Karnataka
Whilst the overall
literacy rate in Karnataka, currently pegged
at 67 per cent, is above the national average
of 65 per cent, as many as 15 out of 27 districts
have literacy rates that are significantly
below the state average. In order to get a
better and informed view of the situation
in Karnataka, a feasibility study was conducted
by the Trusts, in collaboration with the Department
of State Education Research and Training (DSERT).
Based on this study, the Yadgir block of
Gulbarga district, with a literacy rate
of 37 per cent coupled with a significantly
high dropout rate, and Chamrajanagar district
were selected for focused interventions
based on criteria of under development.
Consequently, in October 2007, the Trusts
started operations of the ‘Kalike Samruddhi
Upakram’ (Learning Enhancement Initiative)
in Karnataka. While the initiative addresses
locally specific challenges, district level
interventions are organised around the following
principals:
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Facilitating systemic
reform in elementary education by working
with the existing system and strengthening
it |
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Working with
multiple stakeholders to influence and
enhance the child’s learning |
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Recognising and
enhancing the active role of the teacher
in creating child-centred classrooms
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Promoting professionalism
within elementary education |
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Developing process-oriented
interventions to address challenges
in making elementary education accessible,
meaningful and enjoyable for children.
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The game plan focuses on making long-term
investments towards improving quality of education
in select districts. These investments range
over a period, from pre-school to high school
education. The Trusts are confident that such
focused engagements would lead to a visible
impact on enhancing the quality of education
for most deprived communities. It would also
help in providing insights into systemic reform.
This will have the potential to inform the
policy.
Key grants
Maharashtra
Within Maharashtra, one of the districts selected
for district level interventions is Nandurbar.
This tribal district in northwest Maharashtra
is low on various socio-economic and educational
indicators. It ranks lowest in literacy out
of the 35 districts in the state, and on the
Human Development Index.
Initially, the focus is on:
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Conducting
a comprehensive baseline of student
learning levels in primary school, along
with teacher competency and attitude |
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Curricular
and pedagogic inputs for enhancing the
quality of teaching and learning mathematics
and language in grade I and II in select
schools in Nandurbar and Dhadgao blocks
in the district |
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Setting
up functional resource centres for elementary
education in two blocks, and developing
relevant material for language development
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Providing
intensive inputs to Anganwadi workers
for improving the quality of early childhood
care and education in select clusters
in Nandurbar block |
Key grants
Jharkhand
Jharkhand has the second largest concentration
of tribal population (26.3 per cent) in
the country. 46 per cent of its population
lives below poverty line and the state’s
literacy rate of 62.6 per cent is below
the national average of 65.4 per cent.
Within Jharkhand there is regional variation,
and tribal dominant regions fare especially
poorly on educational and social indicators.
The Trusts have selected Khunti for its
intensive district level intervention, based
on criteria of highest ST population (72.34
per cent) and lowest literacy rate (15.34
per cent) in the state.
Some of the problems of education in the
district are: non functioning schools, poor
school environment, non availability of
context specific appropriate reading material,
rampant teachers’ absenteeism, high
dropout rates among girls, coupled with
larger problem of poverty.
Based on a detailed operational plan prepared
by the Trusts, a series of interventions would
be piloted and then scaled up. A comprehensive
baseline exercise is underway in the district
to understand status of education from pre-school
to high school. In the first phase of the
program implementation the Trusts' intervention
will mainly focus on:
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Improving
access, by interventions like supporting
hostels and high schools for girls,
and helping out of school children to
appear for National Open School Exams. |
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Quality
improvement initiatives like provision
of special coaching classes, reading
enhancement program, provision of school
library, special inputs for mathematics
and training cum resource support for
ECE centers. |
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Special
literacy program for SHG women members
and development of resource materials
to sustain process of education and
empowerment. |
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Supported
focused programmes for children with
special needs in Khunti as well promoting
special and inclusive education in Jharkhand |
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Strategic
engagement with the state for systemic
reform |
Key grants
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