Access to Education still a dream for Girls:

Article by Education Resource Society

Education of girls, especially those belonging to the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, is the primary focus in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. Efforts will be made to mainstream gender concerns in all the activities under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan programme. Mobilization at the habitation/village level, recruitment of teachers, up gradation of primary into upper primary schools, incentives like midday meals, uniforms, scholarships, educational provision like textbooks and stationery, will all take into account the gender focus. Every activity under the programme will be judged in terms of its gender component. To ensure that every village in the state has a well equipped, well staffed, well functioning and well attended primary and upper primary school providing useful and relevant elementary education that cuts across all social, regional and gender gaps to all children in the 6-14 group specially focused on the establishment of Primary School within one kilometer and upper primary within three kilometer of every habitation. But still various villages are untouched from these facilities.

Bahadurpur block of Allahabad where many villages still lack of Primary school and girls facing lots of problems while going to school. Village Bahadurpur having a habitation of 5000 and Chhoti Kotari population of 2000 both the villages covers the remoteness of more than 1 km. In these villages mostly minority community girls either drop out or ensuring low attendance in class. Basically Girls from here facing the problems of insecurity.

RTE come into force from 1^st April 2010 from this day the right to education will make each child access to education and every child in the age group of 6-14 years will be provided 8 years of elementary education in an age appropriate classroom in the vicinity of his or her neighborhood.

Any cost that prevents a child from accessing school will be borne by the State which shall have the responsibility of enrolling the child as well as ensuring attendance and completion of 8 years of schooling. But still it remains the dream of children.

Redressal Mechanism if a child is denied admission, beaten and discriminated

Redressal Mechanism if a child is denied admission, beaten and discriminated

Education Resource Society, Allahabad

One may assume that a number of complaints would be settled at the school and SMC level itself, through the intervention of civil society groups. If that does not happen, the next step would be for the complaint to be filed with the local authority. The complainant could appeal to the SCPCR if the action of the local authority does not redress the complaint satisfactorily. Yes, both the NCPCR and the SCPCRs can move on their own, suo moto, without any one specifically filing a complaint. As per Model Rule 25, SCPCRs shall set up child help lines, accessible by SMS, telephone and letter for receiving and registering complaints.

            The problem at present (April 2010) is that the NCPCR is in the process of being reconstituted, and only five states have constituted their SCPCRs, that too with varying capacities. The exact rules and procedures for redressal shall have to be worked out by the NCPCR when it again becomes properly functional, and it will have to assist the SCPCRs to do the same. The reconstituted NCPCR is expected to carry forward its earlier initiatives of linking and networking with civil society organizations for monitoring, appointing state commissioners for the enforcement of the Act (on the lines of Supreme Court Commissioners for Right to Food), networking with other Commissions like the one's for Human Rights, Women and Minorities, set up help lines and set up a separate division for enforcing the Right to Education.

            The Model Rules provide that in states that do not have SCPCR at present (which is set up by the Women and Child department), the education department shall constitute a Right to Education Protection Authority (REPA) till the SCPCR comes into force.

Under the NCPCR Act 2005, the NCPCR and SCPCRs have quasi-judicial powers whereby they can investigate, summon and recommend cases to the courts. They cannot, however, pass judgments and hand out punishments. As a law flowing out of a fundamental right, it is justifiable from the lowest to the highest court of the country. One can file a case in the lowest civil court, or the Supreme/High Court, depending on the nature of complaint. NCPCR has already initiated moves to work through civil society groups in a variety of ways. Independent of that, NGOs and other civil society groups can on their own bring violations to the notice of authorities and courts. An example of that is the civil society group Social Jurist working in Delhi. They can ensure opening of neighborhood schools, monitoring teacher availability, and help in local redressal mechanisms. Since the 'compulsion' in the Act is on the governments, the NCPCR/SCPCR and the courts shall have to investigate where the onus of a particular violation rests, and judge accordingly

Reformation of BRC and NPRC

 

Allahabad: Education Resource Society

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is implemented as one of biggest education program for universalizing elementary education. Its overall goals include universal access and retention, bridging of gender and social category gaps in elementary education and enhancement of learning levels of Children. SSA Provides variety of interventions including opening of new schools, construction of schools and additional class room, toilets and drinking water facilities, provisioning for teachers, periodic teachers training and academic resource support etc.

For providing academic resource support to Primary School, Block Resource Center (BRC) at block level and Nyan Panchyat Resource Center (NPRC) at Nyan Panchyat level have been established. Coordinator and Sankul have been appointed to run these institutions. The work of these institutions determine at various levels:

·         Capacity building of Teachers

·         Community Participation

·         Technical training  like computers ,video  etc

·         Interchange of Educational information.

·         Monitoring of Schools

·         Implementation of Schemes in Schools.

·         Support in joyful learning

·         Proper coordination with other institutions.

According to GO no.3356/15-5-2000-424/2001,2257/15-5-2002-424/2002,329/79-5-2009, order has come to dissolve these institutions as these were not giving expected outcome,  GO also stated to reform BRC and NPRC for the beginning to established its work.

In Bahadurpur block of Allahabad BRC and NPRC reformation took place where 5 coordinators and 18 Sankul has been appointed to run these institutions for ensuring the work for which it have been formed. ERS updates itself in all the process of these institutions.

 

Basic facilities rises the cases of DROPOUT: A Case Study

Allahabad:
 A Girl Mausam Gautam 13 years old living in Kotari village of Bahadurpur block of Allahabad. She is elder in four brother and sister. She was studied in Class 6 in Upper Primary School Gulalpur. While to her she said " Shauchal band rahat raha yahi liye Iskool ma der tak nahi baith pawat rahe, madamji se kaha par kuch nahi ki, sab log hasi udawat rahe". Toilet was always locked,I could not stay for a very long time,I informed about the problem to head teacher but she did nothing,children making fun of me. She wanted to continue her further studies but the situations not allow her to continue.
                  While taking to Mausam Parent Mr. Lallu Gautam and Mrs.Sona Devi of SC community says that we have four children, all three of them enrolled in school. We feel bad when we see our child doing domestic work. Many times we went to school to sort out the problem but always found negative response from teachers and school.