Author: Tarannum Manjul
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: January 26, 2006
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/archive_full_story.php?content_id=86599
At the primary school in Heerupur village,
Kasmanda block, in Sitapur, the attendance register tells the story of the
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, or Education for All programme. For the past one year,
the number of students has been steady. ''I don't skip school at all. Teacherji
achchi hain, aur mujhe khana bhi milta hai (The teacher is nice, I also get
food),'' says Joginder, a student of Class V.
In primary schools across the state, enrollment
is up and the drop-out rate down. As you pass the white buildings with green
stripes, the sounds of ''Ek dooni do, do dooni chaar'' echo in the air. The
programme aims to ensure that all children below the age of 14 are enrolled
in schools by 2003, and that all children complete at least five years of
schooling by 2007.
Of the 2,364 government primary schools in
Sitapur district marked under the programme, the target for enrollment was
90-100 per cent by 2003. Out of this some schools have hit 90 per cent. At
the Heerupur school, 210 students from Classes I to V are taught Hindi, general
science, maths and social studies. The school starts at 10 in the morning,
though many a time the girls, who have to complete their household chores
before coming to school, are late.
Jagrani, the gram pradhan, says there was
a problem of teachers in the past, but they were trying to manage.
The kitchen where the mid-day meal is cooked
is clean, as are the utensils. There is a handpump on the premises for drinking
water. ''But we need a boundary wall as often stray animals come in and disturb
the classes,'' says one of the teachers, Archana Singh.
While some school buildings are open and spacious,
even smaller ones provide a roof under which the children can study. The mid-day
meal scheme, Kanya Vidya Dhan Yojana, free uniforms and free books ensure
that once enrolled, children stay in school.
At a primary school in village Daoodpur of
the same block, attendance is again quite high, around 70-80 per cent. An
NGO, Participatory Action for Community Empowerment (PACE), maintains the
school building (schools where NGOs are involved have been painted yellow).
Savita, who studies in Class IV, says the
school building and the blue uniform were the biggest incentives for her to
come to school. ''We were recently given the uniforms and I feel proud to
wear it. The boys in my village have started looking up to me,'' she says.
The primary school at Ghulamhussain Ka Purwa
in Lucknow has four well-ventilated classrooms and one kitchen. Apart from
the regular primary schools, there are also alternative education centres
promoting Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in the state, run by organisations like the
Mahila Samakhya. The Samakhya runs centres for children, adolescent girls
and even women.
Enrollment has been done not only through
teachers but also anganwadi workers and through surveys conducted by NGOs.
Discussions are held with parents to convince them about the need to keep
their kids in school.
