Early Childhood Development - Programmes in Karnataka
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- Early Childhood Development - Programmes in Karnataka
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1
"As
EARLY CHILOHOOO DEVELOPMENT
Programmes in Karnataka.
*
K
Lakshmi Krishnamurty
Vani Periodi
and
Asha Nambisan.
April 16, 2001.
Early Childhood Development - Programmes in Karnataka.
CONTENTS:
Acknowledgements.
Preface.
I
The Rationale.
II
III
IV
IV.l
The ICDS Programme.
IV.2
The ICDS in Karnataka.
IV.3
Components of ICDS.
The Anganwadi.
IV.3.1
IV.3.2
IV.3.3
Preamble.
Snapshots from the Field.
Facts, Statistics and Observations.
The Services.
•
Health and Nutrition.
•
Pre-School Educatiion.
•
Family Education.
IV.3.4
Community Participation.
The Anganwadi Worker.
IV.3.5
The Child.
IV.3.6
Training.
IV.3.7
AAonitoring and Evaluation.
IV.3.8
V
Management and Convergence of Services.
VI
In Conclusion.
Recommendations.
Annexures:
A. Upgrading the ICDS - Financial Implications for 5 years.
B. Karnataka at a Glance.
C. Two NGOs : "Sneha" and "Asare".
D.
Terms of Reference.
Bibliography.
Lakshmi Krishnamurty
Vani Periodi
and
Asha Nambisan.
April 16, 2001.
OUR THANKS TO:
P.G.SmiTha and Rent! Rao , for assisting us in the field.
Vasudev Sharma, for support and guidance in locating individuals and N&Os
with whom we could interact.
"Sneha" and "Asare" (NGOs sponsored by CRY); and "Sumangali Sewa
Ashram" , for giving us freely of their time and dialogue in the field.
"Equip", "Promise Foundation" and "Karnataka State Trainers Co-operative",
for sharing their training methodologies with us.
The various Government officials and others, who so willingly co-operated in
enabling us to explore the field:
- The Bidar team, AAahila Samakhya.
- The Ujwala team, Bijapur.
- ICbS staff of the Talukas, Koodlige, Bidar, Bijapur, Bagalkote, Bantwal,
Udipi and bakshin Kannada.
staff and trainee AWWs at Gulegudda, Ullal and Tumkur.
= Staff at NIPCCb, Bangalore and New Delhi, especially Usha Abrol,
Sulochana Vasudev and Adarsh Sharma, old friends, who went out of
their way to accommodate our information requirements.
- Staff at KSCCW and bSCERT, Karnataka, who provided very useful,
interaction.
- Officers and officials of the departments of Women and Child
development and Education, who facilitated this study by
easing our way through tangles of bureaucratic rules.
Our thanks to the following, for so generously sharing their expertise with
us:
Anandalakshmi.S., Anita Kaul, Mina Swaminathan, Padma Sarangapani, Shanti
Ghosh, Tara Gopaldas and Vinita Kaul.
Our especial thanks to all the children, their parents, community members,
primary school teachers, AWWs and helpers, who, patiently put up with our
questionings. They are too numerous to name here - it would make this
"Thanks" longer than the report!
We enjoyed interacting with all of the above and of course, with each other,
as well.
Lakshmi Krishnamurty, Vani Periodi and Asha Nambisan.
PREFACE
This Study looks at the young child, 0-6 years, in the specific context of
programmes in Karnataka, for the development of the pre-school child; set
in the wider perspective of the Indian cultural scene and as related to the
global conceptualization of the “universal" child.
The stated objectives* of this Study are:
1.
To assess the success of efforts of the (5OK to provide pre-school
education,in particular, in ensuring coverage , meeting the expectations
for early childhood education and ensuring convergence of various
services targetted at pre-school children.
2. To define the policy programming issues that need to be resolved to
improve coverage and effectiveness of early childhood education
services for children during the 2 to 3 years before they enter primary
school.
' This entails looking critically at:
❖
Policy, in relation to services for pre-school children, including those
provided by private(NGO) bodies.
❖ The types of services available and putting together a statistical picture
of coverage, location, etc., of services provided; as also at the number
and the socio-economic status of the children catered to — with a view
to assessing the adequacy or otherwise of the services provided, in
terms of both quality and quantity.
❖ The level of collaboration and co-operation between the Department of
Education and the Department of Women and Child Development, in the
specif ic context of the pre-school and its linkages to primary education.
❖ The service conditions of pre-school teachers, supervisors and other
related personnel.
❖ The adequacy, relevance and quality of training given to different levels
of staff, by the existing resource and training institutions which support
early childhood programmes.
•
See Annexure^1 Terms of Reference.
The Study, as stipulated, has combined the analysis of secondary data with
extensive field visits. The latter were for the purposes of collecting
qualitative data.
The ICDS of the department of Women and Child development, is the
largest programme re. early childhood development. 40,000 anganwadi
centres (AWCs) are run in Karnataka - which cater to some 60% of pre
school children in this State.
The Education department enhances AWCs in some 450 sites of 5 to 6
blocks.
NGOs, while providing quality pre-school education, cater to only a small
percentage of pre-school children. Together, they also provide a rich
laboratory of experiences, which, if selectively adapted, could be a source
of continuous enrichment to the larger State-sponsored programme. A
profitable partnership with NGOs, is in the area of training.
In this Study, we have largely concentrated on documenting and analyzing
the ICdS experience. We have also looked to NGOs, for insights and for
comparisons. Actual and potential collaboration and co-operation between
the department of Education (dOE) and the department of Women and
Child development (dWCd), both in terms of what is on the ground and what
is perceived, has been noted and commented upon.
We have made a number of recommendations, in terms of both enhanced
financial and qualitative requirements. Recommendations, if implemented
piece-meal or in part, will not yield proportionately effective results. The
synergy, or value added, of implementing the recommendations in toto or
almost so, will be lost.
We are preparing a shorter version of this Study Report, in Kannada, so as
to be able to share the findings with all the people we interacted with in the
field.
Lakshmi Krishnamurty
Vani Period!
and
Asha Nambisan.
April, 2001.
I.
THE RATIONALE
=Zubeida, all of 3 years, was bent over, absorbed in
putting chalk to
slate - in faithful imitation of her
older brother.
"What are you doing?" asked her mother.
"I am drawing God". Said Zubeida
"But no one knows what God looks like" said mother.
Without missing a beat or looking up from her drawing,
Zubeida replied,
"They will in a minute".
This innate, supreme self-confidence can ease many of
life's challenges and shape more ups than downs in
Zubeida's life. Can we help preserve it?
- "The child is father of the man", or "As you sow, so
shall you reap".
Subjects for school essays? Written without pausing to
think that the meaning would come home to roost.
- Remember childhood stories? That one about the
child Krishna «.
Opening his mouth and revealing to his
mother, the whole world in there?
1
II. PREAMBLE
"The very definition of who constitutes a child is
problematic. There is no universal experience of
childhood. Definitions of children along with the diverse
childhoods that children across the world experience,
are social constructs which are the result of a complex
interplay of historical, social and cultural factors"
(Vasanti Raman: "Politics of Childhood" Economic and
Political Weekly, Nov. 11, 2000).
The idea of childhood as a separate phase of life is
barely 3 or 4 centuries old in the West. In non-western
societies, childhood, adolescence and adulthood is seen
as a continuum. Witness the girl child who takes on
sibling care and household chores well before puberty,
which itself is but another step on her path to donning
the full responsibility of womanhood and motherhood.
The West looks upon childhood as a time for protection
from the 'real' world - a time to learn and grow. With
increasing focus on the sanctity of the'individual', the
need to draw out the potential of each person becomes
central to attending to the growth of the child.
In India, corresponding ideas of stages of growth were
applicable only to the Brahmins and other higher castes.
"Education" was not a drawing out, but a readying of the
person for his role in society. Disciplining, in the West,
has given way to a more liberal attitude towards helping
the child to grow. In India, discipline was and continues
to be the backbone of bringing up a child. The child is
expected to mirror the values and wishes of its parents
and forbears.
Even those not belonging to the upper echelons of the
caste system follow this edict in shaping their roles -
whether it be in the realm of the professional, the
familial or the societal.
But the world is shrinking and one cannot shut oneself
off from the winds of change; nor is it possible to let
the winds flow by without being affected, often
positively, many a time negatively, by the passion of
ideas, the imperatives of economics and the excitement
of the varied possibilities of the human existence.
Like the world over, we too are a fractured society -
varying only in degree. While the twice-born and the
rich, consciously and purposefully, if not always with
discernment, partake of a common world culture, the
vast majority of the poor and the dispossessed are not
in a position to exercise choice in this matter.
From an era of looking on slaves, the working classes,
women and in India, the lower castes, as not quite
human, we are now in a time, when it is all but a non-
negotiable world value, to hold all human beings as equal
- at least ideationally, if not in the dark recesses of our
guts.
It is against this backdrop, that various programmes
for uplifting the poor and the disadvantaged have been
started in India, as elsewhere in the Third World.
The Integrated Child Development Programme (ICDS),
one such, was started in 1975. But as far back as the
19th century, in India, interest was being evinced in
early childhood education. Early Childhood Education
(ECE) in the form of Kindergarten classes, were first
started in India by missionaries, in the late 19th and
early 20th centuries. Madame Montessori inspired social
workers to start a school in Baroda in 1915. In 1920,
the wonderfully creative, unconventional (9ijubhai
Badekar, adapted Montessori methods to Indian
conditions, adding his own soupcon of story-telling, while
starting a Bal Mandir in Bhavnagar, Gujarat.
Madame Montessori, invited to India, started her first
training course, in Madras in 1939, under the auspices
of the Theosophical Society. It was left to Mahatma
Gandhi to ask Madame Montessori to Indianize her
methods, so that an inexpensive system of pre-school
education could be made available to the vast majority
of Indian children who had no access to education of
any sort. This was in 1946. It was seen as pre-basic
education, a runner-up to Gandhiji's programme for
basic education.
At the time of independence, pre-school education was
in the hands of a few voluntary agencies. It was
burgabai deshmukh who took the first step towards
reaching out to rural areas and to poor and needy
children. She was instrumental in setting up the Central
Social
Board (CSWB) in 1953.
1960, the
----------Welfare
—
- In
------CSWB set up a committee to study the problems of
children under the age of 6. A comprehensive plan for
their care and training was the result. The
responsibility for running pre-schools was left to
voluntary agencies, with support from government. The
recommendation that a cadre of child-care workers be
trained, gave birth to the Indian Council for Child
Welfare (ICCW), 1961.
The CSWB also initiated the starting of mahila mandals
and balwadis, during the First Five year Plan period. The
LV
Second Plan saw the co-ordination of programmes for
women and children in the Community development
Blocks. The CSWB was also instrumental in setting up
the Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) - in
1970, and a scheme for Creches for ailing and working
mothers in 1974.
during the Third Plan period, there was a greater focus
on recognizing the child as a separate entity, with
specific developmental needs. Till the Fifth Plan, the
programme for early childhood developmenfTiad a
'welfare' approach - comprehensive welfare services
were provided in all aspects of child development.
The formulation of the National Policy for Children,
1974, saw a shift in emphasis in the planning documents,
from 'welfare' to 'development'. Already, in 1968, the
Committee for the Preparation of Programmes for
Children recommended that Government should invest
heavily in education, including pre-school education -
this fundamental and important sector of development
should not be left to private agencies. A study group
set up to look into a comprehensive programme for the
development of the pre-school child, recommended an
;*■
integrated approach including health, nutrition and
education. The Indian Association for Pre-School
Education (IAPE) raised a point about the psycho-social
development of the child. After much debate, when the
ICDS was launched in 1975, it included a strong
component of non-formal pre-school education.
The National Policy on Education (NPE) of 1986 explicitly
spoke of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE),
emphasizing the need to invest in the development of
the young child. ECCE was conceived of as a feeder
5
programme to strengthen primary education as also as a
human resource development programme. Though various
sub-committees were set up to chalk out a Programme of
Action (POA), the reach of the programme, in terms of
the percentage of children covered, was disappointing.
This was the conclusion reached by the Acharya
Ramamurti Committee of 1990. One of the reasons cited
by this Committee, for slow progress, was that the
programme, which had been conceptualized and developed
by the Dept, of Education, had been transferred to the
*
Dept, of Women and Child Development. The DWCD was
not able to fulfill its role as nodal agency for co
ordinating with other departments, to achieve holistic
development of the child, i.e. nutritional, health, social,
physical, mental, moral and emotional development, as
conceived of in the NPE.
The Ramamurti Committee also emphasized that the
Constitutional directive (Article 45) of providing free
and compulsory education for all children up to 14 years
of age, should include ECCE. The Committee also
recommended programmatic and physical linkages with
the primary education system.
