EDUCATION INFRASTRUCTURE

Development Education Programme

Usually in the village people do not assemble to share their problems and to analyze why they are poor. They has a notion, "it is their karma, fate or way of life". They live and die in poverty and it is never questioned. The development education programme at the first instance helped them to understand, accept and accommodate the staff deployed in their village. The continuous effort of the programme motivated people to question their lie and struggle for existence in the society. In the beginning of the project, efforts were made to educate them to come into unity. it was not merely to make the People to read or write any particular language, but a type of education for life itself, This made them understand and control their social tensions. In l982 we were able to identify and select various keywords related to their life. These key words made the villagers aware to change their traditional attitude and to know more about the very system governing their fife. The programme is based on various issues in the villages affecting the life of the people.

The objectives are:

Literacy Programme

1985, WIDA supported a literacy programme in five villages organized by former bishop of JELC. A total of 168 were made literate during this period.

In the beginning of the third phase, a study was undertaken after a proposal to implement a literacy programme in the intensive block area. From the first set of 27 villages in the intense block area, 28 Volunteers were selected by the village community to undergo two months of intensive training in literacy volunteership at the training center. 24 villages proposed for construction of literacy\community centers and in 21 Villages low cost Centers were completed in 1989 with people's contribution

Following are the objectives of the community literacy programme:

The selected volunteers went back to their villages after the training and started functional literacy programme. Not less than 15 member,. from all age group attended the programme in each center, but the volunteers along with the staff had duties motivating the women to take part in the literacy programme. Meetings are organised in the community with the volunteers in understanding and committing to promote the value of education and continue to work to achieve the goal of everyone become literate.

The students belong to the age group between 11- 45 and the classes are conducted from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. five days a week The learners are provided with primer books and states at a concessional rate. The money paid by the learners will be kept as a literacy fund and will be used for the future learners Kerosene and literacy materials for reading were provided to the community. In 1991, 52 trained literacy volunteers trained about l152 people in the different villages. The literacy cadre frequently seeks new and relevant ways to impact literacy to the people so a to be more conductive to their individual environment needs and dialects. The literacy cadre also undertake the more important role of development personal and get close to the people and be part of their reality.

A reorientation of the programme was carried out in 1991 and once in two months a reiteration meeting was organized for the cadres. The volunteers shared their experiences and their involvement to promote literacy in the images. Follow up programmes was discussed during this programme and is now organised every six months. Every month the literacy volunteers are organised at field staff office to discuss their monthly programme.

Formal Education

Regarding primary school for children, discussions were held with the government Out of 84 primary schools in Semiliguda block only 28 of them are functioning. Most of the teachers we not staying in the villages or ward of staff quarters and in many villages there are no school buildings, People were encouraged to approach the concerned officials to take stem action against the teachers who are not working to repair the existing schools and build new schools in the villages. In all the target villages meetings were organised once in a month, started in 1989, specially on the issue of school, teachers, enrolment attendance and literacy. The government authorities have obliged the petition of the villagers and suspended, disallowed and transferred some of the teachers who were irregular The government also promised during 1989 to appoint new schoolteachers and undertake repairs of the school buildings. In 1989, children from 9 villages were enrolled in the government schools.

In order to regularize the formal school many applications were sent to the BDO, SI of schools and Collector by the villagers. Teachers and parents meetings were organised in many villages to enroll the children into schools. Some teachers report regularly due to higher authority's instruction and demands of the people

In 1998, 282 children (male -176 and female -106) were enrolled in formal and residential schools by motivating the parents in 23 villages. Through the help of PO/MG members, staff identified the children for enrollment in the schools.

Language Speaking Course

Language speaking course was organised for a period of 2 months (August-September 1999). 25 people from 13 villages successfully completed the training course. All the participants are from different tribal communities including a dalits woman, The objective of the course was to instruct the tribal leader, with simple Basic English language for speaking and writing inside and outside their community. As English language has become a dominant language in the present society, the project envisages teaching the tribal leaders about general use of the English language. The course was conducted in the morning and afternoon hours and we used songs, games and group works for the pupils to learn the language,

Education Assistance

Education assistance was given in 10 villages in 1999 of 60 children (male -55 female -5), The PO and the WG identified the children of marginal and landless poor families and assisted them with textbooks, notebooks, pen, perch, compass and other necessary materials.