Parent counselling is the way forward

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Parent counselling is the way forward
Pune Mirror | Jahnvi Sreedhar | September 18, 2013

Conducive home environment is crucial to keep RTE students in school.

In the wake of Right to Education (RTE), while private schools focused on primary level entries, PMC schools enrolled at all levels, including secondary. This exercise  was meant to get drop-outs back. But, counseling students brought on the realisation that given the background these children come from, counseling parents is crucial.

Bhawankishan Tapkare, principal of the PMC-run Acharya Atre School, which has counseled 50 families, thinks the same. “The lack of awareness among parents directly impacts the child’s overall development. In most cases, we have succeeded.”

Schools have also joined hands with NGOs to counsel parents. Jyotika Wale a member of Action for Rights of Child (ARC), said that it is key get to the root of the child’s problem, which is mostly influenced by the environment at home. “Overall development is harmed if the environment at home is not supportive,” she said.

Cases of the presence of an alcoholic father and domestic violence are quite rampant. Wale also informed that in most cases they tackle, the child is the first generation school-goer. Tapkare added, “There have been instances when our teachers have been verbally abused.”

Suman Shinde, Director of Education, said, “Counseling is the school’s responsibility. The school board has nothing to do with it.” Rajani Paranjpe, Director, Door Step School (DSS), an NGO which works in the education sector, said that education suffers because the government expects the teachers to perform all roles.

“They are expected to find students , enroll them, get drop-outs back, ensure that they remain in school and when not, help them get back. They are now expected to even counsel parents. Where is time for them for teaching?”

Seema Walunjkar, project coordinator of a DSS initiative called Parents Participation in Children's Education said, “940 counseled parents from Kondhwa have sent 500 students back to school. Twenty familes from the whiplashing Potaraju community have been convinced to send 14 children to school.”

"सामील व्हा या शिक्षणाच्या दिंडीत..."

"सामील व्हा या शिक्षणाच्या दिंडीत..."
- रजनी परांजपे  (लोकसत्ता - चतुरंग, २० जुलै २०१३)

'डोअर स्टेप स्कूल' ही मुलांना त्यांच्या घरी जाऊन शिक्षण देणारी संस्था. मुलांना साक्षर करावे, हा उद्देश घेऊन १९८७ पासून सुरू झालेल्या या संस्थेने झोपडपट्टी, मजूर वर्ग, भिकारी यांच्या मुलांना शिक्षणाची गोडी लागावी यासाठी सातत्याने प्रयत्‍न केले. सुरुवातीला मुंबईत आणि आता पुण्यात काम करणार्‍या या संस्थेचे ध्येय आहे, पुढल्या पाच वर्षांत पुण्यात 'प्रत्येक मूल शाळेत जाणारे' ही योजना राबविण्याचे. शिक्षणाची ही दिंडी निघाली आहे, प्रत्येकाने त्यात सामील व्हायला हवं.- त्या 'डोअर स्टेप स्कूल' चा हा प्रवास.

आतापर्यंतच्या आयुष्यात मागे वळून बघण्याचे क्षण तसे फारसे आलेच नाहीत. त्यावर विचार करण्याइतके किंवा त्यात रमून जाण्याइतके स्वास्थ्यही मिळालेले नाही. पण आज यानिमित्ताने पाहते आहे तेव्हा जाणवते. मुलांनी साक्षर होण्यासाठी आम्ही केलेले हरएक प्रयत्न, त्यातून मिळालेले चांगलेवाईट अनुभव आणि अजून ही शिक्षणाची दिंडी खूप लांब चालवत न्यायची आहे, याची तीव्र जाणीव.

अठराव्या वर्षी लग्न झाले- त्यानंतरची पंधरा वर्षे मुले-बाळे, घर असा चारचौघींसारखाच संसार केला. लग्नानंतर बी.ए. पूर्ण केले. त्यानंतर पंधरा वर्षांनी मुंबईतील सोशल वर्कचे कॉलेज 'निर्मला निकेतन' इथे नाव दाखल करण्यासाठी गेले तेव्हा लक्षात आले की आपण आपले बी.ए. उत्तीर्ण झाल्याचे सर्टिफिकेटदेखील युनिव्हर्सिटीतून आणलेले नाही! कॉलेजची दोन वर्षे पार पडली. त्यानंतरची दोन वर्षे कॉलेजनेच चालवलेल्या कुलाब्यातील 'फॅमिली सर्व्हिस सेंटर'मध्ये फास्टर केअर वर्कर म्हणून काम केले आणि १९७४ मध्ये 'निर्मला निकेतन'मध्येच रिसर्च असिस्टंट म्हणून काम सुरू केले. तिथेच पुढची जवळजवळ १३ वर्षे काढली.

यादरम्यान कॉलेजमध्ये रिसर्च हा विषय शिकवणे, विद्यार्थ्यांच्या फिल्ड वर्कमध्ये गाइड म्हणून काम करणे, कॉलेजमधील इतर जबाबदाऱ्या उदा. अंगणवाडी सुपरवायझर्सच्या ट्रेनिंग सेंटरचे काम बघणे, अशा गोष्टींचा अनुभव ओघानेच मिळत गेला. त्या अनुभवांतूनच मुलांच्या प्राथमिक शिक्षणावर भर द्यावा हा विचार हळूहळू तयार होत गेला. त्याची कारणे मुख्य दोन- एक तर कॉलेजने सुरू केलेला 'स्कूल सोशल वर्क' हा प्रकल्प. या प्रकल्पाचे मुख्य स्वरूप प्राथमिक शाळेतून गळती होणाऱ्या पहिली-दुसरीच्या मुलांचा पाठपुरावा करून मुलांना शाळेत आणणे. त्यांना शाळेत टिकवून ठेवण्यासाठी प्रयत्न करणे, शाळेतच मुलांसाठी बुक बँक, अभ्यास वर्ग चालवणे असे होते. थोडक्यात, आज जी 'डोअर स्टेप स्कूल'ची इमारत उभी आहे त्याची पायाभरणी अशी या तेरा वर्षांत केलेल्या कामामध्येच आहे.

