NON-FORMAL AND ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION REACHING THE DISADVANTAGED
Non-formal education is seen as a vital aspect of India's current strategy on education as it can reach out to working children, girls and those children who cannot attend full time schools due to several socioeconomic compulsions and cultural bariers.
In order to reach the large segment of marginalised children, the Government of India has been running a non-formal education scheme since 1979. Implemented through state governments and voluntary organisations, the NFE scheme draws on a high level of community participation and is characterised by flexibility, relevance and a decentralised administrative structure.
The main features of the scheme are:
* Short course with duration of about two years.
* Part-time instruction at a place and time convenient to learners in small groups.
* Flexibility in the mode of delivery.
* Special emphasis on girls' education.
The NFE scheme was conceived in 1979-80, scaled up in 1987 and revised in, 1993 with emphasis on organisation, flexibility, relevance of curriculum, diversity in learning activity to suit the needs of the learners through decentralised management.
At present, NFE reaches out to nearly seven million children (majority of whom are girls) in the age-group of 614, and has the potential of enrolling nearly half the number of children enrolled in the formal school system.
The NFE scheme is being implemented in 23 states/union territories through 0.29 million centres. Of these, nearly 0.24 million come under the state sector, while the rest are managed by the voluntary sector. Out of the centres under the state sector, 0.12 million are exclusively for girls, covering about 2.95 million beneficiaries. The financial allocation in 1996-97 for running these centres was a total of Rs. 1,582 million.
Financial assistance being given to the NFE centres in the states and UTs by the Government of India is as follows: coeducational centres-60 %; exclusively girl centres-90%; centres run by voluntary agencies- 100 %.
An important achievement in the current financial year has been the increased participation of NGOs in the programme. At present, about 676 voluntary agencies are involved in running NFE centres in the country. Under Experimental and Innovative Programmes, new strategies on a pilot basis for microplanning, survey training, material development, education for the disabled and working children, running of NFE centres and health education programmes are being taken up. At present, 41 such projects are in operation. In addition, NGOs
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* The NFE scheme is being implemented in 23 states/union territories through 0.29 million centres.
* Of these, million come under the state sector, while the rest are managed by the voluntary sector.
* Out of the centres in the state sector 0.12 million are exclusively for girls.
* The financial allocation in '96-97 for the running of these centres was Rs 1,582 million.
are running District Resource Units for providing resource support to the programme.
Gearing up for the Future Gaining from the experience of running the NFE programme in the country over almost two decades, it is felt that some major strategies need to be adopted for its revitalisation and expansion in the future. Some of these are:
* The perception of NFE as inferior to the system of primary education to be redressed through stronger advocacy, better environment-building, investment, rigorous implementation and monitoring.
* Efforts to be made to establish academic equivalence between the products of formal primary schools and NFE centres. The unit cost of NFE should also be comparable with that of the formal system of schooling.
* Increased emphasis on ensuring mainstreaming of children who attend NFE centres.
* The programme should provide enough flexibility with regard to the duration, nature, content and management of NFE while ensuring achievement of MLLs.
* The organisational structure of NFE at the national, state, district and project levels to be revamped to provide for greater professionalism and autonomy.
* Instructors, supervisors and other functionaries to be provided with adequate remuneration and opportunities for career advancement.
* While pre-induction training programme for NFE functionaries needs to be introduced, in-service training through DIETs needs to be strengthened. The possibility of providing relevant vocational inputs in NFE, particularly at upper primary levels, in collaboration with experienced NGOs, to be explored.
* An effective partnership needs to be forged with NGOs, Panchayati Raj Institutions and the local community for decentralised planning and management of NFE.
* NFE to be viewed as an instrument of women's equality and providing for the appointment of a larger number of women functionaries at all levels.
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NGOs: Partners for Change Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have emerged as important players in the area of social development in the country in recent years. They are important stakeholders, in social development programmes and their participation is crucial. They are also a repository of knowledge of grassroots realities because of their proximity to the people.
