DECENTRALIZED EDUCATIONAL PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT, COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION AND PARTICIPATION, COMMUNITY BASED REHABILITATION AND MICRO – PLANNING

DECENTRALIZED EDUCATIONAL PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT,

COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION AND PARTICIPATION,

COMMUNITY BASED REHABILITATION AND MICRO – PLANNING

DECENTRALIZED EDUCATIONAL PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

DECENTRALIZATION OF THE MANAGEMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING INSTITUTIONS

Experience has shown that highly centralized planning is non-participatory and tends to ignore the peculiarities of various localities in the development process. In the Education and Training Policy it is noted that the powers and decision making in the management and administration of education and training institutions have remained heavily concentrated at the ministerial level. Attempts to involve regions, districts and communities in the management and administration of education and training institutions in their areas of jurisdiction are wanting, yet effective management of education and training institutions necessitates community involvement.

In this regard the education sector has initiated regulatory changes and interventions to support the decentralization process to lower organs. Among the notable interventions in support of the decentralization process includes:

• The establishment of District and Community Education Funds, a matching grant intended to encourage communities to finance the provision of education to their own children.
• DBSPE initiative intended to contribute towards improving the teaching/learning environment to enhance decentralized management of education and training institutions.
• The institutionalization of district managed Teacher Resource Centers (TRCs) and the establishment of ward-based teacher development (in-service programmer).
• The decentralization of textbook provision and distribution initiated as a pilot project in 1993.
• The initiation of Primary Education Facilities Project (PEDFAC) intended to mobilize as well as enhance the capacity of district authorities to plan and manage financial resources at their disposal therefore promoting accountability, transparency and project management skills.
• To decentralize the management of FDCs with more participation from the Local Authorities.

All basic education based interventions are gradually being realigned to correspond with the Local Government Reform Programmer which places emphasis on improved service delivery, autonomy in decision making, transparency, accountability and good governance. The new Local Government system is based on political devolution, decentralization of functions and finances within the framework of a unitary state. The Local Governments will be holistic i.e. multi sectored government units with a legal status. They have the responsibility for social development and public service provision within their jurisdiction, facilitation of maintenance of law and order and issues of national importance such as education, health, water, roads and agriculture. To facilitate these, financial reforms, regulations for governing the utilization of block grants and basket funds have been issued, service regulations for local Authorities employees have been approved and the platinum system is being introduced in all local authorities. Attendant with such developments, MOEC/MSTHE/MRALG have specified education sector specific performance indicators and minimum standards for service delivery.

NEW APPROACH TO EDUCATION PLANNING

Traditionally, education planning has been highly centralized. Plans were and have continued to be conceived, initiated and developed by the central authority at the national level. Thereafter, developed plans were disseminated to lower organs for adoption and implementation. Hence, the grassroots have contributed little, if any, to the development of plans for implementation by the same.

The top-down planning process was originally justifiable because the Government structure was still centralized. The decentralization process is however in the initial stages of development and the requisite capacity is in the process of being developed. The means and instruments to enable lower organs to initiate and develop their own plans based on concrete assessment of potentials and problems faced as well as the developmental needs of the local community in a participatory approach also are in the process of being provided through the adoption of Planning and Management guide for Regional Secretariats prepared under the Local Government Reform Program. PO-RALG is also leading the formulation of a National framework for participatory District Planning to be in place by March 2001.

In response to the planning reform requirements a number of initiatives have been put in place to set the new system in motion. The planning reform initiatives include school mapping and micro planning of the whole school development program and ward based education management program.

In the planning reform process (bottom-up vs. top-down), the school is the lowest and the initial planning unit. Each school and each education institution is required to prepare its own education development plan. The next planning unit is the ward. The ward education development plan should be a synthesis of school development plans in that ward. The district is the next planning unit. The district education development plan should be the synthesis of ward education development plans in the district. The bottom-up hierarchical planning process continues to the national level but in line with National guidelines aimed to match grass root development with National interests. This is also a caution that sometimes and in some cases top down planning will be required in order to address a national crisis, disaster or epidemic etc.

COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION AND PARTICIPATION

Community mobilization and participation in the process of eliminating child labor is another important ingredient in the process. Social and community mobilization efforts to eliminate child labor bring in a time element into the process, as they, in turn, motivate and monitor all the sectors involved to move fast towards the goal in a time-bound manner. The local community could be actively involved in all the three steps of prevention, rehabilitation and monitoring, bringing in ownership as well as accountability-

Prevention

Identifying and responding to the needs of children at risk, as well as working children through regular interactions and awareness generation campaigns in partnership with local Non Government Organizations and authorities. Groups within the community could be formed with leadership from influential persons from within the community. They could in turn try to forge partnerships with local Non Government Organizations working in the area of child labor and join hands to help prevent the same.

Rehabilitation

            Identification and planning of integrating the children removed from work into the schooling system, in consultation with their parents and local schools as well as vocational training centers.

Monitoring

            Monitoring of the workplaces, where children were previously working, as well as schools and vocational centers, where these children have been enrolled, to ensure retention and to eliminate dropout and re-entry into work. Self Help Groups, Mothers’ Groups etc. can be brought in as monitoring mechanisms from within the community. Group meetings could be conducted to sensitize them towards the need to keep vigil on previously working children and ensuring that they go to school.

The local bodies can also be involved. Actions to be taken for awareness and social mobilization -

§      Launching special anti Child Labor campaign through radio, Television, local cable channels by using the material developed by International Labor Organization.

§      Organizing rallies of school going children and youth groups.

§      Training children about consequences of child labor.

§      Developing awareness among employers, parents and young workers about labor laws.

§      Disseminating message of anti child labor through various ways like printing on electricity bills, tax bills, writing on State Transport buses etc.

§      Giving award to District Collector whose district is child labour free.

§      Conducting awareness sessions in the meetings of Trade Unions for enhancing education of the children.

§      Obtain an undertaking while granting any license/permission from the applicant to the effect that he/she should not engage child labour; in case of violation cancel the license/permission.

§      Employers’ Association to influence the members not to employ child labour.

§      Employers’ Association to sponsor schemes in rehabilitation of child labourers.

COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION & MEDIA

The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 confers Constitutional status on the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). The Constitution provides for devolution of powers and responsibilities upon Panchayats at appropriate level. Keeping with the vision of the Constitution (Seventy-third and Seventy-fourth Amendment) Act, 1992, SSA has made adequate provision for community involvement in facilitating the implementation of various aspects of the programme. Experiences of earlier programmes like BEP, DPEP have also reinforced the role of community in education. It has been envisaged under SSA that the Panchayats, VSS and other community forums both in rural & urban areas, would complement each other by creating a strong base at the grassroots level for community participation in the education scenario.

The huge task of UEE cannot be achieved without active involvement of community. That is why; in SSA great emphasis is laid on Community Mobilization. Bihar Education Project has consistently and consciously included community participation and environment building in its strategy. Education is, undoubtedly, an integral part of the process of social transformation. Emergence of the “Bihar State VSS Act 2000 " regarding constitution of VSS with every school and other statutory character has been perceived as an outcome of the ongoing empowerment exercise for community.

The community is expected to play a key role in micro-planning, especially in the development of Village/Habitation level plan and School Improvement Plans. Community based monitoring in specific issues like enrolment, retention, education of girl child and other disadvantaged groups, utilization of various grants and construction is important to ensure attainment of the programme objectives. Communities can be involved in programme implementation through following key activities:

• Empowerment of community;
• Generate community awareness towards education;
• Involve community in micro level planning;
• Involve community in monitoring & supervision; and
• Construction & maintenance of school infrastructure.