हे काम करत असताना पुन: पुन्हा येणारा एक अनुभव फार अस्वस्थ करणारा होता. आणि तो म्हणजे काही मुलांचे आणि शाळेचे न जमणारे गणित! त्यांची कारणे अनेक, पण परिणाम एकच- मुलांनी शाळेत अनियमित जाणे, गैरहजर राहणे आणि हळूहळू करीत शाळा सोडून देणे आणि एक दिवस कुठेतरी कामाला लागणे वा घरकामात बुडून जाणे. सातत्याने आलेल्या या अनुभवामुळे एक गोष्ट स्पष्ट जाणवली की या मुलांना आठ तास शाळेत जाऊन शिकणे शक्य नाही. मग प्रश्न असा उभा राहिला की ही जर शाळेत जाणार नसतील तर तीही त्यांच्या पालकांसारखीच पूर्ण निरक्षर राहणार की काय? की त्यांना शाळेबाहेर का होईना, पण थोडेतरी शिक्षण देणे शक्य आहे. त्यातूनच डोअर स्टेप स्कूलची संकल्पना विकसित झाली. मुले जिथे राहत असतील, काम करत असतील तिथे जाऊनच त्यांना शिकवावे, शक्य असेल तितक्यांना शाळेत दाखल करावे. शिकवणी वर्ग, वाचनालये, बालवाङ्मय इत्यादी उपक्रमांतून त्यांचे शिक्षण करून कमीतकमी वर्तमानपत्र वाचता येईल इथपर्यंत त्यांना साक्षर करावे.

'डोअर स्टेप स्कूल' ही संस्था सुरू झाली १९८७ ला. (पण संस्थेला रजिस्ट्रेशन मिळाले १९८९ला) त्या वेळची माझी विद्यार्थिनी (आणि आता संस्थेची सहसंस्थापक, सचिव आणि स्कूलचा मुंबईचा पूर्ण कारभार गेली पंचवीस वष्रे समर्थपणे चालवणारी) बीना शेठ. एम. एस. डब्ल्यू. झाल्यावरही नोकरी न करता 'डोअर स्टेप स्कूल'च्या कामाला तिने आजपर्यंत वाहून घेतले आहे.

सुरुवातीला आम्ही कुलाब्यातील कफ परेडवरील आता आंबेडकर वस्ती म्हणून ओळखल्या जाणाऱ्या वस्तीत काम सुरू केले. कामाचा आराखडा तयारच होता. ३ ते १४ वष्रे वयोगटातील मुलांच्या प्राथमिक शिक्षणासंदर्भात काम करावयाचे होते. आपल्या उपक्रमातून आपण प्राथमिक शिक्षणाच्या संदर्भातील तीन मुख्य समस्यांवर - मुले शाळेत दाखल होणे, दाखल झाल्यास पहिली, दुसरीतूनच गळणे आणि इयत्तेनुसार त्यांची शैक्षणिक पातळी न वाढणे- यावर काम करावयाचे हे ठरलेलेच होते.

गेल्या पंचवीस वर्षांत काय काय अनुभव आले, असा विचार केला तर प्रथम आठवतात ते मुलांना शाळेत नेण्या-आणण्यासाठी बसची सोय करण्यासाठी करावे लागलेले प्रयत्न. त्यात आलेले यश आणि अपयशही! शाळेत दाखल होताना मुले लहान असतात. बऱ्याच पालकांना त्यांना रोज शाळेत पोहोचविणे, आणणे जमण्यासारखे नसते आणि रस्त्यावरील रहदारी बघता इतक्या लहान मुलांना रस्त्यावर एकटे सोडणेही धोक्याचे वाटते. अशा वेळेस शाळेत नेण्या-आणण्याची सोय झाल्यास मुले नियमित शाळेत जाऊ शकतील, असा विचार. त्यासाठी 'बेस्ट'चा एक रूटही आम्ही मिळवला. अर्थात हे सर्व करण्यात दोन-तीन वष्रे गेली, पण शेवटी यश मिळाले. 'बेस्ट'ने आम्ही सुचवलेल्या मार्गाने आमच्या वेळेनुसार बस सोडण्याचे मान्य केले. पण प्रत्यक्षात हा प्रयोग फार चालला नाही, याचे कारण ठिकठिकाणच्या बसथांब्यांवर मुले बसच्या वेळेत हजर नसत व बस सुटून जाई. यावर मुलांना वेळेत बसस्टॉपवर आणण्यासाठी प्रत्येक थांब्यावर कोणातरी व्यक्तीची नेमणूक करणे आम्हालाही जमले नाही व पुढे बस थांबली व आम्ही आमचीच बस मिळविण्याच्या मागे लागलो. यातही बरीच वष्रे गेली.

