SDA-RF-CH-2.11.pdf
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CH-T-SAD-RF-CH-2.11
STATEMENT SHOWING THE PERFORMANCE REPORT IN % OF SCHOOL HEALTH
PROGRAMME FROM JULY 2000 TO JANUARY 2001 & REVIEWED IN FEBRUARY 2001.
SI.
No.
Name of the
District
Med.
Exam, of
Students
Bangalore(U)
Bangalore( R )
Kolar
Shimoga
Cliitradurga
Davanagere
Tumkur
GULBURGA DIVISION
95.83
82.13
97.74
93.60
95.10
94.00
78.21
89.82
90.05
75.26
93.74
86.77
93.80
429.64
128.40
88.53
110.96
98.98
61.48
86.60
98.60
125.55
89.00
132.46
98.94
116.82
40.72
78.93
84.44
89.55
82.13
91.92
81.26
99.02
64.83
71.12
44.91
85.31
80.85
85.72
85.58
104.74
64.54
78.64
120.58
83.33
68.47
84.90
73.62
41.20
66.08
86.43
73.65
61.10
61.45
66.25
76.20
65.15
77.92
62.55
73.80
71.95
GRAND TOTAL
95.23
74.76
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
Mysore
Cliamarajnagar
Mangalore(DK)
Udupi
Mandya
Kodagu
Hassan
Chikkamagalur
MYSORE DIVISION
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Belgaum
Karawar(UK)
Dhanvar
Gadag
Haveri
Bijapur
Bagalakotc
BELGAUM DIVISION
23
♦ 24
25
26
27
Remarks
"Marks /
Grade"
T. T.
2nd dose
1st dose
Teacher'
Training
95.50
76.88
63.75
97.56
94.40
63.52
85.85
80.30
101.18
73.68
80.55
80.23
93.21
384.28
91.30
82.38
101.80
81.20
65.00
74.59
80.13
91.62
60.09
82.71
76.42
98.22
84.62
93.70
63.28
74.70
86.32
100.78
59.91
106.26
150.50
147.00
30.23
91.33
87.80
67.00
107.15
68.55
69.26
88.06
223.69
136.47
112.42
91.95
102.97
99.54
126.87
93.14
263.55
113.62
206.66
128.80
240.98
200.67
134.84
145.31
159.78
185.10
11.13
46.97
10.72
60.07
03.35
01.56
85.02
31.41
00.93
62.83
84.35
43.98
00.00
97.28
28.40
64.27
38.01
15.05
33.84
35.65
14.42
67.70
03.95
38.00
26.52
05.71
00.00
216.58
64.59
24.27
37.34
84
80 I
80
92
80
70 1
96
88 1
80
88
96
84
76
100
88
92
88
80
82
80
84
92
76
84 1
80
80
78
92
88
80
84
A
B
1
B
A
B
B
1
A
A
B
A 1
A
A 1
B___ |
A
A
A
A 1
B
A
B
A
A
B
A
B
B
B
A
A
B
A
84.72
112.37
32.57
84
A
Marks
BANGALORE DIVISION
08
09
*10
11
12
13
14
15
D&T
Gulburga
Bid ar
Bellary
Raichur
Koppal
Grade
A A
--------------------------------- --------- ----------- 1__________ __________ 1_______ I_______ I
Note : 'A' - Good , 'B' - Poor , 'C - Very poor, 'D' - Extremely poor, 'E' - Bad performance,
Note : ’A’ - Marks- 81-100 , 'B' - Marks- 61-80 , 'C - Marks- 41-60, 'D' - Maries- 2L>40<
'E' - Marks- 10-20 & less
\
,
(Dr S.B.Kurtakoti)
i
Addl. Director (HET)
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:
.
GOVERNMENT OF KARNATAKA
No:HET/SHP/30 /2000-2001
Directorate of Health & F.W.Services,
Bangalore-9,
Dated: 02-03-2001.
TO:
The District Health & F.W.Officer,
District R.C.H. Officers/D.N.O. may please be instructed to contact the Deputy Director of
Public Instruction of their District to collect the following information as per the format given
below.
1. No.of Schools in Urban & Rural areas
2. No.of Students in Urban & Rural areas
These collected information should be sent to this Directorate by 3rd week of March 2001.
Statement showing the Schools and School Children in Urban & Rural areas of the
District
for the year 2000-2001.
SI.
No.
Name of
the
Taluk
No. of Schools
from 1st Std. to
7th Std.
Urb
Ru
To
an
ral
tai
No. of School Children from 1st Std. to 7th Std.
1
2
3
Urban
4
5
6
7
1
2
3
Rural
4
5
Re
marks
Total
6
7
District
Total:
Note:- DUrban area means District Headquarter & Taluk Headquarter
2)Rural area means other than above.