From the very start of the ICDS, more emphasis was
laid on expansion, than on implementing lessons of the
early 'experimental' blocks - probably due to political
expediency. 1992 saw a marked expansion of the ICbS,
under the Eighth Five Year Plan, with a view to
universalizing the programme. This was also the year
when the Indian Government ratified the Rights of the
Child.
The Ninth Five Year Plan reiterated the need to
universalize the ICdS, specially stressing the need to
focus on the girl child, in keeping with current thinking.
An important point that the plan makes is that the early
period of play and learning in the young child's life
should be strengthened, so that it can make possible an
harmonious transition from family environment to
formal learning.
The concept of what a child is and what it's
developmental needs, has changed in the West, as a
result of and in answer to changing social conditions; in
•.keeping with evolving ideas and values of what a human
being is and what his rights.
As India gets drawn into the global net, ideas, values
and ideologies concommitant with the changing societal
and economic conditions of developed countries, willy-
nilly get grafted on to the different cultural, societal
and economic conditions prevailing in this country. And a
global imperative of outlook and conscience impinges on
and motivates the decisions and actions of those in
power and those with 'voice'. So much so that,
programmes devised for the benefit of the vast
majority in India, often do not mesh with their world
view, but mirror the world view of the planners and
beyond them, of the global community.
An example:
Children are sitting on brightly-coloured plastic chairs
placed around plastic tables. These small groups of 4
and 5 children dot the room in such a way that there is
barely any space to move around. There are still a few
children left who sit here and there on the floor. The
tables have new-looking plastic and wooden toys which
engage the children. The anganwadi has won a prize for
■7
being one of the best - the prize being the plastic
chairs, tables and toys.
We are a mixed team of foreign funders and the everubiquitious local consultants, 'experts' who are
evaluating the ICdS project in Chingelput, Tamil Nadu.
The CdPO, the supervisors, the AWW, the helper and
assorted government official mandated to accompany
the team, all beam with pride at the splash of plastic
colour around us. We of the team are a bit aghast at
f how all this plastic diverts from the 'real' purpose of
turning out self-confident, articulate, creative, curious-
about-this-and-that children. Whose perceptions take
precedence? Whose perceptions to apply when
evaluating?
And another example:
Parents, the community, the ICbS workers, all plumb
for an obedient, hard -working, truth-telling child as
the ideal - somewhat at variance with our view
(academic, expert, individualistic) of a chattering,
fearless, active and imaginative child.
"The child doesn't listen to us. She answers back like a
boy" say parents.
"She disturbs everyone in class" says the AWW.
"She is discovering the world, realizing her potential"
say we.
different world-views, different 'expected' outcomes.
It is inevitable, in this shrinking world, that there has
to be co-ordination and reconciliation between the
global and the local - which makes implementation that
much more complex and complicated, never mind other
obstacles on the way.
Ill
SNAPSHOTS FROM THE FIELD.
Where is the Anganwadi? We usually entered the village with this questison.
'Near the school' "Behind that temple" or
'Which AWC do you want to visit? One is in the main village, another is in
the SC "Colony"'
One thing is for sure, By the 25th year of the ICDS programme, it has
achieved a wide reach. The AWC has become a natural entity of the village.
It has a role in village dynamics also. By providing some of the basic
facilities to the people it has developed a strong identity of its own.
No AWCs here !
When we were visiting Harohalli Panchayat, Mysore Taluk - we found that in
Kallahalli Chuncharayanahundi, Maddurhundi- there were no AWCs. The
importance of AWCs can be felt once you go to a place where there isn't one.
People in general, mothers, primary school teachers, all of them expressed a
sense of loss.
"Our little children are on the streets" - is the feeling of the community.
They are very much aware of the AW programme and they feel their
children are deprived of nutritional food and education.
For the primary school teachers, it is a big headache to manage the children
who come to the first class without going through any pre-primary course. It
takes 6 months for them to make the children adjust to the school
atmosphere.
Another problem for the primary school is that parents bring children who
are not yet old enough to join 1st class and put pressure on the teachers to
admit the children. Many a time even if they are not admitted they just
leave their children in the 1st class with other children and go off. Teachers
find it very difficult to cope with this.
Previously in these villages they had a pre-primary course attached to the
primary schools. But since the last one/one and a half years, this course has
been stopped. The teachers have been absorbed in lower primary schools.
In fact one other thing we found is that "space" for younger children is
becoming a necessity for mothers and the community. Children below 5 do
not work and are not independent. AAothers feel more relaxed leaving them in
a safe place. So this again points to the need for pre-primary education. (We
also heard that once the child starts doing a little work - it is out of school
and into work. So, for the community, pre-school becomes more of a
necessity than primary! Though it is not encouraging, it seems to be a fact).
Though there is an expressed need, there are many villages which still do not
hgye an AWC facility. In Maddurhundi they took matters into their own
hands. They took the help of an Trani Saheb' as they call him, (an
industrialist who has a farm near this village. He has donated lots of
materials to the nearby schools).He helped in starting a pre-school centre.
AAs. Anasuya comes as a teacher from a nearby village and stays there for
the full day. Food is not provided in the school. AAore than 50 children attend
the school. The teacher is paid Rs.1000/- and the helper is paid is Rs.300/-,
salaries being routed through the village heads.
The community knows that this cannot be a permanent arrangement. So they
even asked us whether we can get an AWC to their village. Everywhere we
went, we realized that communities indeed wanted an AWC in their village.
When we entered Kumpanamajalu (Bantwal Taluk - D.K. dist) AWCs were
identified by the AWW's name. "Is it Ravikala's Anganwadi or AAamatha's
Anganwadi...?"
It was Ravikala whom we wanted to meet. Of course, working there for 10
years from the inception it has naturally become Ravikala's Anganwadi. We
were there when children were arriving at the centre.. Ravikala gave us a
warm and confident welcome. She was wearing a salwar and khameez. (This
is mentioned because - ususally the AWW is not supposed to wear a salwar
(o
and khameez. She is supposed to wear only sarees). Because she was planning
to take that day off, she wore a salwar and khameez. Ravikala was totally at
ease. We mention this specially because - it says something very important.
In most of the AWC, the first part of our visit was like a little drama. Our
appearance (a surprise?) would bring about an alarming agitation in the
Centre. The AWW and the helper would run around to arrange chairs for us
to sit on, or, if they were a little late reaching the AWC -, become very
apologetic in front of us, take out the registers as quick as possible, make
the children sit quiet, folding their hands .... All this within a few seconds.
But often before they got their act together we would squat on the floor
giving them a big shock! (Yes! The shock was visible on their faces). Somehow
they would bring a mat at least and push it under us. Then we introduce
ourselves and tell them in brief about the objective of our study.
Conversation would begin slowly. Gradually we would get into discussion -
following our questionnaire guidelines. By then they also would realize that
we are not big "bhoothas" (devils) nor government officials and start
interacting comfortably.
It is a very small sample to draw any conclusions from, but we distinctly get
the feeling wherever we go. "Why do people working at the grass-roots have
to be so fearful, suspicious about visitors? What makes them behave like
this. Why are visits of people like us seen as threatening, instead of being
seen as friendly, supportive and enriching? What message do the little
children watching them get? Isn't it necessary to understand this and
analyse what effect this has on the functioning and the outcomes of the
programme?" "How important is self-esteem? Can acquiring conf idence and
self-esteem be built into training programmes?."
Here is Ravikala, an exception. There were a few more who received us on
equal terms and in such a dignified manner. Sumithrabai of Bidar was one
other face we remember. Ravikala is a graduate. Most of the AWWs we met
have finished their SSLC The AWHs are mostly illiterate or with a primary
Il
level qualification. We met one person with SSLC, working as an AWH.
(Hosahalli-Koodlige).
We met AWWs who had just started their work with enthusiasm and AWWs
who had slogged for more than 20 - 23 years. So for us, it was like
travelling with them over all these years.
Physical Set Up:
The AWC we visited in Kumpanamajalu had a building of its own. For getting
the building Ravikala had to put in lots of effort. In the beginning for 2 to 3
years there was no building. The AWC was situated in a small area which was
part of a Beedi Shop. Then for some time, it was in somebody's house.
Though they co-operated, it was a burden on them.
And then the building was sanctioned. In no time this sanction was withdrawn
and shifted to another area because of some political influence! Then again
it was in somebody's house. In that house for some time it was in the hall
and afterwards it was shifted to one of the rooms. This was the last. A
building was sanctioned again.
A local family donated the land. The BOO's office sanctioned Rs. 45,000.
The building was finally ready by 1993. Ravikala says that even to find the
AWC a proper building, the responsibility falls on the AWW„
They inaugurated the building and felicitated the person who had donated
the land, and presented mementos to the people who helped. UNICEF
provided Rs.1000/- for a toilet. With that amount half the work was done 3
years back. That is the present status. Ravikala has not been able to get help
from the panchayat. Here again she has to run up and down many time leaving
the school to the helper.
The physical set up of the AWCs is discouraging. Some do not have a
building, others had buildings but with some problem or the other. In
•12
AAannalli - Bidar - 3 AWCs are in one room. It looks over crowded,
suffocating. They cannot leave children outside either, because the space
around is used as an open toilet.
In Chikkahokkurane - K, Bidar and Mamadapura Quarad - Bidar - the AWC is
in a cage-like space - dark little hut. In addition to that in Chikkahokkarane K, the AWW, Nirmala, said that she has to pay rent for the building ie
Rs.50/- per month. This amount is paid out of her pocket. She has to do this
because she needs to keep her job. The community feels that the AWW
gets that amount from the government - why can't she pay the rent!
In Ayyanahalli (Koodlige) the AWC has a building, but it has a crack in it.
Because it does not look safe, the AWC is conducted in the primary school.
In Haralu (Koodlige/Bellary) the AWC has a building, but there is no roof to
the kitchen. The AWW is trying to get help from the Panchayat.
Even the buildings meant for AWCs are not built with enough sensitivity. The
kitchen is built just like another store-room - no ventilation, no outlets for
smoke or water. Another problem in some places is the dirty surroundings.
Either an open drain or toilet space. How do children play outdoor games?
AWCs which do not have proper buildings face one more problem. The ration
is kept in the AWWs residence. "When I keep the ration at home, people
think I am selling it or eating it up. It is very humiliating". In some places
AWCs are situated in temples where 5C children are not allowed. In such
situations buildings are all the more needed.
In Babaleshwara (Bijapur) we found an AWC with a compound wall. This gives
enough space and safety for the children. An unintended heap of sand is
there in the compound . It is a good provision. Children love it.
15
Pre-School Education:
Ms. Alamma was drawing figures of wild
animals on the floor and all the children were around her watching her and
answering her questions when we entered the Ayyanahalli MNC. (Koodlige
Bellary). We went and sat quietly, asking her to continue. She drew the
picture of an elephant and asked the children all about it. Reminded them of
a story which has the elephant as a character. Children were responding to
her in a loud voice.
This is part of the content prescribed for PSE. There are 52 themes for
the year, eg. Wild animals, domestic animals, seasons, colours, wind, size etc)
A manual has also been prepared which gives detailed planning for the day,
week and year. Everyone knows about this thematic content. Some have this
book ; others had a xeroxed copy and some had the list of 52 themes in a
cyclostyled sheet. When we were going around in Koodlige, everywhere we
heard of wild animals!
Though the information is there, AWWs find it difficult to deal with the
subject using different methods. For a week they are supposed to deal with
one theme. So it gets monotonous. They feel the need to develop skills as
well as materials. There is a visible dearth of both.
The classroom routine is almost the same everywhere. Once the children
enter (this happens at different times in different places. It may be 10.30,
11, 11.30 a.m) they begin with a prayer. The children are then checked for
neatness and cleanliness. Sometimes children are sent back if they come
without combing their hair or wearing unclean clothes.
After that some outdoor games, indoor games, action songs (rhymes), story
telling. Meanwhile some time for the content of that week.
Though AWCs are not meant to teach alphabets - this happens as a natural
phenomenon. Some of the AWWs even teach English alphabets. There is
strong community pressure regarding this. They compare the AWC with
English medium schools and feel that their children are deprived of that
kind of education.
For the AWW this is the easiest way to spend time. Otherwise she has to
think of many more creative/non-traditional teaching and learning methods,
as also convince parents regarding these (unorthodox) teaching methods.
Moreover, the nearby primary school teachers expect the AWW to teach
basic reading and writing skills which is helpful for them when the children
come to the 1st class. If this is the situation, is it not better to include this
in the syllabus and teach alphabets and numbers in a "joyful" manner? There
are many play-way methods of teaching which can be introduced.
One of the CDPO's mentioned that the AW syllabus need not have to be
uniform over the whole State. The principles should be known that's all. In
one of the AWCs the AWW (Mannalli - Bidar - Ms.Suman) said that, the
children there have not seen many types of fruit. So how can she teach
about fruit to them. She would rather concentrate on something else that
they are familiar with.
