Partnership of student hostels with government schools

[Kislay]

The objective of this project is to conceptualize an interim solution to aid the ailing primary education system in India. The plan is that each student hostel of premier educational institutions (like the IITs) will adopt one government run primary or secondary school. The hostels will oversee the administrative issues and challenges faced by these schools and help in remedying them.

The sorry state of government schools at primary and secondary level is not hidden from us. Most of them lack even the basic infrastructure to be called a school. They are plagued by a variety of problems ranging from unavailability and poor quality of teaching staff, corruption, irresponsible administration etc. This project aims to provide an innovative solution to highlight and address some of these issues by keeping a ‘check’ on them.

Talented and committed students will be assigned as mentors. Having been through a good education system, they would be able to relate with the issues better. They would regularly visit, interact and work constructively with the administration and school children, and offer assessment and suggestions to the concerned authorities. Constant followup would ensure that their efforts bear fruit.This not only provides a no cost solution but also gives the educated and privileged individuals a chance to put their skills and spare time to good use and help the society they live in.

[bharat]

What are the targeted cities?

Do you have the list of government primary and middle schools in those cities

Where are you going to get the list from?

What sort of monitoring will be involved? How will be the students chosen? How many of them from each hostel?

What will be the failure points of this proposal?

Any legal or administrative issues?

- Bharat

[Kislay]

Hi,
I have just started working on this project so i might not be able to answer all your questions, but thanks for raising them.

Targeted Cities : Once we have a plan and structure in place, this will be sent to the concerned authorities for an evaluation and assessment. Once they give the go ahead(and i guess this is where the legal and administrative issues will be sorted out), we plan to have a pilot project in IIT-Bombay which can later on be expanded to other institutes and cities.

School list : This job will rest with the institute hostels partnering in this venture. They can do a survey and make a list of schools around the city which fit the bill. The aimed process and structure will be quite dynamic so that it can be altered to best suit any given place or environment.

Monitoring and Selection : I'm still working on a fair assessment procedure but i think that will come later(if you got any ideas, please share). The monitoring will be on every aspect of the school(infrastructure, facilities, expenditure, qualities of staff, pedagogy, quality of education etc.). Though we will not meddle in their affairs, a thorough study will help us decide on how to proceed, the steps to take etc.

Points of failure: The proposal ain't ready yet so i have not worked out all those details. But please feel free to give ideas and suggestions.

[Kislay]

The passing of the Right to Education act has breathed new life into the Indian Education system. While many states are still to notify the rules and its implementation is still a concern, it sure is a very big step in the right direction. Here are the salient features of the act.

The Right of children to Free and Compulsory Education Act has come into force from April 1, 2010. The right to education has been accorded the same legal status as the right to life as provided by Article 21A of the Indian Constitution. 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/her neighbourhood.

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. No child shall be denied admission for want of documents; no child shall be turned away if the admission cycle in the school is over and no child shall be asked to take an admission test. Children with disabilities will also be educated in the mainstream schools.

All private schools shall be required to enroll children from weaker sections and disadvantaged communities in their incoming class to the extent of 25% of their enrollment, by simple random selection. No seats in this quota can be left vacant. These children will be treated on par with all the other children in the school and subsidized by the State at the rate of average per learner costs in the government schools (unless the per learner costs in the private school are lower)

All schools will have to prescribe to norms and standards laid out in the Act and no school that does not fulfill these standards within 3 years will be allowed to function. All private schools will have to apply for recognition, failing which they will be penalized to the tune of Rs 1 lakh and if they still continue to function will be liable to pay Rs 10,000 per day as fine. Norms and standards of teacher qualification and training are also being laid down by an Academic Authority. Teachers in all schools will have to subscribe to these norms within 5 years.

Also in light of the new reforms in the education sector, the Government announced that it plans to give parents the right to monitor schools. It wants them to play a bigger role in the education system’s functioning and monitor its programmes. This move is quite similar to what we had wanted to achieve with this project and will be really helpful in its implementation.

For further details please click the link below:
http://www.dnaindia.com/academy/report_ ... ls_1341000