3)Students from 1st Std. to 7th Std.
4)Schools : 1st Std. to 7th Std.
Additional DirectorfHET)
Directorate of Health & F.W.Services,
Bangalore-9.
1. Copy with best compliment to the Deputy Director Public Instruction,
...................................... District.
2. Office copy.
ANNEXURE- III
Government of Karnataka
Directorate of health and F. W. Services, Bangalore-9
The nionthly progress report under the School health Programme during the month_of-------------------------- -------------------------Sl.No.
Name of the Disrict
! Taluk i PHC /SC
1
2
Total of No. of
primary- higher
primary schools
3
No. of students’ health
records opened for I51
Std. Students
5
Cumulative
During
the
month
No. of students enrolled during (he
period of 2000-2001
1“ Std.
*1
4‘*St<L ; 7“ Std.
I
Total
Mondiiy target fixed for
visits to school by
Medical officer
6
Achieved
During the
month
Monthly target fixed for
examination of students
7
During the
month
Achieved
I
No. of students medically examined
1” ad.
4* Std.
8
7,fcStiL
•
Total
i
1
'Hj
r Dental
;
No. of students found medically defectives
9
Ear
Skin : Nutritional
Other
Eye
deficiency
1
No. of 1" Std. students immunized
with the booster doze of D & T
11
During the
month
Cumulative total
No. of health
education talks
given in the senool
I
No. of teachers trained
No. of ~~ & 10“ Std. Students immunized with booster
doze of TT
12
~'n Std. Students
(1* booster doze )
Dunne
: Cumulative
the month 1 total
Total
10“ Std. Students
(2nd booster doze )
During
Cumulative
the month
total
Health education activities
r
No. of health education ; No. ofPTA meetings
materials distributed to
conducted by the
the schools
'
health personnel
No. of students treated / referred for the medical defectives
10
Referred
Nutritional I Others
Skin
Ear
Dental
Eye
deficiency !
i
I
i
|
13
During the
month
No. of mini exhibition /
films shows arranged in
the schools
No of schools
supplied with
medicine kits
14
No. of schools
provided with
mid-day meals
1*5
No. of schools
having sale drinking
water facilities
16
Cumulative
total
.
Environmental sanitation in the school & school Premises
18
Maintenance ofSchool premises. Please
Urinals & latrines in the schools and their
mentioned in number
maintenance Please mentioned in number.
Having
Maintained
cleaned
Not maintained
cleaned
Maintained cleaned
Not ainrained
cleaned
i
I
DIRECTORATE OF HEALTH AND F. W. SERVICES, BANGALORE-9
REVISED FORMAT
The Progress Report of the School Health Programme for the month of--------------------------------------------------% to the yearly target, **** Target should be fixed depending on the budget allotted
Note- * Medical Officers should examine, ** Health Assistant should examine,
by ZP of respective Districts.
2
1
No. of students enrolled during the period of
24)00-2001 ( This is the annual target to be
covered for the year under report )
4
IsU 4th. &
2nd, 3rd. 5th, &
Total
7th. Std.
6h Std. students
•»
Students •
Total of No. of
primary / higher
primary schools
Name of the District /
Taluk/PHC'SC
Sl.No.
3
No. of students medically examined
6
Cumulative total starting from
Total
die month to the month under
the report
lst_4th.&
2nd, 3rd, 5th.
7th. Std.
&. 6th Std.
Students *
students **
<Vb •**
Dental
Carries
Worm
Infestation
(•)
(k)
TB
CD
No. of students examined medically
6
During the month
1st, 4th. &
2nd. 3rd.
7th. Std.
5th, & 6th
Students *
Std.
students **
No. of students; foud medically defectives' having the medical problems
7
URI
Vitamin- A
Anaemia
Scabies
Defective
Ottitis
deficiency
Vision
media
(c)
(O
(e)
Total
Defective
Hearing
(g)
(0
(h)
No. of students found medically defectives/ having the medical problems
7
Leprosy
(0
Monthly target fixed for the
Medical examination of
students.
5
1st-, 4th. &
2nd. 3rd, &
7th. Std.
Sth, A 6th
Students *
Std. students
Rheumatic heart Diseases
00
Others
0)
Goitre
(k)
Ne of students
treated for minor
ailments
8
No. of students
referred to Taluk or
referral Hospitals
9
Training conducted for the school teachers
rate of
at least one or two teachers in each school
10
Annual Target ***♦
During month
Cumulative
achievement
•
No. of health
education talks
given in the school
D.M
CT
Health education activities
11
No. of health
No. of mini
education materials
exhibition / films
distributed to the
shows arranged in
schools
the schools
DM
CT
DM
CT
No. of PTA meetings
conducted by the
health personnel
DM
CT
Environmental sanitation in the school & school Premises
12
Maintenance of School
Urinals & latrines in the schools and
premises tn & around
their maintenance Please mention the
the school building
number.
