Fwd: [se-ed] QUERY: Status and Challenges of Educating Children in Urban Slums - Experiences; Examples. Reply by 23 February 2010

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Hemantha Kumar Pamarthy <hpamarthy@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, Feb 22, 2010 at 9:46 AM
Subject: Re: [se-ed] QUERY: Status and Challenges of Educating Children in Urban Slums - Experiences; Examples. Reply by 23 February 2010
To: Education Community <se-ed@solutionexchange-un.net.in>

Dear All,

This is an interesting and important query. I may not be in a position to answer all, but let me attempt on some aspects of the query.

What is the current scenario of education for urban disadvantaged children especially living in slums?

 

Down in the southern states, the situation probably is a wee better than some other counterparts, elsewhere in the country. The awareness is better and in general the attendance in schools also is better. A few factors mentioned below, on a majority scale, drive this possibility.

• The parents living in these slums too wish their children to be better educated than they are and so insist on schooling. They are able to easily compare the children of the slightly and certainly better off families being benefited from education, with better jobs, earning capabilities and status.
• In states like Tamil Nadu, the governments certainly seem to be more pro-active, ensuring good education through Government Schools, also located nearer to slums etc. (I myself have been educated in a State Government affiliated School situated in a very close proximity to a slum in Chennai). Most of the teachers in these Government schools do appear to be quite motivated enough to motivate their students to study well. Year after year, in Chennai, where I live, we read that students from several Government schools excel and Top in the Examinations scoring very high marks, especially the girl students.

 

What are the measures have been adopted by government to prevent children living in urban areas or who are disadvantaged from dropping out of school?

 

Motivation from parents, schemes like the free Mid-day meals, free books, uniform and free bicycles introduced and practiced by the Tamil Nadu Government(s) are a big draw in ensuring low or no drop outs from these schools.

 

Drop outs still may continue on three counts;

• Repeated failures in exams due to very low IQ and thus disinterest/disenchantment setting in
• Migration of parents
• Circumstances forcing the student to become the breadwinner/mantle-bearer of the family

 

What do you fee the role of civil society organizations (CSO) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) should be in preventing children living in urban slums from dropping?

• Advocacy
• Monitoring (directly or through volunteers)
• Additional support in coaching for the needy students, all Hand in Hand.

 

Best wishes

Hemantha Kumar Pamarthy

Hand in Hand Micro Finance Limited

Chennai  

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Moderator's Note: Dear Members, we are posting this query to understand the status and challenges in education of Urban deprived children. With the ever growing urban population and the emergence of urban slums in a more rapid manner than ever before as a result of increasing migrant population, the challenges of offering the basic essential services has become huge. Education is of course one of the important essential service to be provided to all children irrespective of their place of residence. It is a major agenda for planners, policy makers, implementers and larger civil society. This query is intended to add to the knowledge base required to plan for effective educational interventions for children living in urban slums.

Amongst you, quite a few members and their organizations are working towards this goal. We would like to hear from you. Do share with us your experiences of work in this field and the challenges you are faced with. Strategisation of the education of urban deprived children is bound to get the priority in the coming years as there is no escape to the fact that they exist in huge numbers around us.

We look forward to your active participation in response to this query. The last date of the current discussions on " replicating innovative experiences in India to implement RTE" has also been extended till 10^th, therefore till 10^th both these queries will run simultaneously and we are sure, on both the issues our members' have lot to offer.

Shubhangi

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Dear Members,

I work with Katha, a nonprofit organization that works for education of children living in urban poverty. We run 96 schools in slum communities and work with the government to bring the joy of reading to more than 200,000 children and bring communities into safeguarding child interest's vis-à-vis quality education and preventing dropping out etc.

Today, we help bring positive change into the lives of children and their mothers, living in 72 slum and street communities across Delhi; and in the tribal villages of Arunachal Pradesh. As a result, 52,242 children have come into the fold of sustainable education through Katha Schools and 39,846 children have been weaned away from labor into quality education.

A 2008 sampling of salaries show 430 Katha alumni earned a total of Rs. 42 million (their family incomes were Rs. 600-800/month in 1990, according to a government survey).

Since last year, at the invitation of the Delhi Government, we have been working in a 100 schools, helping students gain reading skills for fun and for better grade level academic performance.

Over the last many years we have realized that sharing best practices will make the work of nonprofits and people in the voluntary sector better and more effective. Katha shares its own practices through capacity building workshops, thus avoiding too much time being spent on reinventing every single wheel that turns our commitment to children and communities and curriculum. But many questions do constantly come to mind:

Hence, I request members of the Education Community to share their thoughts and experiences on the following:

• What is the current scenario of education for urban disadvantaged children especially living in slums?
• What are the measures have been adopted by government to prevent children living in urban areas or who are disadvantaged from dropping out of school?
• What do you fee the role of civil society organizations (CSO) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) should be in preventing children living in urban slums from dropping? Please also share any successful experiences from CSOs and NGOs.

Also, we are looking for evidence/documentation showing a clear co-relation between increased income of urban poor families and education of their children?

Your examples and experiences will help us in developing our strategies further in relation to sustainable education of urban slum children. It will also better understand the kind of work, which can be undertaken to ensure that children living in urban slums receive education that empowers them and gives them skills for future employment after they complete their studies in enter in labor market . 

We thank you in advance for supporting our research and action on child education and urban poverty reduction.

Regards,

Amita Tandon

Katha

New Delhi

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