Many of them try their best to gather materials which will help them in
their work. Ms. Nirmala (AWW - Chikkahakkarane - Bidar) got to see the
guide book - which she bought from Guledagudda training centre through
somebody, spending Rs.50/- on it. Another eg. When we were in Guledagudda
Training Centre the trainees (AWWs with years of experience were also
there) asked us to sing a song. When we sang a few, they were after us to
write them down for use in their AWCs. There is a thirst for new content,
new materials and new methods.
PSE is one of the major components of the ICDS programme. All
functionaries we met from all the different levels stressed the importance
of this component. When we asked about what the AWC should be doing the
first preference would fall on either SNP or PSE. Both seemed to have equal
importance.
Toys and Teaching aids.
Every centre we visited, AWWs expressed the need for toys and
teaching materials. This demand is expressed at all levels. One-time
toys or providing just a few toys, makes the situation worse. Because it
is difficult to share them out between so many children, also there is
the fear that toys will break and then there is no more supply. So, in
some AWC's the toys are tied to the beams - which are away from
children's reach. Small children inside a room without having anything
to occupy and stimulate them is not a very healthy situation.
AWWs say "Toys are very helpful for keeping children occupied. They
enjoy themselves and get absorbed in them too". There are hardly any
materials on the walls which would appeal to children. Some of the charts
put up (e.g. objectives of ICDS project, services provided by ICOS project,
some statistics etc, appear to be targetted at visitors rather than meant
for the children.) To manage to have something on the wall for children, the
AWWs have to spend out of their pocket. Ravikala paid Rs.65/- for the
charts she has prepared and put on the walls, (chart paper, sketch pens and
plastic sheets to cover).
Wherever we found a few colourful charts it was said that AWW's had spent
on them.(eg.Babaleshwar - Gangamma). This is the usual thing. One way or
the other they have to shell out money if they want to enrich their work.
In Bantwal Taluk the COPO found that there are not enough materials in the
AWCs. So he bought posters in lots from Tamil Nadu. Each poster costs
Rs.10.00 . AWWs are made to buy a set of 10,15 or 25 from the contingency
amount of the AWC. In fact while buying the posters the AWW has to pay
the full amount and gradually adjust it with the monthly contingency amount.
(This amount is Rs.15/- per month which is meant for fuel, washing powder
etc, etc).
In a village called Haralu (Koodlige Taluk,) the AWC had only one small
rolling black board and that too was torn, (suddenly the promise of providing
/G
computers to the schools come to mind). But the interesting thing was even
on that torn board - the content for that week (wild animals) was written
with the date on it.
Of course , in the AWC's which do not have proper buildings - the question
of toys, charts, material, does not arise at all. Because AWW's do not feel
safe putting them up even if they have a few. Many a time whatever they
had put up was either stolen or torn off.
Whatever the posters/charts used in the AWWS they are not meant for
that age group. For eg, A chart of wild animals has small, small figures and
it is hung high up on the wall. Children really can hardly see, never mind
touch these pictures. When the teacher questions them, they have to point
out the animal with the help of a stick.
Amongst all these, there is one AWC which turned out to be a big and
pleasant shock to us . This is an AWC in Thoranagal, Sandur Taluk (Bellary
Dist.) When we reached there the AWW, Ms. Peeramma was about to leave
the centre for some work. She gave us a nasty look. But the next minute she
welcomed us and sat down for discussion with us. The AWC did not have a
proper building. But it was full of materials. The walls were covered with
charts, hand-made posters, etc. Different kinds of toys and hand-made
materials were hanging from the roof. One after another the materials were
drawing our attention. We could'nt help noticing them enquiring about them
and appreciating them.
Once Peeramma realized that we were interested in the materials she
started exhibiting some more which were backed up in a corner. Peeramma's
son, Khader, was removing the materials to show us. In fact when we entered
the Centre from the side which was Preeramma's residence - Khader was
busy manufacturing some materials. He was totally engrossed in it.
Once they finished showing materials in the AWC they took us to their
residence and showed us many more materials made of rut, cardboard
etc. . Minute details were worked out. The whole room was covered by
17-
This is likely to be reflected in heightened awareness,
change in attitudes, beliefs and practices. The choice of
having the AWW at the grass roots level as a voluntary
worker and not a paid functionary, makes it a scheme of
the people. The assumption is that the AWW, being a
local woman, would be much more effective in delivery of
services due to her familiarity with the community. This
would facilitate acceptance of the programme and the
community's participation in it"
Observations on all the above follow in each specific
section.
IV.2 The ICDS
in Karnataka :
The total population of Karnataka as projected for
the year 2000, is 5,20,92,000. The population is
spread over 27 districts which comprise 185 blocks.
Today ICDS is universalized in Karnataka, with
40,000 MNCs spread over the 175 rural and 10 urban
blocks. There are as many AWWs and helpers.
CdPOs are in place in all the 185 blocks. However
there are only 500 supervisors for the 1800 posts
allotted.
There are some balwadis run by the Karnataka State
Council for Child Welfare (KSCCW) and some pre
schools run by NSOs,. But the bulk of children 0-6
years, about 60% are covered by the ICDS.
33% of the population is under the poverty line (9394) 21% of the population are SC/ST.
Observation:
The criteria for situating AWCs is that there be 1 AWC
per 1000 population and in tribal areas 1 AWC for 700
population.
"Though at the macro-level there is universalization, at
the ground level there are a large number of smaller
villages and many more habitations, which are not
catered to by MNCs, because they do not meet the
criterion of population size. Young children cannot
negotiate the distance to AWCs outside their villages. So,
these children, almost certainly from the poorer and the
SC/ST sections of the population, have little or no access
to early the childhood education and socialization process
provided by the AWC prior to primary schooling."
"It is universally acknowledged through systematic
research that exposure to early childhood education
constitutes the first critical step in the total learning
process and contributes very significantly to the
successful completion of elementary education."( Anita
Kaul in "Education for All: Integrating Gender and Equity
Concerns into Mainstream Educational Prrogamme" unpublished paper - 2000.)
Even in India, where pre-school centres do not measure
up to the standards set in China and in the West, many
studies, individual correspondence and interviews testify
to the fact that a child with pre-school experience
adjusts and performs better on entering primary school.
Also, sending children to a pre-school makes parents
more accustomed to seeing their children in the school
stream, before they are of an age to be drawn into the
stream of child labour. This is an impression gathered
from different sources. We know of no research studies
in this context.
The thumb rule of an AW per 1000 population should be
relaxed, wherever necessary, so that children from
smaller villages and habitations can have easy recourse to
pre-school education.
This is all the more necessary as the SC/ST population
(whose area of habitation is usually demarcated from the
main village) is only about 16.5% and therefore not likely,
in any one habitation, to add up to 1000 population.
IV.3 Components of the ICDS
IV.3.1 The Anganwadi:
The picture of the Anganwadi in Karnataka is quite hopeful, though of
course there is plenty of room for improvement.
- 60% urban and 50% rural AWCs are centrally located.
z 2 in 3 AWCs have enough space; the rural AWCs are better
off.
= •40% of AWCs have pucca buildings. There are very few AWCs
in open spaces or in unhygenic surroundings.
- 32% urban and 55% rural AWCs have their own buildings.
- 70% of urban AWCs have recourse to piped water.
Observation:
This appears a fairly good infrastructure from which to build
upon. Specially since there seemto be very few AWCs which are
kept closed for a long period of time. If the AWW is not there,
the helper at least keeps the AWC open. Most AWCs are open
at least a part of the time 4 hours being what is prescribed.
Statistics also show that 90% of the AWCs have no toilets
and 507o of rural AWCs have no nearby source of water.
Providing water is an absolute must, even before toilets, as,
without water, toilets are more of a liability than an asset.
Water supply and toilets can be provided in a phased manner
perhaps, starting with where AWCs have their own buildings.
Calculation of costs is given in Annexure - A.
Where the MNC is situated in a temple or in the upper caste
area, it militates against the lower caste children attending the
AWC. When new AWCs are started or older rented ones
converted into owned buildings, then, the locational factor must
be kept in mind.
IV.3,2 The Services:
Nutrition
and Health:
Against the backdrop of a generally, if not dramatic improving
health and nutrition picture in India, Karnataka stands among the
better-off States. It has been claimed that the percentage of
families below the poverty line has also decreased. Knowledge
about the practice of getting children immunized (polio and
triple anti-gen) has spread. It is probably the synergistic effect
of better nutrition and of greater immunity (which enables the
maintenance of nutritional levels), that has led to a definite
reduction of third and fourth degree malnutrition. But the same
cannot be said of first and second degree malnutrition - ie
undernourishment, or in politically correct terms, Protein Energy
Malnutrition (PEM).
A NIPCCD evaluation of 1992 states "There is ample evidence of
the positive impact of the nutrition component. The ICDS
programme has certainly brought about a reduction in the
prevalence of malnutrition". And cites several studies in support
of this statement.
This statement is also supported by the eminent nutrionist
Dr.Tara Gopaldas. In a longitudinal study* carried out in
Maharastra and in Gujarat over a period of 7 years from 1984 1990, a marked difference in severe malnutrition has been
recorded for 2 groups of children.
2§
Reduction in severe malnutrition (1984 - 1990)
Gujarat
0-3 years
25%
Maharashtra
53%
3-6 years
36%
68%
It might be noted that the programme in the study area was
evaluated to be particularly efficiently run. Or. Gopaldas
emphasizes the importance of management in bringing about
effective impact. If delivery is not optimal then where is the
question of expected outcomes materializing?
There is another view,** which is quite widely subscribed to that there is no difference in the nutritional levels of children 0
- 6 between ICDS and non ICOS blocks. Perhaps only in the
Tamil Nadu Nutrition Programme in the ICDS areas, where there
was a concentrated focus on nutrition, were there any significant
positive changes in nutrition levels. But this might have been
because TNNP functioned in conjunction with an efficient health
outreach system in Tamil Nadu.
*Summary Report of USAID assisted ICDS Impact Evaluation
Report,
Panchmahals, Gujarat and Chandrapur, Maharashtra by
Tara Gopaldas
and Sunder Gujral.
** Personal communication from Dr. Shanti Ghosh.
Karnataka:
The Supplementary Nutrition Programme in Karnataka has
impressive figures of delivery - Food is delivered 288 of 300
days prescribed. 90-95% of enrolled children receive the one
meal a day. But 60% of eligible children are enrolled and of
these 50 - 60% attend the AWC.
The immunization drive over several years has been very
intensive and certainly seems to have paid off in terms of
percentages of children immunized. For all immunizations,
Karnataka is well above the all India average (see Annexure B.)
Again delivery-wise, 70 - 80% of AWCs have weighing scales.
But maintenance of growth charts is poor.
Observation:
AAost studies point to the fact that it is the 3-6 year old child
who eats in the MNC. Food for the 0-3 and for pregnant and
lactating mothers is almost invariably taken home to be shared
by the whole family. Often, siblings, both younger and older, join
the AWC children at the meal time.
-
No mother, even if pregnant or lactating will eat her share of
ICDS food while the rest of the family is in its usual, foreverhungry state.
=
No AWW can or will chase away siblings of the MNC
children at meal times. She would be chased out of the village.
-
A child who has eaten at the AWC will get less or no
corresponding
meal in the home. The ICDS food is largely a
substitute, sometimes part-supplement for home food.
-
Food at the ICdS is certainly not distributed according to
degrees of malnutrition at the AWC. With a group of children,
most of them perpetually hungry, how can the AWW serve less
and more?
It is an undisputed fact that the AWC is best recognized in its
'avatar' as a food distribution centre. It is a major factor in
drawing children to the AWC.
50
Nothing of what has been said so far re: health and nutrition is
new. Since the 1 80s, studies have said the same thing , again and
again. It is time reality be considered and the programme
modified accordingly.
Dr. Tara Gopaldas suggests the following:
De-worming, vitamin A and iron tablets/liquid, are the most
important. De-worming because it enables the child ingest
whatever nutrition it is getting, more efficiently.
Since food draws children to the AWC, some ready-made
nutrition in the form of biscuits or the thicker 'sev' could be
given.
With our coffers overflowing with daily-rotting-away grain, some
distribution system to families via the AWC or a ration shop (run
by the Manila Sangha) could be organized.
This would help to do away with the whole unwieldly, time consuming business of locating fuel, cooking etc. And the AWW
would have more time to get on with other jobs.
Pre-School Education
Each MNC covers a 1000 population area. Of this about 16% are
children 0-6 years old (7% 0-3 and 9% 3 - 6). This makes for
about 160 eligible children ( in a population of 1000) in the age
group 0 - 6 of whom 90 are 3-6 year olds.