दरम्यान, मुलांना त्यांच्या त्यांच्या ठिकाणी जाऊन शिकवायचे ठरवले, पण ही ठिकाणे वेगवेगळी असू शकतात हे लक्षात आले. झोपडपट्टय़ा हे त्यातील एक ठिकाण. पण फुटपाथवर राहणारी कुटुंबे, रस्त्यावर हिंडणारी मुले, घरकाम करणारी मुले, क्रॉफर्ड मार्केट किंवा चर्चगेटसारख्या ठिकाणी छोटीमोठी कामे करणारी मुले यांच्यापर्यंत पोहोचवयाचे असेल तर काहीतरी निराळी सोय हवी होती. त्याप्रमाणे पी. डिमेलो रोडवरच्या फुटपाथवरच एका झोपडीत आम्ही वर्ग चालवले आणि कफ परेडवरील मोठय़ा मोठय़ा इमारतींतून घरकाम करणाऱ्या मुलांसाठी झुलेलाल मंदिरात एक पूर्णवेळ शिक्षक ठेवून मुलांना जसजसा वेळ मिळेल तसतसे येऊन त्यांनी शिकून जावे, अशीही सोय केली. तरीही रस्त्यावरची, बाजार व रेल्वे स्थानकाच्या आसपासची मुले बाकी राहिलीच. त्यांच्यासाठी मग फिरत्या शाळेची कल्पना पुढे आली- एखादा जुना ट्रक मिळाला तरी चालेल, इथपासून सुरुवात करून एक बस घेऊन ती आतून वर्गासारखी बनवून घेतली आणि ती बस मुलांना शाळेत नेण्या-आणण्यासाठी आणि मधल्या वेळेत त्यात वर्ग लावून शाळेत न जाऊ शकणाऱ्या मुलांसाठी वापरायला सुरुवात केली. 'स्कूल ऑन व्हील' म्हणून चालू केलेला हा उपक्रम देशीविदेशी एक नावीन्यपूर्ण उपक्रम म्हणून मानला जातो. घरकाम करणाऱ्या मुलांना शिकवायला सुरुवात करताना प्रथम अडचण आली ती सर्वेक्षण करतानाच. मोठमोठय़ा, उंच उंच इमारतीतून सर्वेक्षण करण्यासाठी जाताना प्रथम परवानगी घेण्याचा प्रश्न आला. त्यातील एका सोसायटीकडून तर आम्हाला पत्र मिळाले की अशा काही शाळेची आम्हाला गरज वाटत नाही. आमच्या सोसायटीतील स्त्रीवर्ग किंवा मुलेच त्या मुलांना शिकवतील. तसेच कामवाल्या बाया एकाच ठिकाणी रोज भेटत राहिल्या तर त्यांच्यात गॉसिपिंग, इतर मालकांविषयी तक्रारी, त्यांच्यात तुलना करणं याचं प्रमाण वाढेल त्यामुळे नकोच. धन्यवाद.

त्यानंतर पुण्याला काम सुरू करताना आलेले अनुभव आणखी निराळे! मुख्य प्रश्न जागेचा, वस्त्यावस्त्यांतून समाज मंदिरे असतात आणि वापरता येऊ शकतात. पण या समाज मंदिरांचा बऱ्याच लोकांना एकत्र बसून दारू पिण्याच्या कामासाठीच उपयोग होतो असे लक्षात आले. दिवसा वर्ग घ्यायचा झाला तर रोज सकाळी रात्रीचा तो पसारा साफ करूनच वर्ग चालू करावा लागे. शिवाय दिवसा बसण्याची गरसोय होते असे पाहून निरनिराळ्या प्रकारे वर्ग चालू नये, असे प्रयत्न करणारी मंडळीही होतीच. शिकवून जाणारे अनुभव आले ते शिवाजीनगर येथील कलानिकेतनच्या समोर असलेल्या वस्तीत. येथील लोकांचे विविध व्यवसाय म्हणजे लहान लहान चोऱ्या, भीक मागणे, दिवसा जुने-पुराने विकणे. इथपासून ते इतर सर्व काही. इथल्या मुलांना शिकवायला सुरुवात केली. झाडाखालची जागा स्वच्छ करून घेणे इथपासून वर्गाला सुरुवात करावी लागली. वस्तीत जवळच सरकारी जनावरांचा दवाखाना आहे, तेथील व्हरांडय़ातही काही दिवस वर्ग लावला. पण पुढे तेथील डॉक्टर बदलल्यावर नवीन आलेल्या डॉक्टरांनी तेथे वर्ग घेण्यासाठी मनाई केली. दरम्यान, आमची वस्तीत ओळख झाली होती. त्यामुळेच तिथेच एक झोपडी उभी करायला लोकांनी मदत केली. मात्र इथेही रात्री दारूचा अड्डा वैगरे प्रकार सुरू झाले. प्रतिबंध म्हणून भक्कम कुलूप लावले तर खिडकीतून वर्गात घाण टाकणे, कुलूपाला घाण लावून ठेवणे असेही प्रकार झाले. त्या वेळी वस्तीतीलच एक मावशीबाई आमच्या मदतीला आली. तिने वस्तीला कसा आणि काय दम भरला तिलाच माहीत, पण आम्हाला होणारा त्रास थांबला. पुढे ह्या वस्तीतील काही मुले आम्ही 'अंकुर' या खासगी शाळेत घातली. त्यातील दोन-तीन मुले आज नववीपर्यंत पोहोचली आहेत.

वस्तीतील बर्‍याच मुलांना पुढे आम्ही तेथील एका शाळेत घातले. गंमत अशी की या मुलांना शाळेत नेण्या-आणण्याची सोय करण्याची बिलकूल जरूर पडली नाही. कारण रस्त्यातून वाहनांच्या गर्दीला चुकवत चुकवत जायचे आणि भीक मागायची हाच त्यांचा व्यवसाय. तो अंगात इतका मुरलेला की वर्ग बघायला आलेल्या पाहुण्यांसमोरही मुले पटकन हात पुढे करीत. दुर्दैव हे की मुलांना शाळेत जाताना घरातून डबा मिळत नसे, कारण घरात रोजच्या रोज चूल पेटेलच असे नाही. जेव्हा असेल तेव्हा खायचे, नसेल तेव्हा उपाशी राहायचे ही सवय. परंतु एकदा शाळेत घातल्यावर इतर मुले जेवणाच्या सुट्टीत डबा खातात आणि या मुलांकडे काहीच नसे (तेव्हा शाळेत जेवण मिळत नसे) असे बघून आम्ही या मुलांना जवळच्या झुणका भाकर केंद्रात नेऊन जेवण देण्यास सुरुवात केली. ह्यामुळे मुले नियमित येतील व मुलांची संख्याही वाढेल असे आम्हाला वाटले होते. आणि तसे झालेही, पण ते फक्त थोडे दिवसच! या वर्गात शिक्षिकांना आलेला आणखी एक निराळा आणि एकदम अचंबित करणारा अनुभव म्हणजे चोरून आणलेली घड्याळे, छोटे ट्रान्झिस्टर्स वगरे. 'हे तुम्हाला घ्या बाई म्हणून' बाईंना भेट देण्यासाठीही मुले कधी कधी घेऊन येत. मुले कुठेही आणि कशीही असली तरी निष्पापच! प्रेमासाठी आणि आपुलकीसाठी भुकेलेली, हेच खरे.

