Promoting Equity & Inclusion for Dalit Children in Education

1. Promoting Equity & Inclusion for Dalit Children in Education Addressing Equity Issues in Education CSEI 31st Jan 2014

2. Equity in Education • Recognizes and specifically names the excluded, marginalized, vulnerable, at risk groups/individuals • Recognizes the historical exclusions, exploitation, deprivations • Tracks current discrimination, inequality, inequity • Ensures that identity or characteristics do not obstruct equality of educational opportunities or aspirations.

3. Educational Exclusion of Dalit Children • Historical, Rooted in beliefs and traditions • Rooted in exclusion and exploitation • Family lacks resources, gets disheartened when education does not translate to employment and economic mobility • Inadequate academic support or environment in the home/community • Unequal provisions by state • State provisions do not match with needs, deprivations

4. Multi-pronged Strategy Needed • Needs institutional systemic changes in policy, practice and resources. • Engaging children and nurturing aspirations • Supporting youth to move ahead in own education and support children’s education • Build confidence in parents on the long-term benefits, on dignity, self image through education • Build linkages with other networks

5. Children 1- Articulating barriers as HR Violations • Facilitate groups of children to articulate barriers experienced in education as human rights violations – child labour, early marriage, discrimination in schools, non-teaching, seated at back, corporal punishment .. • Promoted puppetry as medium to articulate and present – non-threatening, not personalized, opportunity to change

6. Children 2 – Promoting Inclusion Environment - KSM • All are included • All are winners • Cooperation and collaboration • Experience equality in relating to others

7. Children 3- Assessing capability to learn • Out of school children – • Assess capability and interest to learn through 10 indicators Learning Indicators • 1- Observe/Reading /writing • 2-Expression • 3-Curiosity • 4- Creativity • 5- logic • 6- Concentration • 7- Confidence • 8-Leadership • 9-INterpersonal Intelligence • 10- Social Awareness

8. Children 4 – experiential education • Taking Learner Centric approach • Starting from where the learner is • Shift from zero sum/deficit mindset to win-win approach • Ambedkar saw the power of Experiential Learning when he came across John Dewey’s views on Experiential Learning • Focus on reflection and critical thinking

9. Children 5 – Education Resource Centre • Place of meeting and exchange • Place to expand self – others

10. Children 6 - network • 9 is mine linkage • New York – UN – Poonam -

11. Educated Youth 1 - • Build confidence and dignity – aspiration to resume own studies & development • Engage in education related matters in community, with children • Network with other youth forums • Promote new skills – KSM, social skills, social mobilisation, video volunteers, advocacy

12. Educated youth 2 - BASF • A platform to come together, move ahead

13. Community Led Organisations (CLOs) • Found CLOs to be concerned and effective to promote and influence in education (TS) • Have continued presence and influence in community, often the most educated there • Community looks to them for information, guidance and support • Need to build confidence and skill to engage in education, with schools, with administration, with education networks/campaigns.

14. Community Engagement • Building confidence in community – shiksha samman divas – recognizing achievements, interest, participation of children and adults in community • Link educated role models with the community in celebration and motivation • Encourage to participate in schools – SMCs • Contribute back

15. System Changes • Inclusion actions in schools • Institutional spaces for inclusion in schools –games, human rights education • Institutional spaces to promote leadership of marginalized children in school – social justice in Bal Sansads, Meena Manches • Equity forums in schools/blocks

16. System changes • Social welfare hostels • Scholarships including post matric scholarships • SCSP-TSP budgets • Research and study on identity and sub identity

17. Ways Forward • Scale up the engagement with CLOs across states and across social groups to create a critical mass. • Build up an Equity Working Group in Education • Process of developing Equity Indicators and Equity Audits in Education • Modules for teacher trainings • ‘Zero Discrimination in Education’ campaign

18. Thank You