60% of all children eligible for PSE are enrolled in the AWC i.e.
54 children. The NCAER study states that over 50% of enrolled
children attend the AWC . During our field visits (Feb and
March 2001) 20 was the maximum we found in any one AWC -
more usually less than that. And of those in the AWC, often
there are 4 or 5, 1 to 3 year olds who have come along with their
older siblings.
" -s ■< \
Ch • i
074 99
Qoi
Observation:
At meal time (12.30 - 1 p.m.) the numbers increase - mothers
along with younger children and even some 3-6 year olds come
to collect food and take it home.
It is recommended by nutritionists that the meal be given first
thing in the morning (9 a.m.). Children with something in their
stomachs have energy to function in a focussed manner. But if
the AWW does this, she says she would have a hard time keeping
the children in class.
There are many NGOs who run pre-school centres from 9 or 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. without providing any food at all. Children either
bring their own food or run home, eat and return. Not only is the
pre-school content more child-friendly, materials more plentiful
and more often replaced, but also class-room methodology and
the attitude of the child-care workers is such that the child
voluntarily and willingly attends the centre.
The AWW has a few books, toys, a few stories, songs and games
with which to engage the children. She has acquired this pre
school "material" in the course of her training. She has also
learnt to make some teaching aids - which she cannot let the
children get their hands on, as there are no funds for realistic
replacement of such materials. Again and again we come across
AWWs spending their own money on toys, posters etc. Her
training teaches her 'X' number of activities which, in addition to
being limited, are expected to be taught according to a set
schedule previously prescribed for all the weeks of the year. But
more on this in the section on training. Sufficient here to say
that she is in no way enabled or encouraged to recognize and
draw upon her own creativity.
In spite of this there are exceptions - women who
enthusiastically spend their own money on materials for the
children eg. Ravikala and Peeramma, mentioned in section III
re:field visits.
The whole picture is confounded by the system of monitoring and
evaluation.
=
The AWW is monitored largely through the registers she
keeps and the food that she distributes.
-
As far as PSE is concerned, a couple of children recite poems,
another dances and a couple more sing when the supervisor, the
CDPO and /or other visitors descend on the AWC.
-
She is evaluated for what she has taught rather than for
what the children learn.
The PSE resources she has are "dead" - she has not been
equipped with skills enough to bring them to life.
The NCAER study states that "the ability of the children to
describe the activities of the PSE is limited to just 40%". And
the ability to read simple words and count numbers is marginally
higher than for other activities. Apart from the question of why
children should be expected to "describe" activities it is not at
all surprising that words and numbers figure in 'abilities'. For
,this is what is easiest for the AWW, in terms of what she is
confident about and what is 'demonstrable' to an audience; and
importantly, in terms of what the community expects and even
more so, that primary school teacher who needs to inherit these
children, to meet her own requirements of enrollment and in
these more demanding days, of attendance as well. Children
coming from MNCs are known not only to have higher retention
rates in primary classes, but also to do better in terms of
academic performance. Various studies, interviews with AWWs,
primary school teachers, CDPOs, academic experts, all are in
agreement about this conclusion.
Here is an area which needs looking into in re-conceptualizing,
revitalizing and making more realistic, the pre-school curriculum.
The expectations of the community and the imperatives of the
system demand that the child learn the 3Rs even at this early
age. All but the poorest children are busy reciting poems in
English, rattling off the alphabet and counting 100 backwards, so
that they stand a chance of admission to one of those short -ofsupply 'good' schools.
The Indian child's childhood is short; she/he is adept at all
sorts of adult-related tasks. Alphabets and numbers seem the
least arduous of skills. Why is only the poor child subjected to
the principles of (western) child psychology? And even that is
not a 'scientific' (in the sense of universally and eternally true)
fact any more. From time to time there are studies which revise
downward the expected age when children (can) learn x, y or z
without damage to the psyche. The latest is a research study
from Charles Sturt University in Australia which studied babies
aged 6-8 months. Among other things the study states that the
babies "demonstrated sophisticated abilities to socialize within a
group (of same-age babies) much earlier than previously thought.
Traditionally , at that age, the mother is said to be the only
centre of the child's universe. Many of us know to the contrary,
in our world peopled with siblings, aunts and grandmothers.
Characteristics (other than the purely physical), of the species
are to a large extent shaped and tempered by cultural and social
environments.
This apart, alphabet and number teaching can be taught through
fun and child-friendly methods, as has been demonstrated by
many an N&O and by innovative government initiatives
(Rajasthan, Karnataka).
Bq-
Though it is universally admitted that the health and nutrition
inputs of the AWC are absolutely essential for the proper
development of the child, opinion is sharply divided as to how
efficacious activities towards this end have been, in the ICDS
programme.
On the other hand, there is general agreement among academics,
researchers, practitioners in the field, ICDS functionaries, the
community and parents, that even in its present much-to-be
desired state, the ICDS programme turns out children who are
more sociable and show more "school-readiness " than those
children who go directly to the primary without attending any
pre-school centre.
Family Education
for Women:
The NCAER study states that AWWs have covered 70% of
mothers regarding correct diet. However only about 25% of
mothers attend the Mothers Meetings. Breast-feeding is usually
continued till the child is 15 months, semi-solids being given at
the earliest after 5 months.
Observation:
In many ways this is one of the weakest components of the ICbS
programme. Every week, month in and month out, the AWW is
expected to bring mothers together for health and nutrition
education. Her knowledge in these matters is limited (18 days in
a 3-month training period). Many AWWs are sent directly to the
field, often for 6 months, before they get any training; her
credibility quotient in the village is low (see section on 'The
AWW); there are no incentives of useful (according to the
mothers), knowledge or of the more concrete monetary variety,
to draw mothers to these meetings. The meetings are seldom
held.
The AWW also visits homes. In the best scenario and if she is of
the right caste, she enters the home and gets that hopeful cup
of tea while she talks to the woman of the house. If she is a SC
woman, then in upper caste homes, she stands outside and talks
to the householder, provided that the latter steps out to talk to
the AWW - which the woman more often than not does, in a
gesture to help the AWW in her work.
Having said all this, it must also be said that most mothers are
aware of health and nutrition 'best practices' It is another
matter that many are not convinced of or are economically not
able to follow many of these practices.
For example:
=
A Pregnant or lactating woman will not eat the
energy
food meant for her, when she has hungry
children at home.
- Hardly any one can afford the fuel to boil water
for drinking. (It needs 10 - 20 minutes of boiling
after it comes to a boil).
- To feed a child with solids before it is 8 months
to a year, is culturally not acceptable in many parts
of this country, including Karnataka. When a child
sits/crawls, then is the time for solids.
Immunization for children is the one practice that has gained
widespread credence, especially the pulse polio drive. Apart
from the general faith in "injections", this whole activity has the
stamp of credibility of doctors and nurses.
/
IV.3.3 Community
Participation:
Community Participation" is a much abused term. It is
understood and interpreted in myriad ways. It is a term
which no self-respecting person working in
"development" can do without. The planner, the
implementor, the practitioner, the NGO, the evaluator,
continue to dialogue about community participation,
while all the time each one has his/her own
understanding of the term.
However, whatever the meaning assigned to community
participation this is one area that all studies, reports,
evaluations etc are in agreement about - that
community participation has not worked in the ICdS
programme.
The original ICdS document talks of "improving the
capabilities of parents to take care of the child and
thus to involve the community..." And again, the ICDS
"calls for community participation in its process of
implementation, by utilizing local resources"
Observation:
At the field level this is interpreted as - members of
the community contributing to the running of the
programme. Eg. by way of fuel, vegetables, oil,
condiments, etc. AWWs maintain that communities are
too poor to contribute. And rather than go round
soliciting for "participation", AWWs prefer to have the
helper collect the fuel or pay for it themselves.
Refinements to cooking by way of condiments etc. are
left alone. Nowhere is the idea of the community
"owning" the programme promoted. Neither in the
training situation nor during monitoring nor even in
evaluations.
The evolving idea of what community participation
means in the sense of ownership and of decision-making
responsibility, is seen, to some extent, in NGO-run
programmes, but largely, community participation
remains in the realm of discourse.
The community perceives the ICbS as a government
programme and sees no reason why the government,
thereby meaning the AWW, should'nt be responsible for
the proper running of the programme. Where Village
Education Committees (VECs) or AAahila Mandals have
been associated with the running of the MNC the
responsibility has been assumed to be that of a policing
rather than of a supportive role.
In the meanwhile, in keeping with the growing value
being attached to "private ownership", opinion-makers
translate this into the developmentally acceptable
terminology of "community ownership". Thereby
promoting the idea of transferring the responsibility of
running AWCs to panchayats, naming this as the process
of decentralization. The formal elected panchayats,
incidentally, are seen as government institutions, by
village communities.
There is another stream of opinion that sees that it is
the State which should take responsibility for working
towards providing a level playing field for the
economically and socially disadvantaged, in a country like
India, which is short on livelihood resources. Even in
advanced countries like the USA and some of the EU.
members whose byword is privatization and which look
on the State as a facilitator rather than as an active
enabler, even there, the distance between the poor and
the rich is increasing. What better pointer for the
State in countries like India, to actively support the
disadvantaged to substantiate our claim to democracy
not only in discourse, but on the ground as well.
IV.3.4 Anganwadi
Worker and
The Helper
"The choice of having an AWW at the grass roots level
as voluntary worker and not a paid functionary makes it
a scheme of the people. The assumption is that the
AWW, being a local woman, would be much more
effective in delivery of services due to her familiarity
with the community. This would facilitate acceptance of
the programme and community participation in it" says
the ICbS document.This statement and the
assumptions thereof, have little connection to
complexities of ground-level realities.
The AWW has been conceived of as the fulcrum of the
programme. She is the main, if not the sole, vehicle for
communicating with and involving the community. On her
shoulders rests the success of the ICbS and on her
head falls the accountability for failure. The attempts
to equip her for this task end with acquainting her with
the content of what she has to do without addressing
the question of how to mesh the three-dimensional
socio-economic reality that is the AWW with the
conceptual image of what is required for the
programme.
2>q
Observation:
Over 90% of AWWs work because they need the money
- less than the legal daily wage. They are volunteers in
the eyes of the State, but are perceived of as
government servants by the community. The AWWs are
paid an "honorarium" - literally, "gaurav-dhana".
They laugh when they say "we get neither gaurav
(respect) nor dhana (money).
Most AWWs are between the ages of 30 - 40 years the
urban AWWs bc-ing somewhat older than the rural
AWWs. Again, most AWWs are married women. Helpers
are an older group and some 20% of them are single
women (widowed, abandoned).
The minimum qualification for AWWs is matriculation.
About 30% of them have studied beyond matriculation,
but many are 8th, 9th pass because of a paucity of
candidates with the required qualifications. Helpers are
more often than not illiterate. 60% helpers live in the
village of the AWC and 40% of the AWWs too. Those
who stay outside the MNC village live within easy
commuting distance.
There are very few upper caste AWWs. Some are SCs
and the majority are OBCs.
Most AWWs (90%) have received pre-service training
and very few have received in-service training as well.
However, many that we met in the field and at training
centres, had received /were receiving, pre-service
training after having spent time in the field. Training
Centre staff and AWWs said about 6 months are spent
in the field before any sort of training is given. The
CORO gives them some initial orientation, mostly re: the
q-O
registers before they are sent directly to the field
without training.
Caste plays a very important part in the AWW's working
life. Her selection and posting is determined by village
inf luentials. There are cases where the community
states beforehand their preferences, i.e. the caste of
the AWW.
If the AWW is of a lower caste and the AWC has upper
caste children then at cooking time, often an upper
caste woman from the village will come and do the
cooking. Or, upper caste children will bring their own
food or not eat in the MNC. An SC or lower caste AWW
will not be allowed into the homes of upper caste homes
- she will stand outside and talk to the woman of the
house. This is not so overtly obvious as in some other
States, but nevertheless exists.
The helper who plays quite a large part in the life of the
AWC is hardly mentioned in studies, reports,
evaluations. It is the helper who collects the children
and the fuel. She helps the AWW in looking after the
children. And in the absence of the AWW on one of her
various government-assigned, non-AWC tasks, the
helper looks after the h\NC. She knows all the songs,
stories, games and, if so inclined can keep children
occupied
The AWW is a part-time worker. In addition to the
assigned tasks of the ICDS, over the years, she has
accumulated various responsibilities; She already
maintains (or often pays someone to maintain ) some 8 10 registers. To this have been added birth and death
registers and recently, 2 more registers for the Stree
Shakti programme.
= The AWW has to organize Stree Shakti groups, go to
the bank with them, help them maintain their individual
and group records. If she is not able to get women
together in a group and oversee the proper functioning
of the group, she is under threat of having her salary
cut.
