Fwd: [se-ed] QUERY: Status and Challenges of Educating Children in Urban Slums - Experiences; Examples. Reply by 4 March 2010

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Nayana RenuKumar" <nayanarenu@yahoo.co.in>
Date: Wed, Feb 24, 2010 at 4:16 PM
Subject: Re: [se-ed] QUERY: Status and Challenges of Educating Children in Urban Slums - Experiences; Examples. Reply by 4 March 2010
To: Education Community <se-ed@solutionexchange-un.net.in>

Dear Members,

This query pertains to educational and employment opportunities for students belonging to weaker sections of our society. Governments at the centre and in the states have adopted several measures over the past 60 years for improving the opportunities available to students of disadvantaged sections. Yet, the socio-economic status of these groups is still far from satisfactory. Several studies in the past have looked into issues faced by students of weaker sections in securing better education and employment opportunities. Many conclude that despite securing admissions for Higher education, most students belonging to the disadvantaged groups fail to complete their respective courses. This is largely due to their social background, uneven chances given that the recruiters themselves carry a discriminatory mind-set and due to the so-called 'lack of soft skills' (Deshpande, EPW,October 2007). Even those who complete their education, most often settle for lesser paying government jobs than pursuing gainful private sector career opportunities chosen by non-reservation students with comparable education. Discrimination, financial difficulties, limited networking possibilities, inadequate information and inadequate grooming are the main reasons cited for their failure in securing private sector jobs.

In order to facilitate better knowledge base on career opportunities in the private sector and to groom themselves accordingly, Centre for Good Governance is working to create an online information sharing mechanism (a portal) to guide such students to improve their educational chances and employment opportunities. The proposed portal plans to provide them information on major courses, scholarships, vacancies and self-improvement skills. More importantly, the portal will also have a mechanism to track students for any chances of dropping out so that these issues are addressed on time.

Towards this end, we would like to know the following from the members of this Community:

• Apart from job quota, what other measures are required to ensure that all students have equal opportunity in private sector employment? Members may please site innovative experiments that have worked well elsewhere
• What are the major challenges faced by students from weaker sections in pursuing higher education and securing post-university employment esp. in the private sector? What all need to be included in the online portal to mitigate their disadvantageous position and facilitate their easy access to such opportunities?
• What could be the major components of an online portal that aims to guide and facilitate students from disadvantaged communities to achieve their academic and professional goals? Broadly in consultation with students, we plan to include the following components,:

·         Information on all colleges (State / Country)

·         Details of scholarships for higher education in the country and abroad

·         Tips for enhancing soft skills

·         Student's discussion forum and/ or blog

·         Facilitate alumni formation and information sharing among them

·         Online mentoring by Seniors in the field

• The inherent assumption behind this portal is that lack of information prevents students of weaker sections from achieving success and that online information dissemination can effectively compliment, and even replace, the traditional way in which Governments disseminate information to these students. We would like to know the members' views on the potential of this initiative to reach out to the students.

Regards,

Nayana RenuKumar

Centre for Good Governance

Hyderabad

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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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