वस्त्यावस्त्यांवर जाऊन मुलांना शिकवण्याचे काम करीत असतानाच एका बांधकाम मजुरांच्या वस्तीवर काम करण्याची सुरुवात केली. बांधकाम व्यावसायिक 'अजेंठा बिल्डर्स'च्या कर्वे रोडलगतच्या बांधकामावर आम्ही प्रथम काम केले. ते साल १९९९-२००० असेल. विशेष म्हणजे इथल्या मुलांना शिकवण्यासाठी या साइटवर आम्हाला त्यांनी बोलावून तर घेतलेच, पण वर महिना दोन हजार रुपयेही देण्याची सुरुवात केली. त्यांचे आम्हाला खूपच कौतुक वाटले. पुढे २००२-०३ मध्ये आम्ही पुण्यातील ३८० बांधकामांवरील मजुरांचा सव्‍‌र्हे केला. या सव्‍‌र्हेत निरनिराळे अनुभव, जास्त करून अडचणीच आल्या. या सव्‍‌र्हेत रस्त्यावर काम करणार्‍या मजुरांमध्ये एक एम.ए. झालेला तरुण मी स्वत: पाहिला आहे. शिकून हवे ते काम मिळत नसेल तर मिळेल ते काम करावे हा विचार मनात येऊन त्याचा अवलंब करणे सोपे नाही. अशा वेळी पालकांची मुलांना शाळेत घालण्यासंबंधीची उदासीनता का असते किंवा का असावी, या प्रश्नाचे एक कारण लक्षात येते. या ३८० बांधकामांवर ५ ते १५ वयोगटातील शाळेत न जाणारी जवळजवळ ५००० मुले मिळाली. त्या वेळेस पुण्यात चालू असलेल्या बांधकामांची संख्या दीड हजारांच्या वर होती. ही यादी आम्ही पुणे महानगरपालिकेतून आणली. इथून पुण्यातील कामाचे स्वरूप थोडे बदलले. जास्त लक्ष बांधकाम मजुरांवर देणे सुरू केले. त्यामुळे वर्गाचे स्वरूप आणि त्रासही बदलले. कितीतरी अनुभव आले, चांगले आणि वाईटही. काही माणसे अडचणी उभी करणारी, तर काही मदतीला धावून येणारी..

'पंचवीस वर्षांच्या कामाने मी शिणले आहे' असे मला एकदाही वाटत नाही. याउलट रोज आणखीन आणखीन काम करावयास हवे, अजून किती प्रचंड काम उरले आहे याचीच जाणीव होते. पंचवीस वर्षांपूर्वी आम्ही कामाला सुरुवात केली ती चार हातांनी. हळूहळू चाराचे आठ, आठाचे सोळा, सोळाचे बत्तीस असे वाढत वाढत आज हजार हात या कामाला लागले आहेत. पण गरज हजारो हातांची आहे. आज आम्ही जे स्वप्न बघतो आहोत ती हजार हातांनी आधार दिलेल्या शिक्षणाच्या िदडीची. येत्या पाच वर्षांत पुणे शहरातील 'प्रत्येक मूल शाळेत जाणारे असेल' यासाठी आमचे प्रयत्न चालू आहेत. 'एक एक मूल मोलाचे नागरिक' अभियान सुरू करण्यापाठीमागचा उद्देश तोच आहे.

जसे पाचाचे पंचवीस आणि पंचविसाचे हजार हात झाले तसेच हजाराचे हजारो हातही होतील आणि त्यात तुमचे सगळ्यांचेच हात सामील असतील, हा विश्वास वाटतो!

संपर्क - रजनी परांजपे
डोअर स्टेप स्कूल, ११०, परिमल आनंद पार्क, औंध, पुणे-४११००७
दूरध्वनी - ९३७१००७८४४, भ्रमणदूरध्वनी - ०२०-२५८९८७६२
pune@doorstepschool.org / rajani@doorstepschool.org
वेबसाइट - www.doorstepschool.org

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शालाबाह्य मुले शिक्षणाच्या मुख्य प्रवाहात

भटक्या लोकवस्तीतील, बांधकाम प्रकल्पावरील मजुरांच्या मुलांना शिक्षणाच्या प्रवाहात आणण्याचा प्रयत्‍न करून, त्यांचे यशस्वी शैक्षणिक पुनर्वसन करण्याचे कार्य बालेवाडी येथील (कै.) बाबूराव गेणूजी बालवडकर विद्यालयाच्या मुख्याध्यापिका सुनंदा पाटील व त्यांच्या सहकारी शिक्षकांनी यशस्वी केला आहे. या उपक्रमामुळे शाळेच्या पटसंख्येतही वाढ झाली आहे.

बाणेर, बालेवाडी परिसरातील काही भागांमध्ये बांधकाम क्षेत्रात काम करणारे परराज्यांतील मजूर वास्तव्यास आहेत. ही मंडळी मुलांच्या शिक्षणाकडे दुर्लक्ष करता. बालवडकर विद्यालयातील शिक्षक प्रत्यक्ष बांधकामाच्या ठिकाणी जाऊन, मुलांना शाळेत पाठविण्याची विनंती करता. याकामी 'डोअर स्टेप' ही स्वयंसेवी संस्था मदत करत असल्याचे पाटील यांनी सांगितले. आतापर्यंत दीडशे मुलांना प्रवेश दिला आहे.

(दै. सकाळ - १६ जुलै २०१३)

Admissions in Hinjewadi ZP School

17 children from Atlanta site in Hinjewadi were enrolled in Zilla Parishad School of Hinjewadi. Shujauddin and Geometric-Udaan team of volunteers along with Janhawi and Abhijeet Bais helped the parents in admission activity. Daily school transport has been arranged by the builder. Great work!