- At election time (local, district and State) the AWW
is an "extra" as she calls herself. Runs errands, serves
tea etc. to all the petty officials who mill around at
these times.
= Wherever there is a VEC, she has to attend meetings
as a member - whom nobody claims or listens to neither the Department of Education nor her parent
Department of Women and Child Development.
=Her contacts with panchayats have increased, since
they have got activated and inter alia, she sometimes
runs errands for them as well.
= The CDPO has his own share of additional tasks which
he devolves on the AWW.
There is little chance of routinely spending quality time
with children at the AWC.
With all this, it is only short of miraculous, that there
are many AWWs who laugh and play with the children,
tell stories, make toys with local waste material and
generally cope, even if only just.
It is a huge mis-utilization of this vast human resource.
The AWW is seen as at the very bottom of the
government pile. Not only every functionary in her own
^2.
departmental hierarchy, but other department
functionaries with whom she comes in contact with, in
carrying out the multifarious tasks she has accumulated
- all of them interact with her to personally experience
and make visible to others, their own higher
hierarchical status. The AWW only has the helper
below her and the helper doesn't count.
How can a woman of little learning , negligible
emolluments, low socio-economic status and a fragile
self image, be expected to bring about social change?
The AWW requires concerted training inputs,
addressed to pragmatically equipping her with self-
esteem, social and communication skills and the
analytical ability which will enable her, to more
effectively meet the challenges of her seminal job of
human resource development, for that is what early
childhood development is all about. She will need the
massive support of colleagues in all the hierarchies she
interacts with, if she is to suceed in her work. All this is
certainly possible, as has been amply demonstrated in
that other government programme. Mahila Samkhya,
Poor women from the agricultural labour class, almost
all of them illiterate, make their voices heard at the
local the district and the State levels. So why not the
AWW?
But more on this in the section on 'Training'
IV.3.5 The
rhild
What is the sort of child that we want? What sort of
adult do we want her/him to grow up into?
The pre-school and primary school curricula carry with
them assumptions, albeit unstated, about the values and
behaviour patterns that the planners want to support
U-3
and/or promote. Should the assumptions be stated as is
being done now in the recent (2000) "National
Curriculum Framework for School Education", put
together by the NCERT? Or should Curricula
concentrate on content and leave it to families, to care
givers and teachers, to shape values and behaviour
through the inter-action methodologies of their own
socio-cultural milieu?
It is, of course not as simple as that. The family, apart
from being the earliest learning institution for the
child, is also the place where the child spends the
maximum time of day. The AWW has her own value
system, beliefs, biases - all of which come through in
her inter-actions with the children. We talk of social
change, whether it is the ICDS, the school system or
developmental projects. The ICDS was planned for and
does, in fact, work with poor children and their families
- to provide them with the abilities which will enable
them to access opportunities for personal and socio
economic growth, on an equal footing with those who
have a head-start in life in terms of their given socio
economic and cultural environments.
The AWW says "Look at your hair - did your mother not
have time to comb it, this morning?"
Or
"Look at Rashmi - how clean she looks? Why can't you be
like that?"
What does the child feel in being put down like this?
And this is often confounded with "Why can't you recite
that poem? Look how Savitri recites so beautifully"
And later in school -"Can't you even do these simple
sums? You will land up pulling out weeds in the fields.
Don't you want to work in an office, become a doctor or
something. Look at Arun's sums - how neat!".
Now, this is wonderful for the children praised, but for
every Rashmi, Savitri and Arun, there are ten times
that number of children who are put down by remarks
as the above, no doubt made to help the child improve
herself by seeing the good example in front of her.
What is needed to help the child pull herself up from
where she has reached as a result of daily put-down
remarks?
Or better still - how to prevent this from happening?
Is it important?
Again, as stated earlier - do we want an obedient,
disciplined child or do we want this tempered with a
large dose of liveliness, creativity and curiosity? bo we
want children to learn by rote and reproduce it
undigested? Or de we want children to understand ,
analyse and digest information, so that it becomes
knowledge.
We need to think about whether the present education
system from pre-school upwards is promoting status quo
- leaving change to the vagaries of films, political
parties and the T.V.
If the stated objective of the ICbS re: change-not
just physical but social too, is to be achieved, the AWW
and other ICbS functionaries need to experience, in
training and thereafter, what we would like them to
enable the AWC children to experience.
IV.3.6 Training
There is quite a good infrastructure for training in
Karnataka:
= A regional branch of NlPCCb is situated in Karnataka.
CDPOs and AWTC (Anganwadi Training Centre ) Staff
receive training here.
= There is a MLTC (Middle level Training Centre) at
Ujire for the training of supervisors.
=There are 25 AWTCs spread all over the State, of
which 11 are run by the Karnataka State Council for
Child Welfare, (KSCCW) which also oversees the other
AWTCs, which are run by various NGO.
= In Karnataka, a major experiment in training AWWS
was carried out all over the State. It is called COPC and
was conducted by Dr. Indira Swaminathan. There have
been other attempts to introduce variety in AWW
training methods (notably by Ms. Anita Kaul) but none
of them have been long lasting.
- In addition to this there are various NGOs which
organize their own trainings for the pre-schoo! centres
they run. Also, organizations like Promise Foundation,
Equip, CRY etc. cater to the training needs of NGOs.
There is a good deal of difference between the
mainstream ICDSrelated training and the NGO training.
The latter is much more personalized; it is not a oneshot deal. There are follow up, in-service and on-thejob trainings too.
Over the 25 years that the ICbS has been running,
there has been only one major change that has taken
place in training content and methodology.
= In the beginning, training included much more
theoretical content than there is now. It was felt that
AWWs were not able to translate the theory into
action in the field.
= Training was drastically changed, the theoretical
content being cut down and "activities" taking its place.
Activities according to "themes" was a part of this
activity oriented way of running the pre-school. In
Karnataka there is a good manual on the thematic
methodology.
There has been some introduction of songs, games,
stories etc. which has helped the AWWs in keeping
children occupied.
CDPOs and supervisors are trained separately from the
AWWs and only a part of the AWWs syllabus is
covered by the syllabus for the CbPO and the
supervisor.
However, all training is content/behaviour-oriented.
Process, or the WHY and the HOW of training is not
paid attention to.
Udisha ( 1998) (re: training) strikes a sensitive note
where it speaks of improving the communication skills of
the functionaries, developing their personalities to
increase their self-esteem and self-confidence and of
introducing them to issues of empowering women.
Udisha also stresses the need for reducing the
workload of the AWW, by relocating some of the tasks
she has been given, back to those govt, functionaries
who are primarily responsible for those tasks, e.g.
relocating the birth and death registers with the ANAA.
Another point Udisha makes is that the CbPO and the
supervisor should learn everything that the AWW
learns and also take on some of the duties the AWW
performs now, e.g. the registers which do not have to
be filled in daily, should be filled by the supervisors.
While the above and other aims are laudable, especially
the recognition that, enhancing the AWWs skills as a
communicator and developing her personality, selfesteem and self-confidence, will enable her to deal
confidently with the community, Udisha does not go far
enough in bringing about a radical change in the training
curriculum. It is still heavily loaded on content. There
is little said on the "HOW" of training, which from the
documented experience of many a successful training
programme is the most important part of training, if
attitudinal and personality change is to be brought
about.
Observation:
As with much of the development-oriented programmes
in India, stated intentions and conceptualization
thereof cannot be faulted; their translation into
implementation is either non-existent or follows a path
which is a far cry from the original discourse.
Wherever we went in the field the only connotation
Udisha had was enhancement in salaries and
expenditures at the AWTCs. The main agitation in the
minds of everybody was : where will the funds come
from once Udisha dries up?
The present situation:
Whether it is the CDPO, the supervisor or the AWW,
the training situation is one of " teaching-learning". By
and large there is a one-way flow of information from
trainer to trainee.
This can be seen in:
1. The syllabi and job descriptions of, especially, the
COPO and the Supervisor. They are given information on
various subjects and are expected to "guide", "check"
and "demonstrate".
2. The teacher-learner relationship in the field: In the
words of the AWW, the CDPO and the supervisor are
looked upon as "guide", "inspector", "instructor" and
"monitor"; and naturally this same attitude is present in
the relationship of the AWW to the children she looks
after and especially the women she talks to about
nutrition, health etc. The AWW makes the children play
- she does not play with them; she talks to the mothers
and not with them.
Communication all through the system is one-way and
not two-way. It must be noted that there are
exceptions at every level, but this is because of
individual capabilities and personalities and not due to
training.
Training in communication skills should be provided to all
levels of functionaries in the ICDS programme - from
the AWWs to officials at the State level. Pilot Projects
can be initiated, starting with trainers at about 4 or 5
Anganwadi Training Centres. There are several
institutions/organizations which impart such training
and selected Training Centres can be associated each
with a different institution/organization. CDPOs and
Supervisors of the Pilot Project can also be trained by
the same institutions/organizations. It would be useful
if some part of the training for the trainers of
Anganwadi Training Centres and for the CbPOs and
Supervisors overlaps. This would give the CDPOs and
the Supervisors some practical experience in the type
of training the AWWs will be getting. Officers at the
district and State levels should also attend orientation
courses for acquiring communication skills.
Training of the CbPOs and the Supervisors is totally
separated from the training of the AWWs. This tends
to emphasize the status difference between the three
categories of workers. In the field (with some
exceptions) the status difference is very clear. CDPOs
give instructions and orders to the Supervisors; the
Supervisors do the same with the AWWs and the
AWWs copy this attitude in dealing with the children
and the mothers. Team-work is not horizontal, but at
best,vertical with each lower level in the ladder being a
bit afraid of those higher up in the ladder. It is very
seldom that a worker lower down the ladder gets a pat
on the back for some thing well done. This does not help
to create team-spirit nor a feeling of trust, both of
which are essential for getting the best results from
the programme.
In addition to training in communication skills, ICDS
functionaries should also receive training in self-
awareness and human development skills. The aim is to
make them relate to each other as equal human beings
working together for a common cause. Motivation goes
along with these types of training.
At monthly and/or sectoral meetings, resource persons/
agencies can be invited to conduct a few joint training
sessions for the CDPO, the Supervisors and the AWWs
together for promoting healthy inter-action. At such
training sessions, it would be useful to invite a few
anganwadi training centre staff to participate, so that
they are enabled to keep in touch with the current
situation in the field and use the experience in future
training programmes.
Apart from a few days in the field with each batch of
trainees, the anganwadi training centre staff do not get
any direct feedbacdk on how the training they have
imparted is working out in the field. With such feed
back, training could be more dynamic.
In addition to being invited to join in on some monthly
and sectoral meetings, staff of the anganwadi training
centres should be requested to make regular field trips
and they should be given a travelling allowance to make
this possible. It cannot be too strongly stressed that
unless they continually incorporate feedback from the
field in their training courses, the training will remain
static and unresponsive to a changing social situation.
To each anganwadi training centre an anganwadi could
be attached to provide on-the-spot experience to the
trainers. In keeping with the same line of thinking there
should be refresher courses at regular intervals,
(preferably interlevel), to provide fresh impetus
through an exchange of experiences and ideas. It might
be worth experimenting with putting out a newsletter
which will be contributed to and also distributed to all
07490
S' XS'Z /
fi ft
functionaries in the ICdS programme. It would be
another way of keeping communication lines open
between them: and of helping them to feel that they
are not working in isolation but share problems and
experiences with others like themselves.
Songs, games, story-tefling have become a part of
training programmes. Another important element of
training is the use of role-play. If properly used, role
play is a powerful tool of "experiential learning" i.e. of
learning through personally experiencing some of the
motivating factors and assumptions which underlie daily
behaviour (as relevant to the functioning of the ICDS).
Parallels of experiences (in one's personal life and in
one's working life re: the ICDS), bring various relevant
situations to life, making possible analysis and
understanding e.g. the part power relationships play in
the way we behave and interact with others.
An example of role-play improvization in this context:
Scene 1. The CDPO reprimands the supervisor for
coming late
Scene 2. The supervisor goes on to the AWTC and
shouts at the AWW for having too few
children at her AWC
Scene 3.
The AWW slaps a child for not listening
to her.
Scene 4.
Child is crying. Whom can the child shout at?
This is the power structure existing at all levels, at
work, in the home, in the village. All of us operate from
different steps of the power-ladder. Understanding our
place, status and relative position of power or
powerlessness is one of the central themes of
experiential learning in the context of developmental
programmes aimed at social change. Role-plays greatly
help in elucidating the nuances of the inherent power
powerlessness relationship of those in any given
situation. These role-plays depict real life situations of
the participants. When discussion follows it becomes
personal and the general concept is better understood
from being rooted in specific situations and through the
process of experiencing it in the "here and now"
Role-plays provide an emotional insight into the
understanding of socio-political realities as also one's
own and others attitudes.