Mention yes or No
Having
Maintained
cleanliness or not
M
F
M
F
4
Drinking water facilities
13
Available / Not -available /
Available but not sufficient / Not
suitable for drinking
CH
E-4.119
'
'
Info/cd/27.9.83
VII Al
INFORMATION
SERVICE
C-14 COMMUNITY CENTER, S D A, NEW DELHI
NEWS
NAME OF PAPER
Indian Express
Times•of India
Economic Times
Hindu
The Statesman
Decan Herald
Patriot
PAPER
i8ieS'3.
...
...
...
...
SUBJECT HEADINGS
QtUod
r’
f
■
.... Uri|.|w
i Main, } C!oc!-.
•■smsnral;-,
School health scheme in Gurgao^
BY OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
me has
been
incorporated in the has got set up in the general civil
Gurgaon.
Similar clinics
country’s 20-point programme wants hospital,
sei up al the Primary
The
recently-revitalised
school ?ll the school-going children of ths have been
health scheme of Haryana has start state to be fully medically checked Health Centre’ (PHC)
level where
ed yielding results even in such
a and appropriate medical aid given by block medical officers have been’ ad
backward
pocket as Mewal when; November 14, 1983. Dr. Kaur today vised to take care of the less serious
nearly 90 per cent of the _ school claimed to have achieved -nearly SO cases.
going children and their parents are per cent of her target and is cnntiShe is satisfied with the
training
not only undernourished but suffer dent to cover 100 per cent, children of school, teachers. Dr. Kaur's lai get
from one or the
other major ail by the targeted dale.
is to train, at least, one teacher in
ment.
i Whatx however, disturbs . her most each- of the district’s primary, mid
An enthusiastic school health offi is that she will not be able to cure dle, high and higher secondary schools
cer1 of the
Gurgaon
district, Dr. all the sick children,
by the next by the ensuing Children’s Day. The
(Mrs.)
Pushpinder Kaur and her Children’s Day because
“according medical kit of each school has already
staff, have, however, made a break to her” quite a sizeable
of them been updated. Simultaneously
with
through on this vital front. Haryana’s suffer from serious ailments and as medical check up Dr. Kaur organises
health minister Parsani-Devi at whose such may not fully cured
even by immunisation
and. family- welfare
instance the school health program the school referral
clinic that she camps.
7
GURGAON, October 17.
HO 016
CLIPPINGS"
DATE
...
-
r
.
UNITY HEALTH CEU
,3..a. V Main, I Block
o-ambngala
/
^ore-560034':3
A'o-v
'21
Xij.C'Cd/Il.
education should -be. -specifically teachers for this.
the most crucial,.and: the most'
‘NEW. DELHI, Nov 23.’ ■earmarked for a comprehensive . — Contact. with-, the commu- vulnerable from .the. point of, nu-,school health service.. Similarly, nity — the parents and siblings ..trition and. development, has'•'led,
A school health service system five per cent of the.allocation for of the'”. children — —
,
.... relative . neglect
a.._.. of-./chil-' .,
so.that
the ...
.to the
end a programme of compulsory rural employment - and develop- 'school can become.an Important, dren of.school tige,‘..Thisis iinfpr-?;}
.health and nutrition insurance of ..^„
v
MV
vvw
*
Vi
««
-~.
vm
.
u
-*
.*
v
*
merit- hould be set apart for a medium , for improving community tunato f-and .';uhjustlfjed.5S
. mothers and . children built- into -programme for compulsory health health and for involving the com- school cliildreh'carry tn^ .scars of. ■
. • tae rural - development program-;nnt{ .nutrition cover-for mothers nnmity in development ••'program-.; malnutrition - and :diseasb;..of:.th’elr7j
-a.f JS *ln-t5»rflt . component. ‘and children as an integral• com- mes related to health and-nutrU-'.earlier.;.years.; Many of .' them.suf*.-?
"" .two. things ,He^lth« p^nent of ."the rural development’ tion,’ ••
' ■.fer .from:'continuing■'• .malnutrition-'xor All By '2000 A.D..
A.D.-" win.
will. to
>-a- programmes.
■
Mr’GopslanTsnys'school.'health ;
'
. main only-a proclaimed goal./for. The comprehensive-school health programmes of various, kinds -have j/./?,,0/
•. India
’. This
seems
to
be the
ebn- service envisaged by Mr Gopalqn been in operation ; hi-different'
■.ir'ered
oni’von
o’ -’Ar
f C.
