Our progam “Improving Girls Education in the Government Schools of Uttaranchal” is focusing on identifiation and enrollment of all girls.

This Phase operates in two steps:

Step one: SCHOOL INFORMATION CAMPAIGN

Step two: GRAM SHIKSHA SABHA

Step one: SCHOOL INFORMATION CAMPAIGN

The SIC is meant to generate data on:

• The school (infrastructure, facilities, activites, TLM etc.)
• The students, especially drop-outs
• Thelocal community and their attitude towards girls education

SCHOOL INFORMATION CAMPAIGN

It was our earlier experience before formally lunching the program, that the communities lacked information of various issues pertaining to school and education system. Even the government data available on certain aspect was found to be unreliable and unrealistic. Accessibility of the common people for the educational data or information on various plans and programmes of government was also not found to be assured all the time.

The school information campaign, meant for creating a reliable database not only served as an efficient tool for information on various aspects of the local school but also served to set up a context for initiating a dialog within the communities for an informed participation for girl’s education.

During the process of school information campaign, data was generated on infrastructure, facilities in the school, availability of teaching learning material, government educational programme, mid day meal scheme, village education committee. Apart from this, data was also gathered on the local community and other village level Institutions.

Initially a 24 page comprehensive survey format was used to collect the data. The respondents for all the questions pertaining to the school were either school teachers or the principles. However for collecting data on village community, the village head or any other educated person from the village were questioned.

This database was used to improve the knowledge of the community about the local school and education system and also increase their involvement in the process of change. This data was shared with all those participating in the Gram Shiksha Sabha (village meeting)

Very soon it was realised that the whole process is not impacting upon the desired results. Our main target group was girls. But we found that we were not addressing the actual issues of girl’s education. By sharing this database in the Gram Shiksha Sabha (village meeting), we emphasised more on education

rather than needs of girls. Soon after this realisation, a new set of survey format consisting of 12 pages was designed which consisted some very specific questions concerning girls – enrolment & attendance of girls in the school, number of dropout girls in a village, information on the community based organization in the village, enlisting of volunteers for the programme and daily activities of a girl child.

This format provided more specific information about the girls & their educational status in the locality, which also improved the Gram Shiksha Sabha’s by motivating us to involve the dropout girls also in the meetings. This data when shared with the community in the presence of dropout girls, helped to create an environment and positive attitude for girls education.

The school information campaign helped us in building a comprehensive primary database on the government schools in 2 working districts. The information in these survey formats is used extensively for both field level processes and also campaign and advocacy with the government educational administration.

Step two: GRAM SHIKSHA SABHA

Information from the SIC sets the context for the village meetings on girls education – GSS. The open discussions facilitated at these meetings help to create a sense of ownership within the community, that finally leads to the enrollment of drop-out girls.

The Gram Shiksha Sabha

Information from the School Information Campaign sets the context for the village meetings on girl’s education – Gram Shiksha Sabha ( GSS). The open discussions facilitated at these community meetings not only allow presentation and verification of information from the SIC but also initiate a community level dialogue on critical areas of concern pertaining to the local school and education of the girls, necessary action to address these concerns , and identification of responsibilities for ensuring the same.

Initially, the Gram Shiksha Sabha comprised of parents, teachers, members of the village panchayat, Mahila Mangal Dals ( Women Welfare Groups) , Yuvak Mangal Dal ( Youth Welfare Groups) and other members in the community concerned with education. The discussions at these meetings focuses on setting up a platform for emergence of a positive attitude for girls education , enabling people to bring about change, to take up the responsibility for their own development and in the process, hold the respective authorities accountable to deliver. Some Action Plans are also formulated during the Gram Shiksha Sabha.

The participation of School Management Committees ( SMCs)* is also ensured in these meetings.

The follow-up measures taken up by the SMC’s after the village meetings, ensured sustainability of the process of educational reforms to some extent. At most of the places, however the Gram Panchayats were found to be defunct and rather ignorant and irresponsible towards the key developmental issues (in this case education).