Education in rural India is plagued by many problems. Poor infrastructure, access difficulties, a lack of financial support and the poor quality of educators are a few of the most compelling issues. Ensuring quality education for children is a pressing need to break the cycle of poverty, empower communities and foster economic growth. Recognizing this need, Transform Rural India (TRI), being a solutions designer, leveraged National Children’s Day celebrations to bring this issue to the forefront by bridging the gap between the community, parents and teachers to ensure that every child, no matter where they live, has access to quality education
Education is supposed to be the cornerstone of individual and societal development. However, the rural community is often caught in the vicious cycle of having no access to the services and opportunities that might lift them out of poverty, education, gainful employment, adequate nutrition and more. With this thought in mind, our team on the ground reached out to several villages across our intervention states to bring several stakeholders, like Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) representatives, Self-Help Group (SHG) members, school teachers, children and parents, together around a common agenda. TRI works towards bringing the community and schools together to break down myths and build relationships through a network of local volunteers, called ‘change vectors,’ to narrow the gap.
So as part of the National Children’s Day festivities, bal melas and bal sabhas were organized across several villages in Madhya Pradesh to mobilize and educate communities about important issues from dropout rates to inadequate infrastructure facilities. Teachers were also felicitated for their efforts by the schools across several blocks. In Jharkhand teachers and the community came together to put forth many cultural activities and programs for the students. This helped them recognize the potential of integrating local context into their classroom curriculum. It also served as a turning point where they all celebrated childhood with respect, dignity and, of course, fun.
Rebuilding trust between parents and teachers is vital in ensuring children get the most out of their schooling. So bridging the disconnect between the school and the community is vital, which is what this National Children’s Day event helped do..
“Such a program has created a unique educational atmosphere in the community such that every school event is now considered a community event with shared goals. The community has become more aware of the importance of education. Now parents actively support every program, indicating a heightened consciousness toward their children’s education,” said Bhuralal Meida, a teacher at Shikaripara Primary School in Jharkhand.
Education has immense transformative power and plays a central role in the developmental growth of individuals and society. Providing children with quality education gives them hope for a better future, which they can mold.
“I am retiring very soon. It is the first time in my entire service life that I saw mothers and SHG didis organize a program like this, which is a very good sign for the future development of the school and education system,” said Rabindranath Dasgupta, Headmaster at Thutasol Primary School in Ambikanagar, who is is very hopeful for the future and believes that things are changing and moving in the right direction.
When a community trusts, supports and actively participates in educational initiatives, it leaves a lasting impact. These examples call out to us to witness the transformation that can unfold when development is democratic. Even better it serves as an inspiration for others to join the cause
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