ECC Admission Update (28-Jun-13)

Around 24 children from 4 sites enrolled in ZP School at Bavdhan have started using Vidya Valley School Bus. This is an encouraging example and more schools in other areas like Undri, Pisoli, Bhugaon, PCMC, etc. can support school transport to ZP/PMC/PCMC schools.

After exploring all possibilities of transport for children admitted to Swami Vivekanand School in Shivajinagar, it was decided to admit them to PMC School No.14 where Door Step School already runs Study Classes and transport can be arranged. Volunteer group from Cognizant is discussing this with parents to facilitate this.

Most Children admitted to Balewadi School last weekend are attending school by Door Step School Bus. Around 8 children from one site are unable to attend as the labour camp is far away from the bus pick-up point. These children need an escort to bring them from their camp to the bus pick-up point.

Around 10 children from one site in this area have been admitted by parents on their own into a nearby private school. ECC field-staff Swati and Symphony volunteers worked since May to convince these parents.

Volunteers from Geometric-Udaan and Jahnavi have admitted 20 children in Wakad into nearby PCMC school. This was done entirely by Shujauddin and his group, with no direct support from DSS/ECC field-staff. Good example of ECC becoming a citizens' campaign..!

Volunteers from Emerson have nearly completed survey of all the sites in Kothrud and Erandwane areas for presence of children. Two new sites are found and they are planning to assist the parents in admissions this weekend.

Fiserv has stepped forward with transport support with one of their buses for 50 days in Kharadi area. ECC campaign team is working out ways in which this facility can be used by maximum no of children. Most of the larger construction sites in Kharadi have some NGO's working there and many smaller sites have been completed recently.

In Dhayari, many parents have offered to pay for transport. This is a significant step forward as parents have realised the need. One builder has also come forward to support transport of children from his site.

ECC Admission Update (24-Jun-13)

Admissions are going on in schools across Pune city - Dhayari, Bavdhan, Kharadi, Ambegaon, Magarpatta, Aundh, Baner, Balewadi, etc. More than 150 children enrolled by 24th of June 2013. Admissions in Kondhwa and Mohammedwadi are being done by PPCE (Parents' Participation in Child's Education) team. Close to 200 children enrolled in 15+ schools. Transport is being arranged at all these places, barring one or two sites...

Volunteers from corporate - Fiserv and Emerson are working on revisiting sites and admissions in Kharadi and Kothrud-Erandwane areas respectively. Volunteers from Symphony participated in weekend admission activity in Balewadi area, with good level of involvement. 28 children were enrolled here.

Responding to our request, Balewadi School was kept open on Sunday for admissions.

Many of the PMC schools run in two shifts - morning and afternoon. Girls and boys are enrolled in separate shifts. This complicates transport arrangements for children coming from construction sites. Hence, PMC School Board (Shikshan Mandal) has issued permission letter for admitting boys and girls in one shift, to make transport arrangements easier.

ECC Admission Update (18-Jun-13)

ECC Volunteer Archana Vyavaharkar reported from Kondhwa, Pune:

I visited the Sidharthnagar school this afternoon. Manjiritai, Reshma and Sunita (ECC field-staff) were there to oversee the admissions. I spoke to them and the school principal Mrs. Bhalerao about the transport. The school wants us to take full responsibility. The person bringing the children last session was not doing a proper job. Some children had complained that he did not come to their sites etc. Also he did not come on time to pick up the children from school.

One person who runs a couple of vehicles for schools contacted us. I've given his card to Manjiritai. He seems to be ok and eager to work for us. We will also have to employ a lady to accompany the children. There is a lady who lives near the school whom Manjiritai has met and who is willing to work as an escort.

I've also requested the principal to give us a copy of the letter she will send for the transport funds. It is still Rs.300/- per child. We can use that to push the concerned people for payment. Also we have told the transporter that he will be paid only when the school receives the money. He has agreed today....but what happens if he changes his mind?

The school got its official number today and the principal even praised Door Step School .....staff as well as children....and it's good to see the rapport between the facilitators and the school staff. They have brand new benches and charts and the school looks really good. Even the toilet is clean and has an approach from within the school compound!

Hope the transport works out for the children here.

- Archana Vyavaharkar (ECC Volunteer)

ECC Admission Update (17-Jun-13)

- 63 children, most of them in the 6-7 years age group, were enrolled in Pokale Vidyalay, Dhayari. Despite some resistance from couple of site supervisors, ECC field-staff completed the admission process as planned. Children have been admitted to both (morning and afternoon) shifts. Although school was insisting on sending the children separately, it was made clear that we can send them only in one shift due to limited transport arrangements. ECC has arranged transport for these children for next 15 days; however, more funds are required for continuing transport facility further. ECC Volunteer Prasad Baliga has been actively working with parents to convince them to send their children to school...

- PMC School in Bavdhan runs in two (morning and afternoon) shifts. Since arranging transport for children in two shifts was not possible, it was decided to enrol all children in Zilla Parishad school in Bavdhan. As the ZP school timing is 10am to 5pm, ECC approached a private school (Vidya Valley) in this area for transport support. Vidya Valley has agreed to provide their school bus for children living on construction sites in Bavdhan area. The transport provider will be taken for site visits once admissions are completed in this school. Private schools with transport facility in other areas of the city can support in similar manner...

- 4 children enrolled in Dhanori PMC School. 4 children enrolled in Lohegaon PMC School. Process is slow and somewhat hampered by Rains and parents not being available. Parents have requested for Sunday or early morning admissions (school is from 12:00 noon only). Support is expected from school authorities and PMC School Board (Shikshan Mandal).

A Promising Start to Enrollment!

The ECC Campaign took off on a promising note this year. 24 Children from 6 Construction sites in Shivajinagar were Enrolled in PMC School No.66 at University Circle on Saturday, 15th of June, by Cognizant-Outreach Volunteer Group. One child was enrolled by parent at PMC School No.47B behind College of Agri Banking. This is a good beginning!