Areas which can be covered/discussed by this method are:
a) Understanding of social structure.
b) Power hierarchy and the resulting exploitation.
c) Understanding of one's personal beliefs and values.
d) Family relationships.
e) Understanding the world of the child.
Examples of the discussion sessions during training:
hoes punishment help maintain discipline? Is fear of the
stick essential to a child's acquiescence?
Who is a good child, a bad child, an ideal child?
What is more important to teach children - competition
or co-operation ? Are they mutually exclusive?
Themes of immediate relevance which have a bearing on
the teacher-child relationship, teacher's attitudes and
class-room teaching are taken up for discussion. Sitting
in smaller groups for better participation is encouraged.
The presentations are made in the form of role-plays
and the main points from each group-discussion are put
up as posters on the wall.
*I
AAany-a-time these discussion lead to self-exploration.
Questions like "When I was hurt because I was
punished by my teacher and I bunked school for fear of
being beaten-up then why am I repeating the cycle?"
“If my self-esteem is built on my self-confidence and
my ability to do well then why not let the child's selfesteem be built on a similar edifice?
Experiential training does not need any great
educational qualifications among trainees. It has to be
combined with enabling the AWW to recognize and
realize her creative abilities, so that she does not get
stuck on “X' number of activities, but can invent new
ways of keeping children engaged and in turn enable
children to discover their own potential and grow.
IV.3./ Monitoring
and Evaluation'-
A 1987 NlPCCb Report "Monitoring Social Components
of ICbS - A Pilot Project" by Adarsh Sharma states:
The present system of monitoring addresses itself
more to the operation and process of delivery of
services and does not report on the quality of the
services. The beneficiaries who could be the best judge
of the programme and its efficacy are not included in
the monitoring system" A plea for community monitoring
as long back as 1987.
The results of the pilot study say:
"It was found that children were not staying in the
centre for preschool activities for the full duration. A
majority of them were coming only to collect food. The
AWCs were inadequately equipped with teaching aids
and play material. Formal teaching was emphasized more
than play and other activities. Children attending the
programme looked disinterested in the on-going
activities. Their movements were restricted and strict
discipline was imposed. A significant association was
established between the quality of the preschool
programme and the period for which children stayed at
the AWC. This was in turn dependent on the variety in
the programme, availability of play material and the
workers' ability to conduct the programme".
The document states that "There is a need for having a
monitoring system for the special components of ICDS,
to further strengthen the scheme and enhance its
potential of becoming a silent revolution, a profound
instrument of a community-based human resource
development programme of our country".
The situation has not changed much since then. The
main basis for monitoring and evaluation are the
registers. There are something like between 16-20
registers including the Stree Shakti Programme. Not
one of these registers records what is being done re:
the pre-school aspect of the ICDS. One of the
objectives of the ICC)S is to "lay the foundation for the
proper psychological, physical and social development of
the child". There are many registers re: the physical
development of the child especially for the delivery of
food , the daily distribution of food, immunization given,
etc. There is an attendance register for the 3-6 year
olds, as separate from the record of food given to the
0-3 year olds. Only the attendance of the 3-6 year old
is recorded for the purposes of pre-school education.
There is a manual (often in the form of cyclostyled
sheets) which prescribes what ’theme' should be taught
during which week. Most AWWs follow this sequence
but there is no record to substantiate this.
All this speaks volumes for the importance accorded to
pre-school education.
NGOs, on the other hand, most of whom do not provide
food or immunization services, concentrate on mapping
the social, emotional and cognitive growth and
development of the child. Many NGOs keep individual
files for each child.
All registers at the AWC are for physical verification
of stock and services ( immunizations, mother's
Sa
meetings) delivered and children present. It is an
indication of the lack of trust in the AWW. This
creates a feeling of fear which often leads to the
fudging of records. When the supervisor visits the
MNC , she may listen to a couple of songs, see a dance,
watch a game, but this is the extent of her monitoring
for pre-school activities. Quality time she devotes to
the registers and visiting a few houses.
Activities provide the security of verifying the visible.
• How do you gauge a child's self-confidence, her
psychological and social development? These are not
amenable to easy verification. They need the working
out of indicators, observation, records of observation
and interpretation of these observations. Not easy, but
not specialized either.When you talk to AWWs,
parents, others, indicators are easily elicited. "She
talks as much as her brother". "She is always asking
questions". "She asks the visitor her name". And so on.
But monitoring does not include such questioning and
seeking of psycho-social developmental indicators.This
area is not addressed in training nor is it a familiar way
of thinking and analysing in the upbringing of the AWW
the supervisor, the CbPO nor of the other officials
connected with the programme.
Monitoring is geared to finding fault. There is never any
appreciation or praise, only reprisals. There are AWWS
who find new ways of interpreting themes or who add on
songs and stories that they know, to the prescribed
repertoire. These could be picked up and circulated to
other AWWs.
In Karnataka there are not enough supervisors to go
round - 500 of a sanctioned 1800 are in a position . It is
57
not clear from the field whether the AWWs enjoy the
freedom of not being supervised or would prefer even
"negative strokes" to no strokes at all. The AWWS are
in a sense a lonely, isolated lot. In some ways they are
crowded in by many bosses. But in fact there is no
meaningful inter-action between different levels of the
programme. Once a month, a hurried meeting with the
CbPO and one other meeting at the PHC, is not enough
to sustain the interest and involvement of the AWW in
her work.
Since new supervisors are being/have been recruited in
Karnataka, it would be worthwhile, training them as
supporters, facilitators and trainers rather than as
"inspectors' The supervisor's job can then become a
constructive one which can provide her with more
energy, motivation and satisfaction in carrying out her
work.
There was an item in the Times of India, March 31,
2001 which states that the Government of Karnataka is
going to put an end to the "inspectorial regime" which
creates fear in the primary education sector. Instead,
the GOK has appointed education co-ordinators, who will
be responsible for improving the quality of primary
education. Though the move appears to be primarily
targeted at improving school enrolment, it is still a
radical step towards a change of attitude. The
Commissioner for Public Education said "We want to
make school administration parent- and student
friendly."
It is only logical that this process be started at the
pre-school level.
IV.3.8 Management
and Convergence
of Services:
There has been a marked improvement from early days
to now in some areas.
- The delivery of food is most of the time regular without too many gaps in-between.
=
The energy food is acceptable to most children. It is
quite palatable and children eat it all up.
=
-
Bringing children together for pulse polio and other
immunizations has become routinized.
The AWWs no longer have to make their own
arrangements for collecting the food from some
central point - it isdelivered at the MNC.
The AWW's salary is by cheque and therefore less
open to corruption. There was a time when AWWs
had to give a percentage to the desk clerk (the
babu). However there are enormous delays in
receiving the money for fuel etc and also the
additional honorarium for facilitating the
implementation of Stree Shakti programme.
- The AWW now gets maternity leave for 3 months
with pay. But she only gets a raise in salary after
5 years and then again after 10 years and that is
it.
=
The original number of registers have been
reduced but others (births, deaths, Stree
Shakti) have been added. The AWW however
appears to be spending less time on them than
before - there were not as many complaints
about the registers as before.
Convergence of Services by and large exists only in the
AWW. She attends a monthly meeting at the PHC, she
attends VEC meetings. She goes around forming groups
for Stree Shakti. The advent of this latter programme,
though increasing her work-load gives a broader
meaning to her work and puts her in touch with others
in the village, reducing the isolation in which she
worked. Where the Mahila Samakya programme is
there, their help is availed of in forming new groups and
in turn, the M.S. groups are drawn into the Stree
Shakti programme of getting Rs.5000/- per group after
6 months of functioning. This convergence has been
initiated by the two departments at the State level.
Another example with great potential is the
convergence between the DPEP primary school and the
AWC in some areas. The few places we visited
(Devanhalli, Bangalore Dist. Koodlige Bellary Dist and
Humanabad, Bidar Dist) it appeared to be working well,
with the AWC keeping the same hours as the primary
school so that the older siblings (especially the girls)
are able to attend school. Also the association with the
school has had a salutary effect on the AWC. The AWC
is, more and more, beginning to be seen as an
educational stepping-stone to school. And interaction
with the DPEP teachers has brought more liveliness into
the AWC. The main snag in this picture, at present , is
that the AWWs are not yet getting the additional
Rs.300 p.m. regularly. This may just be a preliminary
hiccup, but the Education Department does not appear
enthusiatic about continuing the arrangement. If the
nitty gritty of this convergence could be worked out
between the 2 Departments - of
Education and Women and Child Development, then it
would go a long way to enhancing,and making visible the
pre-school component of AWCs. It would place the pre
school child in his/her rightful place, at the beginning
of the educational continuum.
V.
IN CONCLUSION.
For many years now, experts have held the opinion that pre-school
education is the first step towards the proper growth and
d' evelopment of the child. The Indian State has subscribed to this
concept, by initiating the ICLS programme, in 1975. In subsequent
years, the State has substantiated its faith in pre-schools,
by seeking to universalize the ICbS, all over the country.
Till about some 10 years ago, parents and communities, for whom the
ICDS had been designed, were not particularly enthusiastic in their
response to the programme. Along with the wide and concerted drive
for literacy, being carried on by the State, there has been a
perceptible change in attitude from "Education is not for us —why do
we need it?" to "Education is also for us—we want it for our children.."
Schools, as the most visible repositories of education are very much in
demand. The AWC has largely been and still is seen as a feeding
centre, but the image is slowly becoming less uni-dimensional, with
parents seeing it as a stepping stone to school. Schools, even rural
government schools, are beginning to show their preference
for children coming from pre-schools—of course private and N60
pre -school centres are the first preference, but the potential of
AWCs, literally as "pre-school" centres is also being realized. The
private and N6O pre-school centres, among other things, also teach
alphabets and numerals more effectively than theAWCs(who, in any
case, are not expected to teach alphabets and numbers). However,
this is not all. Primary School teachers say that children from pre
schools, including AVJCs "adjust" much better to the school, than
children who come there directly from home — the latter
take 6 months to settle down.
Karnataka has a reasonably stable ICDS infrastructure which ranges
over the whole State. The programme functions relatively better than
in many other States. However, as seen from the main body of the
report, there are lacunae, some more serious than others, which need
to be attended to for optimizing the ICDS. and in context, the pre
school component of the programme.
Karnataka is one of the more literate States, which has also been
successful in increasing grass-root level awareness of and demand for
literacy. In this environment of aroused expectations, if any largescale effect is to be felt, it is only the State which can undertake the
task. Private and NGO efforts are essential, not only to affirm this
manifestation of civil society's involvement. But also, to provide that
variety of experience that will enhance the growth of a vital education
system.
The importance of education as basic to long-term and sustained
development is engaging the urgent attention of the Government of
Karnataka. It is in the process of revamping the entire education
system. In this process, attaching pre-schools to primary schools was
also tried out but was abandoned, ostensibly for lack of finance.
While the Government seems aware of the importance of pre-school
education and indeed had started pre-schools as early as the 60s -
even before the ICDS,the impetus was not sustained and the
programme was finally closed in 1999 ( see 'Introduction1 to Section
IV: Facts, Statistics and Observations). At present no discernable
policy for pre-school education has been formulated, maybe because of
the ’ lakshman rekha' between any two departments of government; in
this case, the departments of Women and Child Development and
Education. The Department of Women and Child Development runs the
ICDS, the only large-scale attempt at pre-school education. However,
as the ICDS caters to the 0 to 6 year old child, the pre-school
component, as we have seen, has become overshadowed by the
distribution of the nutrition supplement.
However, with growing community interest in primary education, the
pre-school has become visible, if only as a stepping-stone to primary
education. This community-parent-primary school teacher awareness
62
and need, is combined with concerted demands from civil society,
backed by the now well-researched and recognized fact of the
importance of pre-school education in the child's development, not only
for school-readiness but also for life-readiness.
This across-the-board realization of the place of the pre-school as an
essential first step on the education ladder, calls for serious
acknowledgement , in practical term, by policy-makers, planners and
implementors.
The compartmentalized administration and financial rules and
procedures of Departments, cannot be allowed to become an
insurmountable barrier to consolidating a comprehensive and
continuous system of education for the Indian child's growth and
development.
All this becomes even more urgent in the face of the imminent 83rd.
Constitutional Amendment Bill (re: Right to Education), which
contravenes not only the Constitution, but also, all arguments in favour
of a comprehensive system of education, which should, beginning at
the age of 3 or 4, continue through primary and secondary stages of
school education.
Civil society has been vociferous about this contravention. Now, other
voices, from other dimensions of society and for a variety of reasons
have all joined in the chorus of demand for an effective , change- and
growth-oriented system of education. It would be crass power and
political play, to pay no heed to what can be interpreted as a growing
democratic consciousness. It can only be ignored with impunity.
