COMMUNITY OWNED PRESCHOOLS (Case S tudy in karnataka )

1. COMMUNITY OWNED PRESCHOOLS (Case Study in karnataka) Dr UshaAbrol

3. An intensive study of two of the COCs provides some useful tips on benefits of &modalities for actively involving the community in the preschool centers • While the concept has found place in Government programmes like School management committees in schools &Bal vikassamitis in anganwadis in reality their impact is very limited. • Community Owned Pre- school Centers has emerged as a widely acclaimed model in the country.

4. THE PHILOSOPHY • The model of COCs of Prajayatna is based on following beliefs; • The community support cannot be summoned in a programmatic manner without true community involvement &ownership in the real sense • Every community can be facilitated to articulate its child care needs by building the capacities of the communities. • The institutional structures to provide an opportunity for active community participation ,need to be built &nurtured • ; -

6. PROCESSES FOR PARENTS’INVOLVEMENT • Parents ’Expectations meetings(Annual) • Budget Planning (Annual ) • Monthly Meetings • Pre-school Committee • Supplementary Nutrition

7. 1. PARENTS’ EXPECTTIONS MEET • Beginning of every year a parent’s expectation meeting is held to map the parent’s expectations from the pre school center. • It is intended to build a framework determining the contents of classroom sessions in keeping with what the parents want their children to learn. • An analysis of parents expectations from the preschool matches with the academic guidelines for the goals of a preschool.

9. 2. BUDGET PLAN & MEETING • In the beginning of the academic year a planning meeting • of the parents is held to decide on modalities for running the center. • The exercise is facilitated by coordinators in which together all the • parents discuss & decide; • -resources required for running the center: fee structure, • teacher’s salary • -amount to be spent on teaching –learning material, • -infrastructure development like repair , painting etc • -external support required.

10. MONTHLY MEETINGS • Monthly meetings with parents are held to share their children’s learning &decide on day today problems of the center e.g. late coming of children, non/late payment of fee , repair of the building etc. • Preschool Committee comprising a smaller group of parents visit the center twice a week by rotation. Close Monitoring & Involvement of parents in day today activities fostered the feeling of ownership &assured a high level of transperancy .Parents’ have been assigned the responsibility of looking at the cleanliness, attendance, timings of the center. • The pre- school committee also went to purchase stationary &related items for the Center with the teachers

11. Involvement in assessment of children. • Twice a year each child is assessed in the presence of the parents &learning shared with them • Supplementary Nutrition by Mothers- By rotation mothers cook &bring nutritious snacks for all the children. The raw material is given by Prajayatna , cooking is done in the individual houses &food is sent to the center.

12. BENEFITS • The local community . comes forward to mobilize financial & other • resources whenever a need arises. • Transparency &regularity of services, accountability to the community • high level of parent satisfaction • PRE REQUISITE • Support of an external agency in organizing community meetings & • budget planning meetings, Capacity building of teachers, academic • aspects like curriculum planning . The team of Prajayatna played a • critical role

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