NGOs associated with the various educational projects such as DPEP, Shiksha Karmi Project and Lok Jumbish have been instrumental in mobilising community resources in terms of participation which contributed also directly towards the success of the various projects. Without this level of partnership with experienced and committed NGOs, the level of mobilisation would not have been what it is today.
NGOs hove helped in:
* facilitating formation of the VECs;
* assisting in training and evaluation;
* assisting resource units in the modification of curriculum for local relevance;
* providing training in local communication skills to educators;
* review and participate in evaluation activities on a continuing basis.
The Participation of NGOs together with community support has helped to improve the physical conditions, environment of primary schools as well as promotion of girls' education. Many NGOs also act as local resource base for the various projects currently being undertaken in the country today.
All said and done, it is felt that more effective involvement of the NGOs in primary education is needed. The NGO sector has tremendous potential to contribute in moving towards the goal of universal primary education. As of now, nearly 700 NGOs are actively engaged in rendering cooperation and resource support to various ongoing educational projects with assistance from the government. New initiatives need to be taken to harness the NGO sector more directly into the primary education development programmes even while continuing with the existing programmes NGO involvement through the central scheme of Innovative and Experimental Programmes.
Other Non-formal and Alternative Initiatives There are many other innovative and non-traditional approaches that are being tried out in India today to meet the diverse needs for educating children. These initiatives are the responses of the Central and state governments, educational institutions and voluntary organisations to varying expectations rooted in different region- specific traits.
Some of these are: PROPEL, M.V. Foundation, Digantar (Jaipur), SWRC (Tilonia), Rishi Valley Education Centre, IPER (Calcutta), Butterflies (New Delhi), Insan, Eklavya. (See "Treading the Uncharted", Country Report on Innovative and Non-traditional Approaches in Education, Second Ministerial Meeting in Bali, September, 1995). A few more initiatives have been outlined below.
Bodh Shikshan Samiti: The Bodh Shikshan Samiti, based in Jaipur, represents an innovative approach to the education of non-school going children in slum areas. The agency manages 5 centres comprising 600 children and 25 teachers.
The centres function at different hours depending upon the convenience of the children and their families. There is no fixed curriculum and the children pursue learning at their own pace; the centre also provides for amicable interaction among the students. The association has also established centres for women.
The lessons learnt through the experience of running the centres are vital for the future functioning of the Samiti. Some facts that have come to light are:
* Before the implementation of any plan of action, an
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extensive contact with each segment of the community is essential. An identification of what the community needs and its potentialities is important.
* Involvement of the parents is a strong factor for the motivation of the child towards learning.
* Alongwith the professional competence of the teachers, their degree of motivation and commitment is also essential for the success of the programme.
* There is a need to understand the nature of opposition from vested interests and fight it.
One major aspect that the innovative approach of the Bodh Shikshan Samiti needs to integrate in itself is the facilitation of the children's entry, at various points, into the formal education system. The need is to generate flexibility and competence in the formal system to meet the educational needs of communities with differing capacities and socioeconomic situations.
National Bal Bhavan: The enhancement of creativity among children from the weaker sections through activities of their choice, in a free and congenial environment, was the basis on which the Bal Bhavan Society (now the National Bal Bhavan) was formed in 1956. An autonomous body funded by the Department of Education, the activities of the National Bal Bhavan include: creative art performing arts, environment, astronomy, photography, integrated physical and science-related activities, in a joy manner. The role of the Bal Bhavan movement as an out of school support programme to the educational curriculum has been particularly recognised in the area of curriculum-based joyful activity.
The National Bal Bhavan has a membership of over 100,000. In addition to that, 52 Bal Bhavan centres in Delhi, 67 in the states and UTs, and 2 Jawahar Bal Bhavans in Srinagar and Mandi have been established for those children who cannot afford to participate in the activities of the national headquarter. These centres are provided general guidance, training facilities and transfer of information by the National Bal Bhavan.
The National Bal Bhavan has spent Rs.590,000, for the benefit of 312,000 children during the last five years (1992-97).
The focus areas for the future are: strengthening the National Bal Bhavan; strengthening the State Bal Bhavans and Jawahar Bal Bhavans; and opening new State Bal Bhavans.
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