SOCIETY FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND FORMAL EDUCATION SUPPORTED BY ACA, DENMARK ANNUAL ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT:

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1 SOCIETY FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND FORMAL EDUCATION SUPPORTED BY ACA, DENMARK ANNUAL ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT: INTRODUCTION: Independent India is too young to nurture its young population aged below 14 years that accounts for a whopping 40% of its 1.2 billion strong; with the children in the school going age of 6 to 14 alone accounting for 30%. Lagging far behind in all aspects of millennium goals, it is virtually inching forward in the spheres of health and education and such of those essentials that go to determine the quality of life. In the Indian context these two vital factors are elusive for the economically and socially marginalized rural and urban poor. Interestingly, for the poor, their availability is not determined by their accessibility; but only by affordability. In its relentless pursuit to ensure every child gets quality education, Society for Rural Development established in the year 1982 has been endeavouring to enroll every child in its programme area constituted by remote villages on the borders of Kurnool, Mehaboobnagar, Kadapa and Ananthapur Districts in the state of Andhra Pradesh. CHILDREN AND EDUCATION IN INDIA Nearly a quarter of the world's child workers are said to be in India. ILO estimates 2 billion child labour in the world are below 15 years of age and the Indian Union Labour Ministry reports that our country's labour force include 44 million children. Children today have no opportunities and are forced to be adults. The year under reporting saw significant increase in the financial outlay amounting to Rs. 65,867 crore for fiscal that is said to be a 17 per cent jump though; it is insignificant in view of the emerging needs. Of the total education outlay, the flagship scheme Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) was allocated Rs.27,258 crore for implementing the Right to Education Act that promises education to all children in the 6-14 age group. The focus on skill development through the recently launched National Skill Development Corporation is significant. It is a unique Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Enterprise which has been mandated to skill 30% of the overall target of 500 million people by the year NSDC has been incorporated as a not-for-profit organization under Section 25 of the Companies Act,

2 1956 by the Ministry of Finance. It has been formed as 51:49 shareholding of private and government. Besides Ministry of Finance, all prominent industry bodies have contributed to the initial capital of this venture to address the need for training and skill development. Of the total education outlay, the flagship scheme Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) was allocated Rs.27,258 crore for implementing the Right to Education Act that promises education to all children in the 6-14 age group. The inclusive budget has given a mixed priority to children who are 33 per cent of the total India s population (Census, 2011). Budget estimations say 0.67 per cent of GDP earmarked to children during The biggest share of the budget is claimed to be allocated to education. EDUCATION IN ANDHRA PRADESH According to the national survey, the percentage of literacy of Andhra Pradesh is at an abysmal low of 71.2% and the states ranks 24 out of 28 with Kerala at the top with 97.5% and Bihar at the bottom with 68.8% in the year There could be no better than the reproduction of the result of A survey conducted by Govt of AP that is as follows: STATUS OF GOVT SCHOOLS IN ANDHRA PRADESH - No teachers for 5,774 schools in AP 76,467 govt schools having 2.79 lakhs rooms with 90 lakhs students No toilets in 28,672 schools for girls No electricity facility in 50,159 schools No drinking water facility in 7,536 schools 2.79 lakh class rooms for 90 lakhs children. There are 90 lakhs children getting education from 76,467 Govt.schools across the state of Andhra Pradesh. But they have only 2, 79,615 class rooms. It is fact that lakh of children getting education under trees due to the scarcity of class rooms and dilapidation of available ones. To resolve this situation a total of 97,497 class rooms are yet to build immediately as per the Govt.officials... Lack of toilets for girl children. It is an indispensible reason that many a number of girl children becoming drop outs and are not interested to Government schools is nothing but scarcity of toilets. It is truth that there are no toilets in 28,672 schools even then according to Govt. statistics. 47, 795 schools having separate toilets for girls but most of them are not in use due to lack proper water supply. Government officials accepting themselves that there are no toilets in 23,922 primary schools, 2,585 upper primary schools and 2,165 high schools.

3 Starving even for drinking water. There is no drinking water facility for 7,536 schools out of 76,467 in the state of A.P. According to the concerned Govt. officials there is drinking water facility for 50,676 primary schools but it is incredible at grass root level. As per the Govt.estimates there is no drinking water facility among 6,287 primary schools where there are 56,963 primary schools. As in the same way 633 upper primary schools not having the facility out of 9, 234 and 616 high schools not having drinking water out of 10,270 which is accepted by the Govt. officials. Unbelievable truths.. It is fact that over 5, 774 Government schools not equipped even with a single teacher.... Amazing issue is 400 schools having over the strength of 100 children and without single teacher. Some of the schools seems reversal like 251 schools having below 5 children only but are equipped with 2 teachers. One more mind blowing fact is 5 schools which are having below five children are having 5 teachers for each school i.e. each child have a separate teacher. Over 15, 170 primary schools are going on with only one teacher for each school. Among these schools 596 schools having the strength of more than100 children.. Hence the Government is in a dilemma on how to overcome these multiple pressures. Here comes the comparison of Andhra Pradesh with India in terms of Dropout Rates of school going children: CLASSES I - V CLASSES I - VIII CLASSES I X BOYS GIRLS TOTAL BOYS GIRLS TOTAL BOYS GIRLS TOTAL AP INDI A SRD CONCERN FOR CHILDEN AND EDUCATION Whereas the objectives of SRD through its intervention remain to be the following: Enhancing the educational standards among rural children Promoting the school going tendency among the children and educating the parents about the importance of education for their children Taking care of the destitute and orphan children by placing them in Boarding Home run by SRD, financially supported by ACA, Denmark Laying the stepping stones among the children for their better future by promoting health, hygiene and sanitation The activities embarked on also remained the same as follows:

4 All the 70 children provided with boarding and lodging facilities have groomed so well in their physical, mental and emotional well being. They have faired so well in their academics bringing credit to their respective families, to the Home of SRD they belong to and also to the Action Children Aid, the main resource providers. Their performance in studies could be graded best with all the children getting promoted to the next classes. As for their health conditions, there has been no sickness of any serious nature right through the year and it was the nutritious food and education on health, hygiene and sanitation that ensured them good health. Enhanced knowledge among the communities have resulted in significant change in their attitudes and behavior in every dimension of their life As for the impact of the interventions, the results have been far beyond our expectation as the programmatic inputs came with value addition in terms of provision of Supplementary Nutritional Care Sex Education and Moral Instruction Education on Menstrual Hygiene for Adolescent girls Physical Education for Boys and Girls Guidance and Counsel for Family Budgeting for Parents During the year under reporting, Education in health, hygiene and sanitation for the inmates of SRD s home has resulted in 22 families settling for their own respective sanitary latrines in their homes Getting to be more conscious of health and personal hygiene, 62 families have purchased cost effective water filter to combat water borne deceases Consciously motivated by SRD, The money saved by families, deemed as additional income earned through the educational assistance of SRD with ACA assistance has been put into productive purposes. While three families have been able to purchase their own buffaloes to augment their family income, 14 families have invested on goats and sheep and 8 on milk animals. Adolescent girls attaining puberty do not discontinue their studies any longer and in our survey, none of the 42 families with such situation opted for discontinuation of studies.

5 SRD IN BUILDING BRIDGES ACROSS LIVES: RIGHT TO EDUCATION: Taking a leaf from the Government of India s intervention through the Right to Education, SRD made inroads in the areas of the following Survival rights: include the child s right to life and the needs that are most basic to existence, such as nutrition, shelter, an adequate living standard, and access to medical services. Development rights: include the right to education, play, leisure, cultural activities, access to information, and freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Protection rights: ensure children are safeguarded against all forms of abuse, neglect and exploitation, including special care for refugee children; safeguards for children in the criminal justice system; protection for children in employment; protection and rehabilitation for children who have suffered exploitation or abuse of any kind. Participation rights: encompass children's freedom to express opinions, to have a say in matters affecting their own lives, to join associations and to assemble peacefully. As their abilities develop, children are to have increasing opportunities to participate in the activities of their society, in preparation for responsible adulthood. GENDER EQUITY: In its sensitive response to the Gender discrimination SRD embarked on a campaign to stem the rot and bring about a social change whereby the gender disparity could be eliminated. SRD together with the student and teachers fraternity vowed to continue the campaign truly demonstrating Gender Equity right through their lives; organizing change at a local level and planning participatory action to eliminate bias and stereotypes, and generate awareness of the significant gender divide that exists within Indian society. It is decided to constitute an expert committee on Gender Equity to carry through the process with periodic Reorientation Sessions and Training of Trainers to keep the fire alive, not to let it be passed off for an event; but to sustain the spirit as a Movement for Gender Equity ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY: Man is not an animal grubbing for sustenance though; he is purposive and greedy too. More self oriented for his own survival, he is absolutely oblivion of the environment and the elements responsible for his sustenance. SRD embarks on viable measures to create a critical consciousness among the children and the community through periodic educational sessions those condition them to be considerate to the systems that sustain the humanity.

6 EXTENDED COOPERATION BETWEEN SRD AND ACA In the light of the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the aforesaid interventions, we foresee emergence of new demands and challenges. The enhanced awareness on education has given rise to more enrolment and significant withdrawals from Bonded Labour which in turn mounts extra demand on the school and home in terms of intake for the ensuing academic session. This naturally demands consideration on the part of ACA to accommodate more children to avail the benefit of Residential Educational Assistance Programme of the SRD. INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT: To be able to meet the emerging new demands and challenges, SRD has taken up the infrastructure development programme with the assistance of ACA. This has become imperative in view of the severe depreciation and dilapidation of the existing facilities and those indispensable in terms of addressing to the demands of the increased expectation from the community and the dictates of the state. CONCLUSION: Carrying through certain activities on a regular basis, irrespective of its end effect, does not project an organization committed to community development in good stand. After all, community development has to consider every conceivable element of development and is not a piece meal at all. As SRD has been experiencing through its historic process of evolution, none of its activities could be seen in isolation as each of them is interdependent on the other. SRD has every potential of achieving its organizational objectives on the strength of its commitment, conviction, leadership, organizational sustainability, and pro-poor programmatic activities those aim at efficiency, effectiveness and impact. Having set the goal, SRD has to make a mark. SRD gratefully acknowledges the contribution of ACA in each of its endeavor in lessening the suffering and vulnerability of the poor and marginalized and beseeches its enduring support over the days to come to bring about their collective vision of bringing egalitarianism a reality in this part of mother earth.