The sites had been surveyed by Volunteers from "Cognizant-Outreach" in May, and over the last couple of weeks, parents, site supervisors, and school authorities were contacted for discussions and planning the Admissions.

Though it was a very rainy day, many volunteers joined the effort, some of them even ferried children and parents to the school in their own vehicles. It is indeed heartening to see such enthusiasm and dedication from each and every person who were part of the event Thank you all for the great work!

School authorities were very co-operative and had remained in school beyond the official working hours to complete the process.

Parents are concerned about the next step... how to ensure that children can reach the schools daily! We have to work closely with the school and parents over next couple of weeks to support them in making arrangements for transport.

The work has just begun... 45 more schools and 1300 more children to reach...!

Need for Daily School Transport Facility

Need For Funding Daily School Transport For Migrant Children In The City Of Pune - Year 2013-14

Migrant children are among the most educationally marginalized in India.

UNICEF Report on Internal Migration and the RTE dated 03-Dec-2012 estimates that there are Approximately 15 Million (1.5 Cr) migrant children in India.

Through the “Every Child Counts- Citizens’ campaign”, it was established that 4500 construction plans for large sites are sanctioned each year by the City Engineer’s office, Pune. Studies carried out estimate that there are migrant families and their children at around 2000 sites. Results of survey done in 2012 show that there are around 4-6 children of school enrolment age (6-7 yrs old) on an average per site .i.e. at least 12000 children across Pune. If we add the number of children of this age group living in other urban migrant communities such as roadside dwellings, unauthorized slums, this number would reach around 15,000.

While working with children from migrant communities and slums in the city, it was observed that daily school transport is a major factor affecting attendance of children and eventually leading to drop-out.

A sample of 600 children admitted from sites (where no NGO works) during June-July 2012 shows that -

1. a mere 15% of children are able to attend school without transport or escort;
2. 33% of children enrolled could not attend school due to lack of transport;
3. even at sites where Door Step School runs Educational Activity Centers, 70% children attending schools need transport support.

The Right to Education Act 2009 mentions provision of free transport or escort for children where schools are beyond a distance of 1.5 kms from residences. Efforts have been made over last few months to urge the Education Department in Pune to make provisions for School transport under the Right to Education Act 2009. However, these efforts have not resulted in any concrete actions from the Government. In fact, the School Board of Pune Municipal Corporation is now appealing to funding agencies for generation of funds for School transport.

Door Step School, through its various programs in Pune and PCMC areas, reaches approximately 10,000 children, 5000 of whom are enrolled in schools every year and require transport facilities.

School transport needs:

• Funding for auto-rickshaw or van payment on monthly basis;
• Local management to monitor safe and timely pick-up and drop; and
• Local escort with the vehicle, for very young children.

The estimated cost of school transport is:
    Rs.450/- per child per month
    Rs.4,500/- per child per year (considering 10 working months of schools)

Availability of School Transport has a major impact on enrolment and continuation of primary education and therefore requires major funding support from all possible sources.

ECC Planning for June 2013

'Every Child Counts' Citizens' Campaign was launched in October 2011, to ensure Right To Education implementation in Pune city. The campaign was designed to involve citizens of Pune in taking every child to school. With help of individual and groups of volunteers in Pune, ECC could reach out to more than 2,500 out-of-school children during academic year 2012-13, out of which 1,300+ children were enrolled in nearby PMC schools. Efforts were taken to ensure regular attendance of these children in schools. Two major challenges were faced during this - one, lack of daily transport facility, and two, non-participation of parents in their child's education. With help of local NGO's, partner organisations, and private funding, ECC could arrange daily transport for few of these children. However, this was not possible in all cases, hence ECC team has been trying to convince PMC Education Board to make budgetary provision for school transport at all their schools. Since there is no confirmed action planned by them till now, ECC team and volunteers/partners are planning to arrange local transport from the day of admissions. To handle the issue of parents' non-participation in child's education, Door Step School and Every Child Countrs Campaign have launched a project to work directly with parents in Kondhwa area of Pune.

A meeting of ECC volunteers was held on Saturday, 18th of May 2013, to plan survey and admission activities for June 2013. Volunteers from various companies, institutes, organisations, and individuals attended the meeting and expressed their interest in volunteering for ECC campaign. After discussing current status and further plan of survey, volunteers chose areas according to their availability during next couple of months. Corporates like Fiserv, Cognizant, and Symphony offered to conduct survey and admissions in areas like Kharadi, Hadapsar, Baner, Deccan, Pashan, etc. The volunteers will carry out survey in two phases - one, to locate construction sites with labour camps, and two, to collect detail information of children to be enrolled. Volunteers will also visit local PMC schools and set up a dialogue with the school staff, to smoothen admission process.

From last year's experience, ECC campaign team expects more support from volunteers and corporates in arranging school transport from first day onwards. Although there are no solutions offered by PMC Education Board yet, and not enough funding provision available with campaign team, contributions from willing partners is highly anticipated. Let us hope for more support this year!

ECC Volunteer Meet for 2013-14 Planning

Thank you for being associated with 'Every Child Counts' campaign. With your support and contribution, we could enroll more than 1,300 children in PMC schools last year. The schools will reopen for next academic year by 17th of June 2013. The work for finding out 6-year-old children has already started in some parts of the city. However, local participation of more citizen volunteers is highly needed to cover entire Pune city. To plan the survey and admission activities for next two months, we invite all existing and willing volunteers for a planning meet on next Saturday.

Date: 18th of May 2013
Time: 3:00pm to 4:30pm
Venue: DSS Training Center, Annabhau Sathe Vidyalay, Kumthekar Road, Near Shagun Chowk, Off Laxmi Road, Pune.
Find it on Google Maps: http://goo.gl/maps/IdKS8

In this meeting, current status of the campaign will be shared with all volunteers, and further plan of action will be decided based on individual or group availability in various parts of Pune city. Please come prepared with your suggestions and preferences during next two months.

Let's get together once again to march towards our goal of total school enrollment in Pune!