C
Gomlan
5l
ef
„°?
n0
>
n?
”
1
'
Gopalan,
7"
t £•’ . .<;])■>g elements:
.
..
iuc
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4"
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■'
■--■•;----------- L’"\ i
"i Z./.W
’
.. ...............................................
- -rn fl_ prHrt/in- <hP hiibtin'nf
-■ ■ ~ Provision'of
a healthy en-.
' comprehensive. programme-of
.this
r ..
vu-onment in schools and environ- kind
tod has ever,
ever..been
Attempted;’ —
-r -$
been; .attempted
it was mcHly
.
mental sanitation.
mostly’-'.routine
routine medical
u".
a-.-^
water check-up.'.; As
‘C?u! a?
. v*
3 rae m-mmry -n?.air.n
ncuui nnrft
am - Provision- .of safeAs aa result,
result,r • tiid.initlm .im- Will hve tO. glOW into-adulthood;..ea4ea _n
-• water check-up
.
-. system lor Health For AU By-2000, suDPly. , ; , ‘ ...
I . , pression nas, Bi-own ..that. the re-;.- _________
______
_
___
And that'rthey wall'eventually'-'becannot do full justice at .the rural
Per.!o^-°
check-up of suits of school health progtam- c01uc. xthe
co'unifv’s future adult1
' /:
. level even if the -full-complement totoen, preferably in- the pre- mes are not commensurate .with.*. -citte
^M ’'. with
“X.r S..
citizens
poor-' physical'.'.staof the staff .proposed' is in nosi.' sence ot then-parents.
-' the e.'torts and resources spent on ;'m!ha,
mid varying .degrees of.‘•func
tion. The. health care system
— Appropriate follow-up action: J,1’0®'Ijr;follp'.v;- tional. .incompetence./ /.
■ must be'buttressed by other spp- treatment and'remedial . measure T?•,bn?.*?-®?’Ill-.fae®t5,e“t:?? ’?,e“- '-.-■He says a. comprehensive school
portlre measures like-these " two. to correct the defects revealed by
‘-bd diseases detectea.in. tho. healt’j-.progriSmmei can not; only
. He suggests:
'
tliq 'check-up and periodic, moni- tionateed '^Ve'^who^l^nrdtomme'• help"<ttoW
. current '.'..ill health'
health
elimiate...currentWill
— A school -health authority toring of the effects of such Lcomes meaninelrss1 - And^thS Is 'hut »>?<>'-reverse'..and remedy to
which will ensure . heeW ;e.ivl- treatment.
•
ih^i?“'
^e extent .some ;:of . the late-if¥
ronment in schools and hostels,' — Correction of malnutrition in nnppenea,m -imam,; .. fect3-. 0* malnutrition' .pf-.•-.earlier
and’overset arrangements for mer • children throdgli well-designed
During the, .. ; last -two -, decades, -years. “The. fact ;tfiat /we.- -could
oical Inspection and treatment of supplementary feeding of nutri- the emphasis . on school {health not ‘catch’ these children wM’e
diseased children.
'
Hons snacks.
. services has somewhat receded, they were still .very,-young,’’is. ho
1 —- Five per cent of the current t — Health arid nutrition gduca- The recognition that the. i pre- justification'.for- writing them off
budgetary allocation for primary, tion and appropriate training of, school age. group (0-4 years) ia altogether’’
Express News Service
ch
-1.119
I:'^o/Sd/27.9.S3
c_-
VHAI INFORKAH ON SERVICE
C-H COMIULETI CENTER, S D A, NEW DELHI
~
120 016
heal;h ceil
•3*iS.
V Main, I Clock
‘'O'amangsia
iirLa .'i'-oC 0034
•-■Argsfc
N E W S
WANE OF PAPER
Indian Express
Tines of India
Economic Times
c^-Kindu
/
/{
PAPER
SUBJECT HEADI?CS
DATE
.t.
...
_
CLIPPINGS
,
. ♦ • S' - i - * /
MONDAY, MARCH 5, 1984.
warranted by it are upgraded so that they will
cease to be the spasmodic exercises (con
ducted in a casual manner) that they are today.
Teachers and parents have an important role to
play here. Teachers should be encouraged even
A SCHOOL HEALTH Committee was set . with the help of incentives to report on the poor
health of their' pupils and to record how the
up In 1960 under Mrs. Renuka Ray to suggest
medical
advice is followed up at home. It is
the guidelines for initiating a school health pro- ,
nobody's case that the school, staff by them
gramme. There has been no follow up on jts
selves can achieve s miracle here. Results depend
recommendations down the last two decades
and more. The Prime Minister, Mrs. Gandhi, ■ on the governments at all levels, their health
cadres and the voluntary social welfare workers
asked for a compulsory medical check of stu
dents at school and college at the inauguration ■ jointly rpounting . an ; integrated package of
of the National Heart Institute in New Delhi iln.; i. measures. A beginning, in-this direction' can well
August 1981. This did not also provoke the ex- , be through assessing’to what-extent the free
school lunch scheme can be built up as a nutri
pected response. Of course, in the wake of thedeclaration of health for all by 2000 A.D., the '- tional safeguard against Ill-health.
