Progress Report
ASHA QUALITY EDUCTION PROGRAMME
Performance Report for the period of June to October 2006
Name of the Project : Alternative Education to the Deprived Children for
sustainable Development
Implementing Organization : FORWORD
Address : Forum Women’s Rights and Development,
No.117, Suddhanantha Bharathi Street,
East Tambaram,
Chennai-600 059.
Contact Person: M. Shiamala Baby.
Designation : Exe. Director.
Supporting Agency: Asha for Education , Asha Uflorida Chapter.
Contact person : Mr. Prasoon
Period of the Report : June to October, 2006.
Details in a nutshells :
Total Number of
Education Centres : 13
Educators : 13
Education Facilitator : 1
Total number of Students : 313
Boys : 142
Girls : 171
S.C. Students : 233
B.C. Students : 80
Classes of the Students Covered : IVstandard to VIII standards
In kuthanoor 4 girls from 9th and 10th standards are studying. In other centres a few children above 8th standard come to the evening classes but they are not regular due to reasons like late evening special classes in their regular schools.
The Project Context and Objectives:
This Project covers 313 deprived students from Dalit and other backward communities who hail from very poor Socio Economical conditions. Their parents are illiterate and hence, they do not have the atmosphere at home to be encouraged for studies.
Project aims at empowering these deprived children with quality education, restructuring and rebuilding strong foundation for their meaningful future, individually and
community-wise, and ensuring happy and healthy childhood. By this project we enable the children to become full fledged human beings with human identity and with high self esteem.
Promoting extra curricular talents among the deprived children with right- based concern for Nature and Social justice is another important objective of this project. .
Teaching Time:
Since it is a remedial teaching, the teaching hours start from 5pm to 8pm. Timing is flexible as in the time of examination the children make use of these classes for more hours in the morning and evening as well.
Important Outcome:
The over all outcomes achieved is 100% pass of our students in their previous respective classes. This is a notable achievement because, generally failure rate among deprived children will be high. This evening class education addresses this issue effectively.
Stable Schedule of monthly activity schedule of the students :
- Monday to Friday- Learning their respective class lessons.
- Saturdays- Promotion of wholistic Life-based Personality Development activities.
The four Saturdays of a month are set aside with definite life giving programmes.
I Saturday : Deprived Children and Nature
II Saturday : Deprived Children and Culture
III Saturday: Deprived Children and social Justice
IV Saturday: Deprived Children and Development of extra curricular talents- i.e. Drawing, painting, games, memory exercises, playing, reading etc.
Thus all the daily activities are diligently taken up with the motto to transform the deprived children to that of empowered adults with rights and justice based values, clear thinking, values based vision for proliferating wholistic life.
Studies:
The Deprived Children, generally are very weak in English language and mathematics. Special case is taken to develop their skill in these two areas. Programme Facilitator and Programme Director along with educated young volunteers take care of this need. It is a tough task but it is taken up as a challenge. Normally, when the children recite or read a passage in English, it sounds very very strange. On the other hand, their enthusiasm to learn is great. Parents, sit and listen proudly to the learning exercise of their children. It is great!
Children for Nature:
Through the programme Children and Nature, eco-friendly attitude is dawning up in the minds of our children. This attitude is aimed at in a context when nature is destroyed for quick profit, by the privileged in today’s globalization. 7th of October, the students of Madambakkam and Kuthanoor had involved in plantation of saplings like papaya, drumstick etc., while the children in Irumbuliyoor engaged in anti-plastic campaign by removing the plastic wastes from their areas.
In addition to the dawning of eco-friendly attitude in the children’s mind, a change has dawned in the minds of the local community on seeing the children in eco-friendly activities.
In the health care programmes taken up, in different dates in different areas, it was found out that our children generally are affected with skin problem like scabbies, white patches, swelling in knees, tear flowing eyes etc. The nutritious food is a blessing to them in this context. Not only the children but also the parents are thankful for the health care delivered to the children in the forms of nutritious food and medical treatment.
Trainees the Trainers Programme:
In the month of September, Children took up the issue of illiteracy and took up rallies in their local areas for the promotion of literacy. The Third Saturday of October happens to be Deepavali and hence is a holiday. October’s monthly rally will be taken up on 28th of this month. It was planned to take up the issue of Childlabour. Though, Child Labour is legalized as a punishable offence now in India, practically, thousands of children are misused as child labourers, in all sectors of life like hotels, shops, mechanic sheds etc. The Child Labour Act, 2000, under section 56, says that people who engage children below 14 years will be punished with a fine of Rs.20,000/- and imprisonment up to 1year Children will teach the message to the larger society as well as to their parents.
Children generally are excited over such extra curricular activities and are motivated to attend to the evening classes. As Kavitha, one of the Asha Student from Thandra puthucherri, Said, “ In our school, there are two teachers for the 5 classes. The teacher always comes late and will ask us to do his personal works. There are only 11 students in our class IVstd and that too will not come regularly. I do not go regularly. But, in Asha centre, I am the first one to come to the class. I never stay back during evening class hours”.
On 23rd of September the Tambaram cluster children were taken to Vandallur Zoo. Fifty eight children participated in it, along with their respective teachers and a few parents. ‘The whole day was a happy time for the children. On 30th of September, the Madhurranthagam cluster children were taken for an exposure trip to Kazhanippakkam, children enjoyed well. 172 children, teachers and a few parents participated in it.
Thanks.