DSS 20th Anniversary Programme

Door Step School, Pune invites all supporters, funders, associates, volunteers, and well-wishers

for the Annual Presentation and 20th Anniversary Celebration Programme.

Chief Guest: Shri. Shantilal Mutha
(Founder and National President of Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana)

Date: Saturday, 11th of May 2013
Time: 10am to 12pm
Venue: Nivara Hall, Near Patrakar Bhavan, Navi Peth, Pune-30

An exhibition related to all DSS projects will be open from 9:30am onwards.

Please confirm your presence to pune@doorstepschool.org

Follow-up status of children frequently reported by citizens

Citizens of Pune are using ECC ReportChildren website to report out-of-school children seen at various places in the city. ECC campaign staff visited the reported locations and traced whereabouts of the children. Some of these locations are being frequently reported by many citizens. Here is a report about children found at Pune University signal, Raj Bhavan, FC Road, Deccan, and Nal Stop area -

(Reference:
http://eccpune.org/reportchildren/index.php?r=record/view&id=15
http://eccpune.org/reportchildren/index.php?r=record/view&id=16
http://eccpune.org/reportchildren/index.php?r=record/view&id=18)

All the children in this group are working as beggars in various parts of the city for quite some time. Along with their parents, they also sell balloons, flowers, toys, dusting cloths, sun screens etc. The parents also encourage their children to beg and earn money. They live on roadsides in different parts of the city as per their convenience. They have been evicted from their roadside 'homes' many times. Earlier, they used to live under the University flyover, and near Chatushrungi temple. At present, most of them live along the river near Deccan (Pulachi Wadi) area.

Hutments near Pulachi Wadi, Deccan

Door Step School has been working with these children since many years. In fact, some of the children even recognized the teachers who visited these locations for follow-up. On further enquiry, it was found that some of these children were students of DSS Community Learning Center in Shivaji Housing Society, while living under the university flyover which was being constructed in 2003-04. DSS staff used to wake them up and take them in a DSS van to the Shivaji Housing Center; clean them, feed them, and also teach them. However, their parents have no importance for education and they encourage the children to stay away from school and earn whatever they can. The parents themselves want to be picked up by the police and put in jail so that they do not have to worry about their daily needs! Some of the parents even own few two-wheelers, and are now demanding free homes!

Three of the children attend PMC School No.14. Their attendance is irregular and they beg at above-mentioned locations after their school timings. Other children were also enrolled in school but have never attended. They run away before the DSS van comes to that area to pick them up. The DSS staff has tried to convince them to go back to school but unfortunately, their parents have not realized the importance of education and now the children themselves prefer to beg than study.

Flyover near Pune University

The problem is not only about children remaining out of school. It is more about children getting interested in wrong ways of earning and building their future on false attitude. These children do not have any other career aspirations in their mind, since their own parents are encouraging begging as an earning source from so early age. Door Step School and Every Child Counts teams will take all possible efforts to take these children to schools. But what happens to them after school-hours? How can we convince their parents about importance of education in their children's life? What alternate source of earning can we suggest (and convince) to these parents? Can we do something more than just throwing few coins at these small beggars and moving on? Let us think and act for better future of these children who are going to be a major part of our country's future...

Follow-up status of children reported from ID#17 (Baner)

Few children were reported from Veer Bhadranagar, Baner. (Reference - http://eccpune.org/reportchildren/index.php?r=record/view&id=17) These children live on the open plot near Sadanand Hotel. This group of people belongs to the 'Joagdand' caste. People of this caste carry palanquins or accompany carts carrying statues or pictures of various deities from one place to another and earn along the way. A few men work in nearby areas as labourers. Some of the children are enrolled in Khanderaya Primary School in Balewadi.

Earlier, this same group of people was living in temporary huts near PWD Sangavi. In 2007-08, a Door Step School bus used to pick up all the children from this area and take them to Golwalkar Guruji Primary School in Aundh. Here they were taught not only to read and write but also about cleanliness and hygiene. They also actively participated in all the class activities. After a few months they were evicted from Sanghvi and so moved and put up their hutments near Sadanand Hotel. As a result, the children were the losers and stopped going to the school in Aundh.

At present, a School on Wheels bus is parked near Sadanand Hotel for the benefit of the children who do not attend school. The parents want to send their children to school but are not sure how long they will be allowed to stay in this area.

Pune Mirror Published About ReportChildren Website

NGO calls to citizens to help educate underprivileged kids.

Volunteers can report children deprived of primary schooling on newly launched website http://www.eccpune.org/reportchildren.

(Published in Pune Mirror on March 17, 2013)

Indian Express published about ReportChildren Website

(Click on image to read)

...through the website, any citizen can give information about children not attending schools.

News about Report Children website in Indian Express, 6th of March 2013.

शाळाबाह्य मुलांसाठी पुढे या!

"शाळाबाह्य मुलांसाठी पुढे या!" - दै. सकाळ (शनिवार, २ मार्च २०१३)

शालाबाह्य मुलांपर्यंत पोचण्यासाठी आता 'वेबसाईट'ची मदत

'शिक्षणहक्क कायदा २००९' अंतर्गत ६ ते १४ वयोगटातील सर्व मुला-मुलींना 'मोफत व सक्तीचे शिक्षण' मिळण्याची सोय करण्यात आलेली असली तरी प्रत्यक्षात याची गरज असलेल्या मुलांपर्यंत व त्यांच्या पालकांपर्यंत ही माहिती पोचलेली दिसत नाही. त्यामुळे, हा कायदा होऊन तीन वर्षे झाली तरी आपल्या आजूबाजूला कित्येक शालाबाह्य मुले आढळून येतात. अशी मुले शोधून, त्यांच्या पालकांशी बोलून, जवळच्या मनपा शाळेत प्रवेश मिळवून देण्यासाठी 'एव्हरी चाइल्ड काउंट्स' हे नागरिक अभियान नोव्हेंबर २०११ मध्ये सुरू करण्यात आले.