We have listed recommendations emanating from the review - too
many perhaps. It is with the earnest desire that the recommendations
will help in making the State more responsive, not only to the country's
needs but also to people's needs as experienced and expressed by
them.
63
= Finally, having a separate building for the AWC, strengthens
perceptions of the AWC as an integral institution of the village,
just as the school building and the Sangha Mane(house) affirm
those institutions, as part of the daily on-going life of the village.
= The AWC should run the full day - the same hours as the primary
school. There is a vast difference in the perception and the
relevance of an MNC which runs half a day and that which runs the
whole day. The "feeding-centre" image expands to encompass pre
school education.
- To meet increase in population (over 5 crores in 2001), at least some
20,000 AWCs are required.
Health and
Nutrition:
= Provide 6-monthly de-worming for all children.
= Vitamin A and iron can be given in tablet or liquid form to all
children, every day at the AWC itself.
- Provide biscuits/peanuts/khara sev. Do away with the cooking, so
that the AWW can devote herself more profitably to the core
job at hand.
- Do away with growth charts - they are hardly ever properly
maintained and, in any case, they do not serve the purpose of
varying the food according to the nutritional status of the child.
At best, the growth charts are an instrument of nutrition and
health education. Alternately, maintaining the growth charts
could be transferred to the ANAA along with maintenance of the
birth and death registers.
- It is an arguable point whether the food makes any difference to
the 0-3, 3-6 year olds or to the pregnant and lactating mothers.
Basically, food draws children to the AWC. If the pre-school element
is made attractive and felt to be relevant (as in the NGO and privately
run pre-school centres), then the food is not important, especially of
the simple measures of deworming and giving iron tablets/liquid are
followed.
Pre-school Education:
- A great deal more material needs to be provided - not as a one-time
deal but periodically and regularly, over the year. At present there is
the fear that once exhausted, no more material will come - leading not
only to inability to keep children occupied, but also to reprimands from
the supervisor/ CDPO. Old powder tins, plastic bottles (never
bags),etc.,are things with which children are capable of keeping
themselves occupied for long stretches of time - except for the
stigma that they are not 'toys'. CbPOs, supervisors and AWTC staff
can contribute to collecting such materials which, by virtue of being
undifferentiated', stimulate the child's imagination.
- Charts, posters should be hung low enough on the walls for children
to touch them and look at them more closely. Big, bold, colourful
pictures attract children.
= There should be a library for the children and a separate one for
the AWWs. Apart from the fact that the AWW will have that many
more stories to tell, just handling books can be a major incentive to
literacy.
= Usually, only what are considered beautiful or useful things are put
up on the walls. Children's drawings, with their names, put up on the
walls, would not only make children feel that the AWC is theirs, but
would help boost self-esteem that their material is up for show next
to the teachers and other material.
- Children do not need to be engaged all the time. Given the right
environment and plenty of material and activities to choose from,
children can and need to spend time alone or among themselves,
deciding and engaging in what they want to do.
- Many of the above suggestions and the assumptions behind them
need to be incorporated in the AWW's, the supervisors' and the
CbPO's training.
Family Education:
= Mother's meetings have to made more meaningful:
They can be tied up with classroom activities and the progress
of the children. The children's drawings, songs, games etc. could
be presented to parents rather than /in addition to, showcasing
them to supervisors, CDPOs and visitors.
Mothers' meetings could be linked to Mahila Mandals/ Sanghas made somewhat more concrete now with the advent of Stree
Shakti.
The more credible the AWW, the more likelihood of the
meetings becoming meaningful. Just getting information never
changed anybody. The information has to be tied in with the
reJe,var\cie.s to and the possibilities in the lives of the recipients.
This needs research on how to make articulation, between the
desirable and the real, more effective.
In addition to the mothers' meetings, AWWs and helpers could
be involved in bringing the older women in the village together
and collecting local songs, stories, sayings, etc. from them. This
not only involves a section of the community ignored by all
others, but also adds hugely to the store of songs, games,
stories, etc. that the AWW can have recourse to. A bonus would
lie in the fact that their own cultural knowledge is part of the
pre-school curriculum - one step towards involvement in and
ownership of the programme. An experiment along these lines
was carried out in U.P. with positive results which persisted for
quite some time. A mobile training team was formed, members
being selected staff from AWTCs. Initially, tremendously
successful, this team by being the sole disseminator of the
methodology, not only stagnated re: their own inventiveness, but
failed to create other similar resource teams which would not
only have shared the task but would have brought their own
brand of creativity to bear on the process. Every AWW and
AWTC staff member was motivated and involved in the process
for a not insubstantial amount of time, but long-term
sustainability was not paid attention to. New inputs, new
innovations introduced from time to time are essential to keep
AWWs stimulated for giving of their best.
Community Participation:
= The above last point, re: bringing together groups of old women and
collecting local songs, stories, etc. from them is also a vehicle for
community participation. There are many such situations for involving
the community which need to be explored in training, and later in the
field - situations, the handling of which could change the image of the
AWW from that of a teacher, a government servant and an outsider,
into being one of a friend.
= Those who teach the subject, and those who monitor the field,
themselves have no experience of community participation and this
puts paid to any realistic attempts to involve the community in the
working of the AWC.
The AWW.
= As suggested earlier, an experiment tried in Tamil Nadu in 2
districts is worth emulating in Karnataka. Additional AWWs were
trained in joyful learning' by an NGO (THREAD from Orissa) and
placed in all the AWCs. The training was excellent, with the
trainers keeping low key and addressing various issues, even, as
suggested by UDISHA, increasing the self-confidence and selfesteem of the AWW. Not only did pre-school education get more
attention, but the original AWWs and the helpers picked up some
of the activities and processes that the new AWWs introduced.
= There has to be a concerted effort to free the AWW from all
but those tasks germane to the functioning of the AWC - so that.
4^
from being on ineffective Jack-of-all-trodes, she can become an
effective AWW.
= There was one instance we came across in the field, where out of
expediency (no supervisor) an older and more experienced AWW
was carrying out the work of a supervisor. From all accounts, she
was doing very well. By plugging the qualifications required for a
supervisor at a lower level, a number of the more experienced
AWWs could be promoted to the supervisor's post - more AWCs
need to be opened and new AWWs could be recruited instead of
recruiting all new supervisors.
- There is need to re-iterate the question of the salary of the
AWW - that the only totally grass-root field worker be treated as
a volunteer' in a 'temporary' programme running these 25 years, is
an anomaly that can no longer be brushed aside.
Training:
- Many of the suggestions re: training have already been made in
the section on training. It needs to be revamped quite drastically to
address process rather than behaviour and also to relate to field
realities. Feedback is essential to keep training dynamic and
responsive to changing field situations. Needless to say, this is one
of the most crucial inputs into making the ICOS optimally effective.
The outcomes from effective training are clearly visible in that
other government programme, Mahila Samakhya.
= Partnerships with NGOs, is one way of infusing new blood into
training.
Monitoring and Evaluation:
- Here again, the concept of monitoring and evaluation has to
change drastically in keeping with more recent thinking of how
these aspects of programming need to be conceptualized, if they
are to be instrumental in making the programme more effective.
CDPOs and supervisors need to be supporters and facilitators and
not instructors. Less reprimands, more co-operation and praise.
=Training supervisors as trainers, would help provide constructive
support to the AWWs.
- The AWW works in isolation. It would make her and her work
more enlivened if there were Resource Centres as in DPEP and in
some NGOs, for inter-personal exchange of new content, methods
and experiences, including maybe, even pure gossip; as this is what
will keep the AWW interested in and connected to her work. It is
worth experimenting using the same platform of the DPEP Cluster
Resource Centre for involving the AWW as well. This would help her
pick up some of the bPEP methodology and also provide a continuum
from the pre-school to the primary school.
= In this context, connecting the AWC to the primary school, if
possible physically, and most certainly function-wise, could bring
about an understanding of and a co-operation in the 2 types of
institutions, while providing a continuity of educational experience
for the children.
Research:
= There are various areas of research, in which the AWWs and other
members of the community could be involved: The number of
children not attending the AWC - reasons why; how many of the
AWC children actually go on to primary school - their economic and
caste status; how many private pre-schools are there in the area whom do they cater to, etc.
This is not a menu of recommendations. Taken together, they should,
in being implemented, provide the synergy to bring required dynamism
into the ICDS and more specifically, the pre-school programme: So
that it may take its place as one of the basic programmes which will
bring about social change, towards equality and democracy, in this
country.
t
Lakshmi Krishnamurty
Vani Periodi
and
Asha Nambisan.
April 16, 2001.
Upgrading Pre-School Education - Financial Implications for 5 Years
A. Edcuation department
DETAILS
ITEM
I
Pre-School Worker
1
2
Honorarium
Rs. 600 x 12 months x 40,000 PSWs
Travel etc.
Rs. 50 x 12 months x 40,000 PSWs
Sub-Total
II
Training
1
2
PSWs
Rs. 2,500 (5 days) x 40,000 PSWs
Supervisors as Trainers
Rs. 2,500 (5 days) x 1,800 supervisors
3*
Partnerships with NGOs for
For some 20 NGOs and individuals
FIRST YEAR
FIVE YEARS
28,80,00,000
240,00,000
31,20,00,000
144,00,00,000
12,00,00,000
156,00,00,000
10,00,00,000
45,00,000
1,00,00,000
10,00,00,000
45,00,000
5,00,00,000
11,45,00,000
15,45,00,000
6,00,00,000
30,00,00,000
36,00,000
1,80,00,000
2,00,00,000
10,00,00,000
8,36,00,000
41,80,00,000
51,01,00,000
213,25,00,000
initial and on-going training
Sub-Total
III
Materials
1
Kit material, Posters, Charts etc.
Rs. 1,500 x 40,000 AWCs
Magazine/ Newsletter for
Rs. 20 x 45,000 copies x 4 quarters
AWWs, Supervisors and CDPOs
(16 pages, A4 size)
Library books for AWW and for
Rs. 10 x 50 books x 40,000 AWCs
3
AWC children
Sub-Total
Grand Total for Education department
* Continuous in-service training
** Includes editor and other staff
Upgrading Pre-School Education - Financial Implications for 5 Years
B. Department of Women and Child development
I*
1
2
FIRST YEAR
FIVE YEARS
Rs. 1,00,000 x 4,000 A\NCs/ year
40,00,00,000
200,00,00,000
Rs. 1,00,000 x 4,000 AVJCs/ year
40,00,00,000
200,00,00,000
80,00,00,000
400,00,00,000
92,50,000
18,50,000
1,11,00,000
92,50,000
92,50,000
1,85,00,000
Rs. 1,100 x 12 months x 40,000 workers
52,80,00,000
264,00,00,000
Rs. 50 x 12 months x 20,000 AWWs
1,20,00,000
54,00,00,000
6,00,00,000
270,00,00,000
135,11,00,000
671,85,00,000
DETAILS
ITEM
Infrastructure
Buildings for existing AWCs,
including water facility and toilets
Buildings fo new AWCs,
including water facility and toilets
SubTotal
n
CDPO’s Office
i
2
Computers
Maintenance
Rs. 50,000 x 185 Talukas
Rs. 10,000 x 185 Talukas
Sub-Total
2
AWWs and Helpers
Honorarium for 20,000 AWWs
and 20,000 helpers
Travel etc.
Sub-Total
Grand Total for department of Women and Child development
Co-ordination between DOE and DWCD for locating AWW close to primary school
** Administration and costs of providing 'services' have not been included
AnnexureB Karnatka A Glance
Indicators
Total Population (millions)
Sex Ratio
Per cent of Urban
Decade Population Growth (1981-91)
Crude Birth Rate
Crude_DeathRate
Under-five Mortality Rate
Neo Natal Mortality
Post neonatal Mortality 1
Infant Mortality Rate
~
Child Mortality Rate
Maternal Mortality Rate*
Total Fertility Rate
_______
Percentage of Mothers Receiving ANC
Life Expectancy
______
Male_________
Female_______
Percentage of Children Fully Vaccinated
BCG
DPT 3
Polio 3___________
____ M e_a sles_________
Institutional Delivery (%)
Underweight Children (%)_______
Moderately Malnourished (%)
Severe Malnourished (%)
Reference
Year
1991
1991
1991
1991
1996
1996
1993
1993
1993
1996
1993
1993_
1995
1993
1991
1991
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1994-95
1994-95
1994-95
India
Karnatka
846
927
26
24
27.5
44.96
960
30.9
21.1
24.1
7.6
87.3
45.3
70.2”
9
109,3
48.6
’29.9
72
33.4
453
3.5
62.3
53
23.5
450
2.7
83.4
57.7
58.7
35.4
62.2
51.7
53.4
42.2
25.5
49
29
12
62.1
63.3
52.2
81.7
70.7
71.4
^54.9
37.5
NA
53.35 "
8 3 S
Note
Computed as the ditterence between the infant and neonatal moitalitv rates
* Maternal Deaths per Lakh Birth.