Upgrading school health
scheme
.* .'.
Centre initiated some steps for the fulfilment of •
this goal. The latest result of this exercise is the
new Centrally-sponsored, national school health ,
services scheme which Is to be launched early '
next year (1984-85). The'need for such a pro
gramme is underlined by the increasing impact
of malnutrition and ill health among school I
children. Because of the greater urgency for
preventive and curative measures for tackling .
the health problem among pre-school children "
who are, healthwise, at the most vulnerable
stage of development, greater attention has ■'
been paid through thq various integrated child
development services to correcting nutritional
and physical deficiencies of the. under-4 age
group. The-only, medical units available for.-.ttijs ,.
purpose arslthe"primary health '.feehire and -the
sub-centres'under it. With their coverage' at less- ••
than optimal levels, even this basic task has. not
been attended to with the necessary vigour and
efficiency. The nutritional and health status of
the pre-school children has not improved signifi
cantly and they are still exposed, to the risks of
communicable diseases.
As a consequence of all this,, under
nourished and malnourished children spill over -.•
into the schools In large- numbers from year to '.-i
year. According to an expert computation, 15-20 -j
per cent of school children show clinical’
ocular signs of Vitamin A deficiency and two
per cent suffer from ear Infections of various '
kinds.-Since, by the time they come to school,
nutritional deficiencies have done some, irrepar
able damage, a good number of children grow.
into adulthood with poor stamina and functional ■
insufficiency such as susceptibility to Infections,
blindness of various degrees and enfeebled in
tellectual powers. The problem with medical j
checks at school is that there Is no follow up. No -.:
precise record is maintained ■ of the defects :
noticed and there is no monitdring of whether. 3
the correctives, as suggested by the medical officer, have been applied. The proposed health. j
service scheme, to be effective, should ensure J
that the medical check as well as the monitoring
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1X7HEN seven year old Bala’’
vendra, from a small vil
lage about 20 kms. north of
Bangalore, proudly took home a
painting he had done al school,
his mother used it to light the
fire. It was an unconscious act
on the part of a parent to whom
schools connoted nothing more
than pages of grubby notes even that was of dubious value in
a village home.
Which is why it was no mun
dane event when four children
from that village appeared for
the seventh standard examination
in March this year, and secured
first classes. For eight years,
they had been part of an educa
tional experiment, the Sita
School, which had battled with
’T'O go far beyond the
quarantine of formal
education, while gaining
the confidence of the
community seems a
daunting task. This is
precisely what three ex
perimental schools in
Bangalore have made
possible...
parental indifference and sceptic
ism throughout its short exist
ence. After ail, what kind of
school was this which encourag
ed children to talk in class, deve
loped painting, drama and other
artistic skills, never ever beat the
children and, worst of all, never
conducted any examinations?
The obvious pleasure that the
children had derived from at
tending such a school hardlymade up,, in the eyes of the pa
rents, for its other deficiencies.
The examination results were
crucial in establishing credibility
and inspiring respect in the place
of scepticism.
For Jane, who had started the
Sita School in 1975 with “five
rather anxious and subdued
children”, the examination suc
cess was important for another
reason. It was an affirmation of
the belief that the "early stress
on examinations, grades and a
text book mentality is not
necessary”. Obviously, the choice
of rather unorthodox methods of
i
teaching which emphasise crea
tivity at all levels, does not pre;
elude the possibility of the
this was happening Senkal...a .
havan held a ught leash -rt the _
-i---- .-nd ■——-
~
,■ ■
ment to school. Now, 24 children
from three villages attend the
school, and have volunteered for
—---- -------------------------Tv TonnH Moir
Uctlicltx.1 iNdll
or Goa should merge vain Maha-
oncc agajn adrcsscd me “M.r
the children encourage Chandri
to read out her poetry which she
insists is not good enough to be
heard by everyone.
K/fORli important, perhaps,
-‘■VI than specific skills and
projects arc the values that such
a system engenders, obviously al
variance with those of the wider
community. The educational pro
cess al home is largely uncon
scious, though effective and ri
gid. Roles arc ascribed within
the structured hierarchical au
thority of homes, and although
children arc rarely excluded
from any activity in the com
munity, they are usually required
to accept these roles uncritically.