या अभियानांतर्गत, पुण्यातील नागरिकांच्या व सेवाभावी संस्थांच्या मदतीने गेल्या वर्षी सुमारे ७०० वंचित मुलांना शाळेत दाखल करण्यात आले. पुण्याच्या सर्व भागांतून अशा मुलांची माहिती गोळा करणे, हे या अभियानासमोरील सर्वात मोठे आव्हान होते व आहे. याउलट, दररोज रस्त्याने ये-जा करणार्‍या नागरिकांना सिग्नलजवळ, फूटपाथवर, तसेच मजूर वस्त्यांजवळ शाळेत जाण्याच्या वयाची मुले फिरताना दिसतात; पण त्यांच्याबद्दल कुणाला सांगायचे, त्यांना कशी मदत करायची, हे कळत नाही.

या सर्व अनुभवांवरुन, 'एव्हरी चाइल्ड काउंट्स' हे अभियान सुरू करणार्‍या 'डोअर स्टेप स्कूल' या सेवाभावी संस्थेने एक वेबसाईट तयार करून घेतली आहे. या वेबसाईटवर कोणीही नागरिक त्यांना दिसलेल्या शालाबाह्य मुलांची माहिती नोंदवू शकतात. या वेबसाईटवर, अचूक ठिकाण नोंदवण्यासाठी नकाशाची सोय असून, काही प्रश्नांची उत्तरे दिल्यावर नागरिकांनी नोंदवलेली माहिती सर्वांसाठी प्रकाशित होते. तसेच, या अभियानातील कार्यकर्त्यांना ही माहिती ई-मेलद्वारे मिळाल्याने, सदर मुलांचा शोध घेणे सोपे होऊन त्यांच्या शाळा-प्रवेशाची प्रक्रिया जलद होण्यास मदत होते.

www.eccpune.org/reportchildren या वेबसाईटवर निःशुल्क नोंदणी करून नागरिक मुलांची माहिती नोंदवू शकतात, तसेच पूर्वी नोंदवलेली माहिती पाहू शकतात. ही वेबसाईट वापरण्यासंदर्भात पुणे मनपाच्या शिक्षण मंडळ सदस्यांसाठी विशेष प्रात्यक्षिकाचे आयोजनही करण्यात आले होते. यावेळी, सदर वेबसाईटवरून मिळणार्‍या माहितीच्या उपयुक्ततेबद्दल व शिक्षण मंडळाच्या पटनोंदणी अभियानास होऊ शकणार्‍या मदतीबद्दल मंडळाच्या सदस्यांनी विश्वास व्यक्त केला.

'मेवन सिस्टीम्स' या पुण्यातील सॉफ्टवेअर कंपनीच्या 'सीएसआर' अंतर्गत तांत्रिक सहकार्याने, तसेच टाटा सामाजिक विज्ञान संस्था (मुंबई) यांच्या मार्गदर्शनाखाली ही वेबसाईट तयार करण्यात आली आहे. जास्तीत जास्त नागरिकांनी या सुविधेचा उपयोग करून शालाबाह्य मुलांना शिक्षणाच्या मुख्य प्रवाहात आणण्यास मदत करावी, असे आवाहन 'एव्हरी चाइल्ड काउंट्स' नागरिक अभियानातर्फे करण्यात येत आहे. www.eccpune.org/reportchildren या वेबसाईटबद्दल व शिक्षणहक्क कायद्यासंदर्भातील या अभियानाबद्दल अधिक माहितीसाठी संपर्कः

रजनी परांजपे - ९३७१००७८४४
मंदार शिंदे - ९८२२४०१२४६

Special Website To Reach More Out-of-School Children in Pune

The 'Right To Education Act 2009' (RTE) provides right of 'Free and Compulsory' Education to all children within 6 to 14 age group. However, the children and parents who need this most, are not seen to be aware of their rights. As a result, even in the third year of RTE implementation, we can see a large number of out-of-school children around us. With an objective to identify such children in Pune city and to ensure their enrollment in nearby PMC schools, a citizens' campaign - 'Every Child Counts' (ECC) - was launched in November 2011.

Last year, with the help of citizen volunteers and NGO's in Pune, this campaign could reach out to more than 2,500 children and enrol about 700 of them in PMC schools across Pune city. The biggest challenge before this campaign was, and is, to find out children (and parents) who need support in reaching schools. On the other hand, citizens commuting daily on the city roads, see many school-age children at traffic signals, on footpaths, and near labour colonies. However willing to help, a common citizen does not know to whom and where to report about these children.

With the experience gained through ECC citizens' campaign, the NGO working for education of underprivileged children in Pune - Door Step School - has designed a special website where any citizen can report about out-of-school children found in the city. The website uses Google Maps to locate exact address of reporting, and upon answering few questions about children, the citizen contribution is published on this website. The ECC campaign team also gets notified about citizen contribution by e-mail, which further helps in finding out children from exact location, thus expediting their school admission process. Any citizen can register on www.eccpune.org/reportchildren and start contributing information about out-of-school children.

A demo session of this website was organised for members of the PMC School Board. The Board is hopeful about usefulness of this website and has mentioned that the information collected through citizen contributions will help ‘PMC School Enrollment Drive’ this year. The website has been developed with technical support from Pune-based software company, Maven Systems as a CSR initiative, with inputs from research team of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (Mumbai). The 'Every Child Counts' campaign team extends their appeal to citizens of Pune for using this website to help out-of-school children reach schools in large numbers. To know more about www.eccpune.org/reportchildren website and the Citizens’ campaign for Right To Education, please contact:

Rajani Paranjpe - 9371007844
Mandar Shinde - 9822401246

Now report out-of-school children online...

Do you see out-of-school children on streets, at traffic signals, or near construction sites? Do you feel like helping them but cannot? Now you can report about such children online and help us help them reach schools! Just visit http://eccpune.org/reportchildren and fill up a small form to submit information about children spotted by you. That's the easiest way to contribute in Every Child Counts Citizens' Campaign. Do visit the website now...