“Only Rural
S As per 1988-90
Source:
Census of India. State Profile 1991 India, Registrar General & Census
Commissioner, Government of India , Delhi
F '
NHFS. 1993. National
Family Health Survey. UPS, Bombay.
UNICEF. 1995. The Progress of Indian otales. India Country Office, New
Delhi.
t Xi&d©
c
Pre-Primary Centres run by NGO,
’Sneha" Koodlige
- Discussion with Mr. Ramanjneya, Head of the NGO Sneha
- Visit to 4 of the Pre-primary Centres (PPC).
-
Group discussion with Pre-primary teachers.
When we enter these PPCs we are received with a warm
welcome. No extra effort to treat us as some big
people. The teachers and children receive us with a
smile and a namasthe, which gives a feeling of love and
respect. The NGO head was also with us. The
atmosphere was non-threatening .
We sit with them, talk to children, talk to the teacher.
They have a day's routine for children - but no child is
compelled to do anything which he or she is not
interested in. When the teacher talks to us, children
are found playing on their own, or clinging to the
teacher without feeling conscious about it. It was really
very nice to see, when Mr. Rudramani, the PPC teacher,
started speaking to us - two children came from two
sides and sit close to him, leaning on him. This kind of
atmosphere means a lot.
The class-rooms are full of toys and materials. Children
can choose. There are plenty. In fact children can be
left on their own to explore and enjoy the toys.
Teachers play a facilitator's role whenever it is
required. In Kuruchara, one child was bathing a baby
doll, quite an elaborate activity - undisturbed. Then she
started arranging their marriage - calling the teacher
to attend the marriage ceremony. There were long and
short garlands made out of paper, among the materials
which she used.
I
Dolls made of clothes (stuffed), wooden blocks, heaps
of coloured stones, colourful beads, tamarind seeds,
big seeds of fruits, kitchen toys, building blocks... etc.
Lots and lots to choose from and play with. Children are
taught to keep them back neatly after use, along with
the teachers and other children.
Children are provided with colours and papers and asked
to paint. Whatever they draw is accepted. Children are
asked what they have drawn and whatever they say is
written on that paper. Their artworks are well
preserved in a file. It was very interesting to go
through the file - and see the paintings - along with the
captions they had given. The captions in fact were very
interesting. Colour is used by hand, allowing them to
feel the texture and they use it without constraint.
The walls are also filled with pictures made by children
with their name on it. Children feel very proud to show
it to us and also to their parents. The walls are filled
with other interesting posters also. Most of them are
made by the teachers themselves. Bold and visible
figures, not tiny little figures. There are charts made
of different varieties of cereals and pulses.
Along with this, the teachers have lots of conversation
with children. Slowly they are introduced to the
alphabets, also without any fuss. The teachers had a
conscious understanding about the process at work.
Social development, physical development (activities for
bigger muscle and smaller muscle development),
language development, moral development - are taken
care of. For each of them they have evolved some
2
indicators and document the progress of each child
systematically. For moral development - we had some
discussion with them asking how can we expect a clear
indication at this age. Wouldn't it become judgementall
The teachers are quite articulate. They get a lot
support - through initial training and in-service training
every month. They are exposed to different skills and
concepts during the in-service training, which helps
them to grow as human beings. This type of space for
personality development gets reflected in their work,
positively.
A full course, of pre-school training they have
undergone - which was conducted by Ms. Margaret who
is an expert in this field. Even after the training the
teachers evolve different games and activities on their
own instead of sticking to one package for ever.
When we asked how do they combat monotony and
boredom - some said they do not feel any such thing
with the children and a few said they take leave and
come back fresh. They also have yearly vocations.
Out of 12 PPTs there are two men teachers. They all
feel that this job is not meant only for women. Men can
also do this job. The kind of relationship developed with
the children is visible. One of the teachers said that his
child goes to an AWC in his home-village and according
to him there is hardly any pre-school activity. It is
mostly a food-giving centre. With the introduction of
DPEP some materials are being provided.
The nearby primary school shows much appreciation for
these PPCs. They even borrow some teaching materials
from the PPCs. They say that the performance of these
children is visibly better than others.
The working area of Sneha is spread over 7 panchayats.
They started in 1991. They had a dialogue with people
on education and health. After that they identified the
need for PPCs where there are no government AWCs. In
the beginning (1991) it was 4, after 2 years it was 6;
then gradually 8 and at present it is 12 PPCs.
In the first year, the PPCs were mainly focussing oh
teaching alphabets and numerals. After that they
underwent training by the Karnataka State Council for
Child Welfare (1 week) in Bangalore, where they
understood the concept of PPCs. With the help of 'CRY'
the training process was continued by Ms. Margaret at
the field level. At present 3 teachers, who received
training from Ms. Margaret are still there. These
teachers shared their understanding of concepts with
the new teachers.
For one year 'CRY' helped to provide nutritious food
also. But later as a matter of policy, they stopped it.
Children in these centres go home in the afternoon,
have food, and come back. Except in one village all
others have understood this and co-operate.
Profile of the teachers and helpers.
In all the villages where 'Sneha' is working there are no
women who studied up to 7th standard. (All these are
interior villages) So the teachers are selected from the
nearby towns or villages. The education qualification
for teachers is SSLC/PUC/BA. In the beginning, they
1+
were paid Rs.500/- and at present it is Rs.1150/Women are ready to work on a 10 - 5 p.m. basis but it is
difficult to manage the process effectively with such
timings. So 'Sneha' has selected people who can stay in
the village and work. The helper is paid Rs.400/- pm.
These helpers were in fact, taken when food was being
provided. After that they continued to assist the
teacher in the PP activities.
Sneha" takes care to see that all the children who
attend PPC, later join 1st class. They keep a record of
each child and follow up their education. The first
batch of children are already in the 7th std. In some
places, even to go to 5th std, they have to walk 5 kms. In
some places, the roads are not safe. Girl children, at
the most go upto 7th std. After that only if the high
school is very close by, girl children continue their
education.
'Sneha' already has sent about 1000 children to the
primary school. In 2 places, (other than the remaining
12 PPCs), 'Sneha' has withdrawn their PPC when these
places got the govt. AWCs.
When they were asked about the performance of govt.
AyNCs the 'Sneha' team came up with several comments.
Most of the AWCs are there in name only. There is
no proper supervision and monitoring.
Many a time the helper comes to the AWC while
the teacher remains at home. Many of the AWWs
have political support which is mis-used.
There are some good the AWWs, but they
do not get proper training.
Even if there are many who work hard they do not
get appreciation. No incentive to carry on.
For the kind of work the AWWs are supposed to do
they get very little honorarium and also have no
social status - which trivializes their work.
Sometimes bechuse of the misuse of materials and
sometimes just because she is seen around, the
AWW becomes the victim of people's anger.
The whole system is corrupt. If the CDPO is not
corrupt it is difficult for him or her to survive.
Sneha makes serious attempts to involve the community.
Before the PPCs are started they have a dialogue; get
the building space with the help of people; educate the
community regarding the new concept of PPCs, and the
community also grows in the process.
NGO's like Sneha bring about a change in perceptions
of the concept of PPE. But the problem with them is
dependency on funding agencies. So it becomes a
question of sustainability. Last year they had to take a
big loan to manage the programme.
In this exercise of strategic planning Sneha found a
larger dimension to its work: The PPCs of Sneha can be
developed as resource centres for the AWCs around
and provide them with new concepts and materials. So
this year they have a plan of working with AWCs.
Pre-Primary Centres run by NGO, 'ksare* Kanakapura"Children are not here (PPCs) to sit back folding their
hands . This is the time and age for children to explore,
touch and feel, talk freely, use their own bodies
comfortably without becoming tight and rigid with fear.
If they are made to sit back folding their hands this is
nothing but a violence on children".
Mr. Jayaprakash Banjagare stresses such aspects of
preschool education. Otherwise, playing in the streets
on their own, would be a more delightful experience for
children than coming to school.
Asare runs 8 pre-school centres at present. It has
started the process - where there are no govt. A.'sNCs.
In fact all this began with the need to find a good
school for his own daughter.
We visited 6 of the centres run by Asare. J.P. himself
trains the teachers. Often visits the centres. Spends
time with the teachers and children continuously
building an understanding with them. It so happened
that when we entered basegowdan halli —we found a
few children folding their hands and talking with
hesitation. When asked, the teacher said that one of
the teachers who came from the nearby school asked
this teacher to keep the children disciplined. And one
of the gestures of discipline is to keep hands folded. A
sense of restricting the physical mobility of human
beings.
7
Asare has started these schools in 1992. They maintain
a record for each child - the family background of the
child, the hand writing of the child, etc. The art and
painting work done by children are on the walls with
their names on it. Children point to them with pride.
Each child feels attended to.
There is a lot of conversation with children. Much care
is taken in selecting the teacher. Because in this
teaching-learning process - interest and commitment
•»
comes first. It is not high educational qualifications
that matter but high levels of empathy with children.
Training is an on-going process. Once in six months they
get training. But often the resource persons spend time
in the field, helping teachers deal with situations as
they come up.
Any educational process has to be natural and not
imposed. It shouldn't be material-centered, money
centered. It relies mostly on the relationship between
teacher and student. This is their philosophy.
The centre is open for the full day. No food is provided.
In the afternoon many of the children were having their
afternoon nap. The teacher welcomed us quietly,
without disturbing the children. The atmosphere was
very homely.
The older children are taught both Kannada and English
alphabets. They consider this a practical necessity tools for acquiring knowledge
Asare takes responsibility for the children getting into
primary schools. Since two years they have felt the
g
need of following up on the children admitted to
primary schools. So, the teacher goes to the primary
school, once a week for a day and spends time with
them. Lots of creative activities are carried out with
them, so that children do not miss this exposure after
pre-primary . As we enter, the primary school children
scream with joy saying “Asare teacher has come?" This
exposure is not limited to the children who passed from
Asare centre. All of them in the school get it.
Much attention is paid to the social aspects like
'discrimination' here. When we went to the primary
school to see the follow-up process - whole lot of
children were making fun of one boy who was sitting in
one corner. The issue was slowly analyzed along with the
children. He was a beggar boy and that made him selfconscious. Again he belongs to a lower caste. Here were
all the signs of a future drop-out case. Though this is a
tough analysis - it took place with the children in a
simple way.
Discrimination often happens between the smart,
talkative children and the quiet children. In
Dasegowdanadoddi there was one smart girl who was
dominating the scene. For every activity she is the
first. J.P. got involved with a small quietly-sitting child
and started some drawing activity. For quite a few
minutes this process went on. The child was successful
in each step and was feeling reassured to take the next
step. In the end, the kind of contentment she
expressed - it is just not statistically measurable.
After that the smart child was attended to without
being humiliated. In fact it is all these small small
matters that make a big difference. The pre-school
space for children makes great sense if it is provided
with such an atmosphere.
Asare has plans for enlarging the process. They feel
that Kanakapura Taluka has 60 - 70 villages which do
not have govt. AWCs. Wherever they work with a pre
school, they have community-based activities also. So
they get community support for their work.
10
In relation to the above (ci,cii,ciii)
Sub-tasks for Task nos. 3, 4 and 6; which are more field
sub-tasks.
oriented (han the above-mentioned
Field-work.
1. private and NGOelTorls in prc-school education will be broadly described and analysed
Tins will be from prnnary and secondary data .
2.
3.
analysed.
S3Ti'nd. a SC1uCCliOn -f AWW (rainil1t, <:cnlr^ Wl11 bc
for discussions
a am tc> describe and analyse training content, materials and methods
A small selection of GOKjn^schoolcentres will be visited. The Selected on the basis of
successes afso for'freS’' tr
°f analyS"1S
I
understandl^ indicators of
success, as also for pinpointing lessons from failure.
Methodology,
1. Collection of secondary data, collation and analysis
2.
eXToX:™"”re"VI"" omcials <,ri'“
3.
4.
5.
"O'"'" -a
Interviews and discussions with training institution(s) staff
Interviews and group discussions with AWWs, other prc-school instructors parents
representatives ol communities and children.
Observation in class-rooms, to assess the teaching-learning transactions and the presence
or otherwise of a child-friendly class-room atmosphere.
P
atmosphere.
“TiaffTiU
wmmuni.y. AWWs. supervisors. CDPOs. iraiuinu
i"diVid“a’
Note: Interviews and discussions at all levels, as also all held- work visits will not ho
-n
purposes of yielding statistically significant results; they will aim at revealing the more
elusive but equally significant, qualitative results.
3
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