Schools such as these nurture a
kind of individualism, of achieve-
Pic by P.M.' Muthusubranianian
involved in something”. In the
Sila School, art is not just a sub
ject. but a process of discovery
about nearly everything. A group
of six children produce a map of
the village, replete with detail,
and remarkably accurate in
terms of location - a work of art.
A large embroidered curtain
which covers a bookshelf was .
produced by a group of senior
children who read the Merchant
of Venice from their seventh
standard textbooks • it shows
an Indianised Portia between
Shylock’and Antonio. The school
---- - stores and uses a large number
iof books that the children have
written and illustrated themsel
ves - on their village, festivals,
events, history, etc. At Vikasana,
a large mural is a joyous and de
tailed memory of a trip to My
sore that the children went on.
A poetry class in progress is
indicative of the non
judgemental nature of the rela
tionship between teachers and
students, and between students
themselves. When Ratna reads
out some limericks she has writ
ten, the other children listen
with enjoyment. Ravi does not
feel ashamed of reading out a
poem from a book since he has
written none of his own. and all
examination, several of the
children were perplexed by the
column marked ‘caste.’ Do they
set different papers for different
castes, they asked
“I explained that if they tilled
in their caste (they are all Sche
duled Caste) it would be a re
cord for possible preference cith
er in marks or later in jobs. 'I he
children decided to fill in this
column with just ‘Hindu,”
The tension between different
sets of attitudes for school and
for home is difficult to come to
terms with, Chinnappa. lor ex
ample, like many others, w.i> as
hamed of his father's drunken
ness The opportunity to alter
this altitude arose quite accident
ally when a story about a drunk
en man had to be illustrated:
everyone decided Chinnappa
could do it best! Much discussion
REE activities need
followed, and, says Jane, “the
-k their own structures trapdoor was open. They all
- space,, equipment and a wrote stories on violence in their
own lives, openly and without
definite role for the
shame." On one hand, a child
adult. These structures asks “How can you expect me to
be honest when my own parents
have evolved from an
tell lies?" while there is parental
apparent imformality to anguish
in “My daughter talks.
a new formality which
back tome at Home these days.'
If the parents found the abs
incorporates freedom,
ence of beating to maintain disci
not licence.
pline perplexing, so too did the
children. But these schools have
their own norms of behaviour
ment, which permits questioning
and of punishment. Six year old
of these roles. Bhakta and Shakti Kamala always forgot io do her
refused, in early school days, to
homework, sought refuge behind
participate in cleaning and
tears, and then stayed away from
sweeping the school, since they
school, forcing her mother to
were unused to such tasks at
take the responsibility of taking
home. Gradually, they began to
her back. This cycle was repeat
accept new responsibilities, al
ed till the teacher dealt firmly
though at first, it was clear that
with the child, making her rea
these new attitudes were for
lise the importance of some kind
school alone.
of commitment, while giving her
a token punishment.
In all these schools today,
many prejudices about male
T\TO matter how attractive the
female roles and abilities have
J ' school, most children cannot
been shed, yielding place to a
expect to spend all their time
new rationale. An atmosphere
there when their labour is more
has been created within which
valuable, elsewhere: in the fields.
the children have gradually felt
looking after siblings, or earning
it possible to raise and discuss
some money. School curricula
issues which had always been
therefore have to be fairly elastic
threatening: caste and colour, po to accmmodale this vital need to
verty and hard work and injus
survive at all. Holidays arc ad
tice, violence in the family. As
justed to suit the seasons in the
Margarcttc says; “The idea is
village, children allowed to take
not to make them feel helpless
time off for work, and in most
or overwhelmed by the size of
cases, they are eager to come
the problem, but to acknowledge back and catch up on their
the extent to which they can
school work.
change their own lives." “While
In the slum centre, this is a
filling the forms for the public
{Continued on Page 4)
slude
may
term:
ries :
corn]
qual
meu
optv
larg
rou'
the
chjTdrcn adjusting to a more for
mal and rigid system in the
years of the exam. It was this
approach, too. which stopped the
children from dropping out at
the alarming rate they did in the
beginning. Today, the Sila
School has forty children betwe
en the ages of 4 - 15, three full
time teachers, and fairly regular,
though not compulsory, attend
ance.
