A child of 13 years age may be studying in 8thth or has passed 8thth standard as admission for formal education of 1st standard for a child is recommended only at the age of 5 years. Therefore neither the personality profiling is done nor is ‘Prayas Foundation Course’ conducted for students or children who are studying in classes below 8th standard.
Question No. 5. Why my children should join Prayas Foundation Course, when they are attending their schools/colleges regularly? Similarly why other adult members of my family should join this course? What is so special about this course?
Answer: Schools/Colleges/Universities of your children have time to give them only subject knowledge and are under tremendous pressure to somehow complete the prescribed course and therefore have no adequate time to profile the current personality of their students scientifically, identify their strengths & weaknesses and remove them in a systematic manner. Prayas Foundation Course (PFC) precisely does this and helps in developing emotional, social and ethical/spiritual intelligence in the participants. Students having very high IQ (Mental Ability) may not be able to score high marks in examinations due to existence of negative personality traits like unwillingness to do hard labor and do planned and focused studies. PFC identifies and removes imbalances in personality traits and thereby facilitates better academic performance besides bringing positive changes in behavior of participants thereby facilitating development of enabling conduct for achieving success with peace and happiness. This is difficult for their schools/colleges to do under the current framework of education. Similarly adult members of your family may be either searching for jobs after completion of their studies or may be self employed or working somewhere. Their success in getting new jobs or on the job performance depends upon the current level of their emotional, social and spiritual/ethical intelligence. PFC develops EQ and SQ and as such they would be greatly benefited from this course.
Question No. 6. My children are busy from early morning to evening in school/college and tuition related to subjects being taught in the school/college. As such where is time of 90 minutes daily with them for this course? Similarly adult members are also busy in their current occupation from morning to evening and in family responsibilities thereafter. As such they are tired and are hardly in a position to attend PFC which would require devotion of 90 minutes each day 6 days a week. Then how they would be able to attend this course?
Answer : As all time spent by your children in their schools/colleges and tuitions at present will be finally of no practical use for them without positive thinking, habits and self driven, proactive behavior which is developed by PFC, taking out 90 minutes by rearranging present day schedule is not only desirable but necessary. Moreover once they complete PFC successfully, need for taking tuitions will reduce drastically as a result of development of the habit of self-struggle to study and understand a subject on one’s own in place of dependence on tutors, in the participants. In the long-run, this will not only save money but also time which is currently being spent on tuition or coaching. In fact dependence on spoon feeding, in place of self drive, proves to be very dangerous in the long-run. Life is not a 100 meter run but a marathon and therefore requires long term vision on the part of children and parents. Same is true for adult members of your family. If their current level of emotional, social and spiritual/ethical intelligence is inadequate, they would be struggling for success in their current occupation and would be mostly unhappy with life and may be victim of stress related diseases. Since PFC improves EQ and SQ of participants, adult members of your family would be highly benefitted from it. Therefore sparing 90 minutes daily for this course would be highly desirable.
Question No. 7: My children are already very tired from existing study/tuition schedules which are very tough and will have no energy left for PFC as they will further get tired. Same is true for adults.
Answer: It may be noted that PFC is not a usual run of the mill course like present tuitions where tutors teach students some difficult concepts and students run from one class to another and get mental as well as physical fatigue. While participating in PFC they will not be taught any difficult topic by any teacher which they have no knowledge at all and have to struggle mentally to understand it. Rather they will be given chance to submit only one page each day on a subject or topic of their own interests & choices and then in the brainstorming sessions would be encouraged to express their views freely on topics on general nature which are very relevant for day to day life of themselves, their family and society around them about which they already have some knowledge and will also get chance to hear views of other participants and react to them. We recommend some self-study so as to bring all participants on a same level. They will be refreshed in this process of brainstorming and will be in fact more ready for their next class or tuition in a relaxed mood with higher energy level. So question of getting tired by attending PFC does not arise. In fact it will relax them mentally which is very important for better results. Same is true for adult participants. Moreover the course is conducted digitally and one can participate in it through his smart mobile phone having internet connection sitting at home.
Question No. 8: I am already paying very high fees of schools/colleges, tuitions and coaching for my children and arranging Rs. 750 for personality profiling and counseling service or Rs. 5000 further for each of them to finance PFC may be difficult for me. If all adult members also attend this course, the financial burden would increase many folds which may be difficult for me to shoulder.
Answer: The personality profiling and counseling fee of Rs. 750 per individual or PFC fee of Rs. 5000 of 6 months duration for one child or adult, is reasonable considering current rates for these services. We have been able to keep it very low by adopting the concept of time donation by socially spirited individuals and taking their services as our Activity Partners to ensure that even poor people can avail benefit of our services for whom some seats are reserved. Also adult members of your family should have some monthly earning and as such they should be able to fund the fee of this course. The expected benefit from PFC are many time more than its fee and as such it may be prudent on your part to arrange Rs. 5000 per child studying in 6th class or above as PFC will change child’s life forever and he/she will be able to manage his/her studies on his/her own in a much better manner than he/she is doing at present. Moreover course fee is to be deposited in two installments and as such required amount can be arranged by you. Therefore arranging personality profiling and counseling or fee of PFC may not be a problem for you.
Question No. 9: The schools/colleges/universities are already developing personality of my children through various short-term programs and lectures by eminent personalities and as such what is need of this course?
