Improving Quality Education

Elementary education has been considered one of the basic entitlements to improve human capabilities. The IQEE project in the 40 schools under 37 villages of district Karauli is a step in that direction. The implementing organization SSD is committed to implementing the scheduled activities as per the plan and at the same time ensuring the financial utilization of activities while producing quality output.

The impact can be measured by our work in ensuring almost 100% enrolments in the majority of schools in the project area. The strengthening of child forums in Satat Bal Wahini is achieved by giving them more voice and space in society through child rights training and other child-oriented activities in a number of villages.

100% retention is also achieved in the number of schools in the project area, at the same time Satat Bal Wahini (Child Forum) in a number of Villages has started playing an active role in the key matters of school functioning and management. The SSD work with PRI’s representative is a classic example of local and constitutional authority participation in the surrounding key institutions impacting the lives of local people.

The strengthening of village-based communities (SDMC, Parents, Mothers, Community leaders, Youths, PRI, etc.) is achieved in a number of villages. The community started playing a more active role. This is because of the raise in awareness levels through a different set of activities designed in the LFA matrix. Universalization of elementary education for children up to 14 years has been a constitutional mandate in this country. The mission to make elementary education achievable and accessible to all in this country paved the way for the creation of a flagship program known as SSA.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is an effort to universalize elementary education by community ownership of the school system. It is a response to the demand for quality basic education all over the country. The SSA program is also an attempt to provide an opportunity for improving human capabilities to all children, through the provision of community-owned quality education in a mission mode.

SSA thrust on achieving this milestone with the active participation of bodies such as Panchayati Raj institutions, School Management Committees, Parents’ Teachers’ Associations, and Mother Teacher Associations, among others. Despite the very ambitious plans of the government for improving the quality of elementary education, the harsh reality is that government-run schools are hardly in a position to act as an agent of progressive social transformation.

Annual Survey for Education Report

SSD conducted a survey on the status of education in the Karauli district. For this purpose, 35 college students were trained and they surveyed 600 Houses in 30 villages in the Karauli district. The main purpose of this program was to have transparency in the education system and Sarvjnekaran of education.

AWARENESS OF CHILD RIGHTS

The incidences of absenteeism and repetition are pretty high in the Indian education system more so at the primary level. Like many other studies, an ongoing study undertaken by NUEPA in collaboration with the University of Sussex, U.K. that has established the Consortium for Research on Educational Access, Transition and Equity (CREATE) in selected districts of two states in India has expressed concern with respect to absenteeism and repetition in schools. 

Probe report II, while elaborating on several positive developments in the educational scenario over a period of the last 10 years since the Probe was published, also highlighted a number of issues still posing challenges to the education of children in India. 

One of the challenges sighted is the far below attendance of children in school than the enrolled numbers resulting in poor learning levels. The challenge needs to be understood at two levels – one at the level of family and society and another at the level of schools themselves. 

The familial reasons for absenteeism are not unknown and livelihood compulsions are to be kept in mind while discussing the issue. Acute poverty resulting in children being thrown into child labor, seasonal migration of young children with their families, and cropping patterns resulting in migration of children at certain times of the year, are understandable reasons for the absenteeism of children. 

With special reference to girls the added burden of looking after young siblings, lack of basic sanitation facilities in schools, and distance of the school from their habitation are the compelling reasons for girls being absent for longer days from schools or occasionally joining despite their enrollment. 

There are socio–religious reasons also which contribute negatively to the phenomenon of children absenteeism. However, there is no denial to the fact that the opportunity cost of education is still and will remain one of the most crucial reasons for children not attending schools despite being enrolled. 

At the systemic level, the issue becomes more challenging as poor quality of learning and teacher absenteeism keeps a significant amount of children out of school. Parents look at the costs and benefits of schooling in a particular context and there can be factors within the system itself because which they don’t find it worthwhile to persist. 

A very understandable reason for absenteeism in remote, far-flung areas is the problem of transportation to deport children to and from schools. This becomes rather huge with respect to adolescent girls as they reach puberty. 

Fake enrollment of schools to fulfill instructions from above is one of the known factors for a huge number of children found absent as they didn’t probably even exist. The fragile accountability of teachers toward community levels organizations such as Panchayat, SDMCs, PTA, VECs, etc. is also a contributing factor leading to teachers not giving due weightage to the decisions taken in these groups and accepting to be answerable to these organizations.

SSD organized a hand-washing day in 40 schools in the Karauli district. SSD organized three days training program for student members of the School Development and Management Committee (SDMC).

SSD organized a Life Skill Education (LSE) training program for the students.

SSD organized an exposure visit of the students to Kasturba Gandhi Girls Residencial School, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, and different places in Jaipur. SSD started libraries for students in 37 villages. The library contains lots of books and different types of games for the students. SSD organized 37 Bal Melas in different villages and a district-level Bal Mela, Learning Level Assessment (LLA).