It is only half true that most
Indian villages lack even the pri
mary facilities for education: the
other half of the truth is that ob
jective conditions very often do
not permit this luxury, and even
when they do, what schools have
to offer hardly motivates either
parent or child. To go far
Classes on oaiuroay as well, four
children of one family, whose pa ly spill out of the airy class
rents moved to Bangalore from
rooms, uncluttered by too much
the village, regularly commute
furniture, onio the courtyard and
from the city to Vikasana, ob
beneath the trees. The light and
viously preferring, despite the in mobile desks are easily moved
convenience. the "alternative”
into small groups: here, one
education this school provides.
group works on mathematics
cards and worksheets, there,
Margarctte KT, who in 1978
another constructs a story from <
began a Children's Centre in a
vocabulary
written on cigarette
large slum in South Bangalore
with 15 children, also faced high cards, and, under the gooseberry
tree, a third group reads about
dropout rates. “The children
life in the Stone Age. Walls co
didn't want a normal type of
vered with bamboo matting pro
school, but if it was going to be
minently display the creative
different, a set-up where they
work of students.
could play and learn only what
they wanted, and not be shut up
Play was the starting point for
in a classroom, they were willing each of these schools: in the first
to come to school”. Now this has six months of their existence, no
burgeoned into two centres
formal teaching was done, only
beyond the quarantine of formal
education, while yet gaining the
confidence of the community
seems a daunting task. But this
is precisely what three experi
mental schools in Bangalore have
made possible.
VMK ASANA. a small school
’ started and run by M.C.
Malathi since 1977 on a farm off
the Kanakapura Road, faced
agonising problems initially. The
children had a hard time accept
ing regular hours, concentration
on activity, and often had work
to-do at home - so simply drop
ped out. "The parents had no
academic interest", she says.
"they only wanted to know iT
food and clothes would be
given". It is an attitude they
continue to hold, overcome only
by the children's own commit-
which cater to over a hundred
children of ages 4-15 drawn from
six slums in the area.
, In training and experience,
these teachers have little in com
mon. Margarette gave up more
than fifteen years of teaching in
prestigious formal schools to set
up the centre. Jane had no for
mal training, though she is wide
ly read on education, while Ma
lathi trained for two rigourous
years with that pioneer of alter
native education in South India,
David Horsburgh, at his own.ex
perimental school in Kolar di
strict. What they do share is a
basic commitment to transform
ing, in whatever limited way, the
process of learning into a fuller.
more, meaningful and enjoyable
experience.
Children's activities continual-
-jD, .cut passojpe uietnrootro-uq- -nqe|X uu.w 3“
,
p'xt m 'ivm
spite our parents working so
|
hard? Can we do something dif|
ferent with education? Most of
these students have either never
been to school or have dropped
out of structured educational in
stitutions.
I
N the rejection of the meanin'
gloss formality of structured ,
schooling, these schools have not
,
fallen prey to anarchic spontane,
ity. Free activities need their
own structures - space, equip
ment, and a definite role for the
adult. These structures have pro- >
ceeded from an apparent infor'
mality to a new formality which
incorporates responsibility in
freedom, not licence.
An average day in any of
these schools begins with a pe’
riod of quiet reflection, followed
by joint singing, moving on to
1
more and more unstructured ac
tivities as the day goes on, with
craft and art occupying a large
part of the afternoons. Since the
children arc divided into groups
according to abilities rather than
age, there is scope for greater
homogeneity. Though there is no
unnatural pcriodisation of the
day, work rhythms are establish
ed and adhered to. The emphasis
is on self study and on helping
each other, rather than competi
tion. But, as Malathi says, (and
the others agree) “the children
as well as parents want examina
tions. There were a lol of drop
outs as a result of not having
them!” In the slum Children's
Centre, the students have realis
ed that some kind of testing of
their understanding is necessary
to realise their abilities. There is,
consequently, none of the usual
tension and nervousness when
“examinations” are held.
Textbooks arc used, thought
they arc not accorded a primacy,
and are deepened and broadened
through other books and related
activities. “In this kind of learn- ,
ing, children can be made to
know that there can be more
than one answer to a question.
unlike textbooks which expect a
particular kind of answer”. The
games, with beads and jigsaws,
environment of the school is used
blocks and domino cards, leaves
resource, especially in the early
and stones. At first, the freedom
stages, but there arc obvious li
was incomprehensible for some:
mitations: the sense of wonder
Jane records that, contrary to ex
about other times and places
pectation, one six year — old
cannot be directly experienced
oj
“seemed paralysed by the
for children who may never have io
strangeness of it all. and for
seen snow, the sea, a city, or a
od
more than a week participated
train, never known tribal, pea,-j
only as a sullen silent observer.”
sant or city life;
If sheer passivity was the respon
Along with'the hard core of
pg
se to this new freedom in the
academic skills (literacy, nume- or)
Sita School, play provided a to
racy, conceptualisation.) art and hit
tally new focus for violence
craft activity occupy a centrality p-j
amongst the children of the
of attention and lime. Carpentry. i<y)
slum. “For four to five months,
necdlecraft and pottery, as well" ub|
the children took out their viol
as purely creative art, drama,
ay
ence on the toys they had been
and claywork form part of this
given.” Though it was therapeu
more balanced 'diet'. “Children ___
tic for children upto a point, this only learn when the whole body lssa®
unstructured play had to be giv
responds", says Jane, “not just
en direction, and so discussion
when they are involved intellec
began: Why are we so poor de
tually. hut when they are totally
I
The Open
Classroom
Continued from Page 1
more difficult problem to get
around, and a certain drop-out
rale is inevitable. But working
with the children in their most
impressionable years does pro
vide them with a set of values
which is appreciated wherever
they go.