COMMUNITY BASED REHABILITATION AND MICRO – PLANNING

COMMUNITY BASED REHABILITATION

Home Based services are provided to those children/adults who are unable to come due to severity of their disability. Physiotherapy, Activity of Daily Living skill transfer apart from guiding the families are key components of community based intervention. Multi Purpose Rehabilitation Workers and special educators regularly interact with community and support them attaining independence.

Important point in both above approaches is that we do not believe in putting child in special setup for ever. At the earliest opportunity, when she gains basic functional skills, AKJ tries to integrate them in regular school or curriculum. Last year 37 children appeared for National Institute for Open Schooling exams and passed smoothly. Objective here is to explore full potential of child as well as get some certification for her.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH PARTICIPATION & AWARENESS

Objectives:

• To create consciousness on the rights of children and women.
• To ensure access to schools for all children and ensure that all children of school going age attend school.
• To retain all children in the schools.
• To remove prevailing superstitions and myths in women and children.
• To ensure that women have access to decision making and a choice to different livelihood options.
• To form peer groups with women and children who would activate / facilitate change in their families and surroundings.

Major Activities:

The major activities planned for the purpose are:

@ A Rapid Participatory Assessment of the area for baseline indicators

@ Community mobilization and formation of groups of women and children

@ Interactive and participatory approach with the target groups

@ Quality education for children based on skill learning activities

@ Campaigns and workshops & Holding one-to-one interactions

@ Setting up of Community Learning Centers and Community Resource Centers for attending to the educational needs of vulnerable children in the community

@   De-education and re-education programme for women on their rights and literacy

@ The project would work with young women in the area to form ‘Peer Advocate Corps’ with skills of leadership, education and consciousness on their rights and responsibilities

@ Children groups would be formed on different issues as sports, environment protection, green rights, etc.

@ A mid-term review needs to be done at organization cost

Methodology:

A Rapid Participatory Assessment of the area for baseline indicators

• Community mobilization
• Interactive and participatory approach with the target groups
• Campaigns and workshops & Holding one-to-one interviews
• De-education and re-education programme for women
• Quality education for children based on skill learning activities    

The participants asked about the type of involvement this project would expect from the members of
the Municipality. Thereafter the roles of the Municipality as per the following guidelines were
discussed in detail:

v  Helping in the selection of the target area and population

v  Facilitating of the implementation schedule of the work based on the situational analysis

v  Helping in the identification of venues and making them available - free space for learning centres.

v  Providing venue for the trainings and meetings and  organizing workshop

v  Facilitating the work with the formal schools/Municipal Schools

v  Active participation in every programme

v  Facilitating sharing of the programme report by IPER from time to time.

Pre-Selection Teachers’ Training programme

A Four-day Pre-Selection Teachers’ Training programme was conducted by IPER under the Project with the identified women who had the required qualification and showed potentiality and interest in working in the Project at the Community Learning Centers and Adult Literacy Centers.

Community Learning Centers

Presently the 5 Community Learning Centers are running in the 4 Municipal Wards with nearly 200+ children. The first Teachers’ Orientation has taken place and community meetings are held regularly.
Preparation of IEC Materials for the community is on. Health Education classes for the children are being taken by health educators in the 5 Community Learning Centers.

District Primary Education Council, South 24 Parganas

A meeting with the Chairman of the District Primary Education Council, South 24 Parganas, seeking permission to hold orientation programme with the teachers from the 9 Schools in the selected areas of the Municipality. The purpose of this training would be to ensure retention of children in the schools and facilitate quality education in the schools. This training would be held from time to time and would require participation of at least 15 to 18 teachers from these schools.

BOOKS REFERRED

& National Policy on Education towards an Enlightened and Humane Society.

By Dr. Digumarti Bhaskara Rao.

& U.G.C. NET/SLET. By, Dr. M.S. Ansari.

WEBSITE VISITED

:  http://210.212.144.98/b_ed/sesv_02/sv2b4u2p4.asp