EDUCATION FOR UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN

1. EDUCATION FOR UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN

2. WHAT IS EDUCATION? • Education, aptly described as the journey from darkness to light forms an integral part of any human being. • “The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one”

3. Purpose of Education • Means of sustenance in life • Asset to the nation’s growth • Reduces poverty in the nation • Helps in abolishing social differences and economic disparities • Gateway to a bright future

4. Helps in character building • Produces young minds to face the world • Encourages creative learning • In short, one cannot deny that Education is a MUST FOR EVERY PERSON

5. Current scenario • Literacy Rate(INDIA):67% adults, 82%youths • Men:76.9%, women:54.5% • World average literacy rate: 84% • Highest no of illiterate population in the world • At current growth rate; 100% literacy can only be attained by 2050 • No of absolute literates:approximatley 300 million

6. Startling facts: • Only 1 in 10 completes tertiary education • Over 50% drop out in rural areas after age of 14 • Only 40% adolescents attend school • Over 60% children in rural areas are unable to do basic arithmetic, reading or writing • Only 1 in 5 job seekers have some sort of educational training

7. Why are underprivileged children not going to school? • Poor quality of schools and improper use of government funds: • In a survey of schools;59% had no drinking water and 89% no toilets • Social and economic disparities • Failure of mid-day schemes owing to inferior quality of food and misuse of funds which attracted children in rural areas

8. Large scale absenteeism among teachers • Most teachers found not teaching during regular time • Red tapism, lack of accountability of funds • Children more inclined to working in fields, and earning money for their families • Orthodox mindset of parents especially towards girl education, or due to religious views

9. What can be done to provide education? • Creating Awareness among parents • Setting up of e-libraries • Affiliation of these e-libraries to various institutionsof repute and recognition from the various secondary boards : i.e. CBSE, ICSE, UGC

10. a) Creating awareness among parents • The task of imparting education becomes even more difficult without the support of the parents. Therefore, the first and foremost step is to create awareness among the parents. • Enlighten them with the importance of education in one’s life • Convince them to send their children to school and not for work

11. b) Setting up of e-libraries Advantages: • Reduces dependency of students on teachers • Eliminates various problems that continue to plague our education system • Provides quality education till the higher secondary level • Boosts their self confidence and esteem which will put them at par with students of elite institutions

12. What is the e-library? The proposed plan: • Imparting basic knowledge about computers with the help of qualified professionals or locals • Providing intensive training in use of computers and related technological equipment, thus making them well versed with technology • Equipping these modern multipurpose libraries with computers, projectors and printers • Multi-purpose: Books + computers

13. Providing books on each and every subject, whereby students can further enhance their knowledge • Facilitating the children with important life skills through talks, videos and various lectures on issues like need of good etiquettes, personal hygiene, etc. • Use of smart class lessons to learn various important concepts like basic arithmetic calculations, conversing in English very essential for use in daily life

14. c) Affiliation to various institutions • Imparting distant learning to these children and share their courseware with the children • Providing graduation certificates which are accredited by the Ministry of Education • Conducting regular tests to assess students both at primary as well as secondary level • One can even obtain degrees/vocational training through these libraries

15. Testing of Students • Creating online accounts for each and every student which ensures transparency in results to a great extent. • Conducting practical examination of students on various social topics like environmental awareness and other social issues like good hygiene, need for community service etc • Scores accumulated over the years serve as benchmark of students performance

16. ADVANTAGES • Promises to eliminate the vast gap in quality of education between the elite and underprivileged • Focuses on all round development, especially harnessing life skills • Increases interest in learning as use of smart lessons, computers will encourage students to learn

17. Students get educational qualifications, recognized by the ministry of education • Promises to bridge the large gap between rural and urban institutions in terms of quality education • Reduces dependency on teachers for education • Provides flexibility of learning choices

18. Implementation • Stage 1: Advertising the benefits of a technologically-driven education among the poor in rural and urban areas. They have to be informed of the tremendous potential such a type of education holds • Stage 2: Procuring of computers, projectors and other equipments for the functioning of the library, to be provided in collaboration with IT companies

19. Stage 3: Setting up of these e libraries by either procuring land and building them ideally a size to accommodate up to 1000 students at a time..size approximately 7000-10000sq ft. Initially government schools can be upgraded to function as libraries in many areas before the actual ones are built in many places • Places with low population of children, like the states of Uttaranchal or Himachal Pradesh to be chosen first

20. Stage 4: Identifying students from BPL families, enrolling them in these libraries and creating an account for each student that tracks the students academic records through the years. Students can even clear more than 1 class in a year if found to have done well in tests and examinations

21. Stage 5: Teachers recruited to provide teaching in basic computer skills to each and every child so that students can later on learn through the e-learning • Stage 6: Using computational soft wares, and smart class learning aids, students learn their academic curriculum • Stage 7: Life skills like proper hygiene, etiquettes, community service to be provided via learning videos

22. Stage 8: e-libraries to be linked to the higher educational universities like the IIT’s, NIT’s to aid in educational material and course • Stage 9: Students clearing Class X through these e-libraries to be provided with at least vocational training for 2-3 months to ensure good employment • Students pursuing beyond class XII to be provided with job opportunities

23. Stage 10: Those pursuing tertiary education can pursue their diplomas/degrees in a distance learning programme • Stage 11: Ensure students passing out of e-libraries are assured of employment • Hence, these libraries to be gradually established in areas of need like Bihar,Chattisgarh,Uttar Pradesh and other backward areas

24. Budget Estimates • Let us ideally take the case of a metro city having large slums like: Delhi & Bombay; • There is a huge population below poverty line, not able to have access to means for study & proper growth • A detailed case study done working out the requirement for setting up libraries including tentative cost to be incurred on initial set up & monthly running is shown.

25. ROLE OF STAKEHOLDERS • High cost of such a project has to be borne by public-private partnership • Major educational institutions will be assisting in the academic materials • IT companies to provide computers, projectors and other materials at lower rates • Emphasis will be on low cost equipments which are still under research ie:PCs being developed at around Rs 5-6k

26. Cooperation from the parents to allow their children to be enrolled in e-libraries • Various rural level bodies like gram panchayats or even municipal corporations in cities to assist in funding • Major cost (incl. providing land) still to be borne by government who has to subsidize as much as possible

27. THANK YOU BY: Ishaan Goel Paridhi Nath Ayushri Bhargava Mentor: Ms Sonia Jain D.P.S- SEC-45 GURGAON