Introduction – A National Context
In India, Right to Education (RTE) Act ensured free and compulsory education for children between 6 to 14 years. A number of schemes and arrangements were launched to make sure that the children including underprivileged households both in rural and urban sectors have free access to education. Under Sarba Sikshya Abhiyan (SSA), a flagship programme of GoI, aims at universal elementary education with the complete primary education for the first generation learners for which one of the major indicators is reduced dropout rate.
Real life experiences show that dropout rate, to some extent, has been reduced through introduction of measures like mid day meal, moderate improvement of infrastructure, etc; but at the same time the quality of education is yet to reach at the desired level; particularly in the rural areas perhaps because of some inherent shortcomings in the delivery mechanism including lack of dedication and process oriented approach for learning. These drive the poor first generation learners to find it difficult to cope up with the system and fail to assimilate what is delivered in classes. Perhaps, this is the reason behind excessive dependence on private tuition particularly in the state of West Bengal. Since private tuition creates extra burden on the poor parents because of their perennial poverty, the first generation learners gradually become poor performers and finally drop out from the system.
Situation Analysis – in SPADE’s operational areas in Purulia
Calcutta Society for Professional Action in Development popularly known as SPADE has been implementing various Projects in rural and poor SC/ST families dominated Blocks of Purulia for nearly a decade and promoted hundreds of women community groups named Self Help Groups (SHGs) and federated these groups, and with supports from SPADE the women are trying to enhance livelihood opportunities in sustainable manner. The interactions in the areas of education of the children with the community with whom SPADE has been working over the years in Purulia, confirm the general observations that the first generation learners, are not being able to keep pace with the systems as they fail to perform well owing to lack of social and family ambience or may be supplementary tuition that is unaffordable for many of the tribal families of rural Purulia. Finding themselves at a very uncomfortable position in the schools, the poor first generation students even slowly feel reluctant to continue with their formal education.
Purpose of the intervention
- 20 SC and ST students of class 5 (with at least 50% girl students) will be provided supplementary education so that they keep pace with teaching learning process in the mainstream systems regularly;
- They are expected to enter into a better learning paradigm (in comparison to their own earlier learning performance);
- The selected students would form a nucleus for propagating quality learning for their community.
Proposed Interventions
- SPADE proposes to set up a supplementary education centre at Puncha Block of Purulia district for the students of class V.
- Twenty (20) students shall be selected in consultation with school teachers, PRI members and parents.
- A practicing school teacher with dedication, commitment and oriented towards open ended learning process shall be engaged
- Classroom teaching and practical will form part of processes that will eventually result into growing interest into learning as a corollary to enhanced the knowledge and skills of the students
- The centre shall operate after the school hours and weekends so that both the teachers and students would not find it difficult to attend the centre.
- Meritorious senior students, experienced teachers and subject experts identified by SPADE shall visit the centre from time to time so as to improve the quality of teaching learning as well as motivating the students to perform better.
- A documentation through internships in collaboration with local university
- A computer practice centre will be introduced for exposure to computer and internets and also to elicit interest towards learning in more absorbing manner. This will be supplemented with digital and print resources
Know more about our Supplementary Education initiative: Bartika Learning Centre.