None of these teachers, ho
wever, claim to be the New Al
chemists of Education, whose
formulae can be replicated with
ease elsewhere. They are not tak
ing on reform of “The System"
in any radical sense. In fact,
these are, in many ways, expen
sive answers to bewildering •ques
tions. Isolated creativity can in
itself become a definite privilege.
A teacher-pupil ratio of 1:15 at
the very maximum is something
of a luxury, and the freedom to
develop a syllabus on one's own,
choosing appropriate methods
etc, necessarily demands the abs-
The emphasis is on self study
cnee of strangulating government
control. It has only been the use
of non-governmental funds which
has made these schools possible.
This immediately limits the fea
sibility of extending such work.
Even where such investment is
possible, the method relies heavi
ly on personal skills of a very
high order. As such, the experi
ments cannot but be peripheral
to the mainstream educational
structure. The Sila School, for
instance, has decided that taking
students upto the SSLC level
may be beyond its resources (in
terms of facilities such as libra
ries and laboratories), without
compromising on standards of
quality. The newer schools,
meanwhile, have not yet explored
options of growth. But. by and
large, and perhaps a little danger
~~ ’—si—■ ' bools have given
ducing.interaction to. the min
imum level of seeking legitimisation of their “education" through
the accepted grades offered in
State examinations.
Such alternatives in education
which lie entirely outside the
Stale system exclude another
crucial level of intervention — in
reforming syllabi, textbooks, and
examinations and most important
teachers in Government schools.
T”H1S is not as radical or im*■ possible as it sounds. In
1972, 16 middle schools in Hoshangabad district in Madhya
Pradesh came within the ambit
of an experimental science teach
ing programme — two voluntary
agencies in the area, Friends Ru
ral Centre and Kishore Bharati
made use of the surprisingly free
hand that the State Government
gave them in evolving, over a pe
riod of four years, n science
“package.” It included a simple
environment-based kit for disco
vering basic principles of new
textbooks which provoked obser
vation and experiment and, most
important, a teacher training
programme. (Of course, there
was some resistance from teach
ers, for whom the discovery me
thod meant more work and a to
tal re-orientation of their ap
proach to teaching).
A network of resource people
were involved ranging from local
social teachers to professors and
science graduates from major ci
ties. New chapters were written
on cards, tested, modified, drop
ped, added to, before they finally
assumed the shape of a text
book.
A major bottleneck was the
public board examination after
middle school, flow would
—----- —:—■■ •’-•
cope with the M.P. level exam?
It was a significant acknowledge
ment of Kishore Bharati’s work
that the programme personnel
were allowed to set the papers
and evaluate and grade the stu
dents covered by their program
me. They used the opportunity
to introduce a new and fairly ra
dical clement ■ the open book
examination.
In 1978 the State Government
took over the Hoshangabad Sci
ence Teaching Programme and
extended it to all middle schools
in the districts to cover 40,000
students, in over 250 schools.
Since 1982, the job of overseeing
the programme has been under
taken by Eklavya, a quasiGovernmental institution set up
for the purpose. This will pre
vent the programme from being
“co-opted” into becoming anoth
er sterile government program
me. Meanwhile, Eklavya's work
has begun to burgeon, moving
into a proposed reform of middle
school social science syllabi text
books, and teaching and langu
age teaching.
In its work on social science,
Eklavya may be treading more
dangerous ground, and raising
ihe more political question of
what perspective to adopt. But
the social sciences as they are
now taught are antiseptic, dis
connected narratives, emphasis
ing detail without developing a
sense of history or concepts
which bear relation to child lives.
Although the combination of
circumstances which have made
such significant changes possible
may be difficult to find in other
states, the IISTP opens up
broader and more par-reaching
for change within the state
system.
It will be a long lime before
the lllichian prophecy of doom
for schools becomes true in In
dia, and deschoolcd societies ap
pear within the realm of the
possible. Meanwhile, lhe emerg
ence of such alternatives, and lhe
obvious tolerance of them by
slate systems are important indi
cators lhal oplions on the pas
sage to change are not altogether
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