Answer: As already said above, the focus of most of Schools/Colleges/Universities is to complete the syllabus somehow and as such they have no time to develop positive personality traits. Short term programs or lectures by eminent persons are not able to change the behavior of child as retention of values from such programs is very low. PFC facilitates development of internally driven, proactive personality through brainstorming sessions being organized for six months after ascertaining the current personality profile of the participants through time tested psychological instruments which is difficult for Schools/Colleges to ensure due to pressure of course and several other activities which they have to undertake. This course is based on the philosophy that we tend to resent instructions given by others with regard to our behavior but tend to agree to change our behavior if we ourselves are party to such decisions.
Question No. 10: Why my children should join this course so early? Can they not join it later on after completing their studies?
Answer: We are well aware that the most important stage in the life of students is the result of high school examination which forms the basis for selecting a particular line of study and job/occupation/profession after completion of studies. Therefore, for maximum benefits, their personality deficiencies, if any, should be properly identified and removed much before this stage. Change in thinking and behavior of an individual does not happen all of a sudden and it takes some time for new ideas or thoughts to take firm roots in his/her mind. Therefore PFC is run for students of 6th standards and above for a duration of six months. Therefore your children should join it at the earliest rather than waiting further. Why should they wait for something which is so important for their studies and the career thereafter?
Question No. 11: What is importance of Emotional, social and Ethical/Spiritual Intelligence over the IQ (Mental Intelligence) of an individual in getting jobs or pursuing any occupation or profession? If my children have high IQ then they can easily get good jobs and earn good money. Adult members of my family can also do the same. Why they should join PFC which claims to develop emotional, social and ethical/spiritual intelligence?
Answer: Any employer will not like to give job to an applicant who may have very high IQ but low EQ and SQ. Any job or profession including self-employment requires working with people in teams and in hierarchy consisting of juniors (subordinates) and seniors (supervisors or managers or officers) and as such an individual with low EQ and SQ is bound to fail due to his/her inability to seek full cooperation of other members of team, juniors and seniors and as a result may lose his/her job in the long run or face stagnation in his/her career. Therefore your children may not get good jobs if their emotional, social and ethical/spiritual intelligence is underdeveloped irrespective of their good academic performance and high IQ. Since PFC ensures development of emotional, social and ethical/spiritual intelligence through the process of brain storming after profiling of the personality of participants, your children should join it if they wish to have a successful, peaceful and happy life not only as a student but also as an adult thereafter. Similarly adult members of your family who are working somewhere would be benefitted by PFC in a big way and their job-prospects would improve significantly.
Question No. 12 How I would know that the personality of my child or adult member of my family has actually developed in right direction due to participation in this course? Does he/she get a certificate or report at the end of this course?
Answer: Just after joining this course (during first month of PFC) a personality test of each participant is held through time tested Psychological instruments and based on results of this test, the profile of his/her current personality (called entry profile) is prepared and kept in his/her folder maintained with ‘Prayas’. Again at the end of PFC (during the last month) a repeat test is held and a revised profile (exit profile) is prepared. A Personality Development Report (PDR) is prepared for each participant clearly highlighting the special features of the personality of a participant and the changes which occurred in his/her personality due to participation in PFC by comparing entry and exit profiles. PDR also contains recommendations for future. It is given to each participant on conclusion of this course. You, your child or adult members of your family can easily find out the positive changes which have taken place in his/her personality as a result of participation in PFC.
Question No. 13: What prior preparation is required before going for PFC class? Where would my children or adult members of my family get time for such a preparation?
Answer: An individual desirous of joining PFC need not do any prior preparation for this course except listening to some videos and audio of short duration available on internet. He/she is required to submit one page daily on any topic of his/her choice and submit it to VVM who conducts this course through the App and in the brainstorming session he/she has to just express his/her views on the topic of the day and react to the views of others participants according his/her existing knowledge about topic being brainstormed or simply based on pure common sense and knowledge gained through suggested audios and videos. Their knowledge about an issue under discussion will get enriched during the course of brainstorming.
Question No.14: What are benefits of attending this course?
Answer: Benefits of this course to your child include better understanding of oneself, improved self-discipline, better time management, better relations with members of your family, relatives, friends and others, better academic performance, better management of future life, success in jobs/occupations, increased happiness, and improved social prestige. This program will bring positive changes in his/her life. Similar benefits relevant for on job performance would accrue to adult participants. The most important aspect of this course includes assurance to reply to all queries of participants about the topic being brainstormed and availability of long-term mentorship on payment of annual charges of Rs. 1000 (one Thousand) in normal case and only Rs. 500 (Five Hundreds) in case of candidates belonging to weaker sections of society. .
Question No. 15: How can my children or any other members of my family join ‘Prayas Foundation Course?
Answer: If your children or any other member of family wish to join PFC, just download the registration form of PFC from our website and send it to us after entering necessary information in the proforma and payment of Rs. 100 (one hundred) registration fee digitally through the payment link provided for this purpose. Thereafter the applicant will be provisionally registered with us and admitted to a particular batch.. When the number of registration to a particular batch reaches 10 (ten) it will be assigned a VVM. Then the candidate will get a notification about date of commencement and the schedule of the coursed. Candidate has to deposit Rs. 2,500 (twenty ive hundreds) as advance fee digitally through the payment link provided therein. Your child or any other member of your family can join the course as per the schedule intimated by the VVM.
Question No. 16: How can I visit the office of Prayas?
Answer: We encourage customers to contact us digitally. We have two offices. The registered office is located at H-19, Phase IV, Rapti Nagar Gorakhpur 273013 and the corporate Office is located at 513, Fifth Floor, Felix Square, Sushant Golf City Lucknow 226030. You can visit our Gorakhpur office after taking prior appointment by dialing mobile numbers 7080210612 and 7080210614 and our Lucknow Office by dialing mobile number 8127569995 and 7080210615.