Child marriage

Summer vacation is a long rest for teachers as everyone says, but it is not so. As a teacher, it’s a really boring phase of the year as teachers are always concerned about their students – teaching, interacting and conducting activities etc. All the summer vacation I was waiting for the month of June to meet my students… went to the school on a Saturday with lots of enthusiasm. However, the visit made me sad and disheartened. I heard that five of our students from ninth and tenth standards got married in summer. “It’s all due to parental pressure that they had to agree for the wedding” explained their classmates sadly.

One of the girls has got married before board exams; however, she fought with her in-laws and wrote the exams. It shows how challenging it is for these girls to pursue higher studies in the future.

 Most of the students belong to families where the parents are illiterates and slum dwellers. In a typical Indian lower middle-class family, girl children are seen as “bojh” (burdens) on the parents’ shoulders. They want to get off their girl child by making them tie the knot with a person who would give them security. Parents hardly care about the opinions of girls about marriage, thus they often have to sacrifice their happiness to satisfy their parents and be a good, obedient daughter.

 Parental views on girl child marriage –

• We are worried about the society. They point fingers at us if we do not marry off our girl child even after her schooling.

• I have five children, my daughter is the oldest, and we have to perform her wedding immediately after seventh standard. We have four more daughters lined up for wedding.

• We really want to send our girl child to pursue higher studies, but we are afraid that she might side-track, fall in love or marry against our wishes etc. To be on safer side it would be good to perform her wedding after tenth standard. If her in-laws agree, she will continue her studies.

• My daughter got a nice match (groom). So though she is in tenth standard, we are ready to perform her wedding. She might not get a guy like this, and they are asking nominal (two – three lakhs cash+ home appliances + a motorbike) dowry.

Majority of Indians belong to the above-mentioned category. Child marriage is still prevalent in every corner of the state and this is the reason we are seeing constant child mortality rate from past many years (for more info). Also Indian women are more anemic compared to other countries. 

These all are known facts and are being debated since ages, but the reformation of perception is very slow. The only missile to dismantle these social evils is education. If every parent is educated, we wouldn’t see such cases. Here’s hoping the future generation, being more educated, would take an active role in doing away with such practices.

Toilets are a must for every school

Recently, the Supreme Court has ordered all the schools to provide basic infrastructure in less than 6 months. For more info - Toilets must in all govt schools.

It means that we still have no proper basic infrastructure in our schools or educational institutes even after 66 years of independence. Central and state governments are pumping money through several schemes every year; but where is the fund going (into scams)?

Well, here I would like to jot down some experiences since my childhood –

Being a student of a government institution, I can explain the conditions first hand. The school which I studied in was an aided school, but the standards were equal to any other govt school. I can’t find words to explain the condition of our washrooms. It was more horrific than any horror movie I have seen. We used to consume less water in order to avoid going to the toilets. We never dared to complain about the situation to our school management (as they already knew). For them, all that mattered were taking classes and completing the syllabus which, in themselves, were big challenges.

Coming to some local private schools - they collect five to six hundred rupees as fee from each student per month, but the basic amenities are not up to the mark. I worked as a teacher in a private school; the school has a big building but devoid of  playgrounds or campus area. The school has good strength with four hundred plus students. Pupils often fight among themselves during intervals or break times. If you say it is quite common for fights to break out over petty issues in every school, you would be surprised to know the reason here. They fight for toilets! The school has constructed just three washrooms for 400+ students. Being a co-ed school, there’s only one toilet for boys, one for girls and the third is for the staff. 

Private schools have at least three washrooms with 200:1 ratio, but there are some govt schools which are running successfully without toilets in the school campus. Here, I draw the example from one of my friend, Mrs.Shyamala, an SGT (Secondary Grade Teacher) at a Govt Primary school, near LB Nagar, a few kilometers from Hyderabad. “Children are sent to their homes to answer nature’s calls, but students, especially girls, coming from faraway places have to reign in their bladders till evening.  Though we repeatedly asked the area MEO (Mandal Revenue Officer) and sent letters to DEO (District Education Officer) to sanction funds to construct toilets, the response is not satisfying”, she sadly explained.

Well, it's ridiculous that we teachers have to train girl children on how to control their bladders in order to avoid nature's calls. I appeal to actress, Vidya Balan , to produce an ad to show the importance of sanitation not only at home but also in the school.

A school on the foot path

It seems strange when we hear about schools on the footpaths; but there are some schools running successfully this way, educating the kids of poor families. One such school is ‘Alpha school’, located near Jubilee Hills. The school caters to the underprivileged children with primary school education for free of cost. Parents of these children work as maids in the nearby bungalows and some work as laborers at construction sites.

The school has no pucca roof but a small shed on the footpath to shelter the kids from sun and rain.

The school emerged from the thought of a woman, Ms.Shoba Rani. The school is running successfully with good number of students and teachers for 12 long years.

An age old saying, “Helping hands are better than praying lips”; truly implemented by Ms.Shoba Rani. Daily we pass by so many kids on the roadside, feel pity for them or blame the government, but hardly think of any instant solution. This is a live example to solve things in possible ways…  

Invigilation duty

I have got a chance to invigilate annual examinations for high school. The most boring job in the world is invigilation. It’s a big pain in the knees, neck and eyes- we need to stand and roam around the exam hall continuously for 2 and a half hours; keep eye on every student and turn both directions frequently. I have been seeing this stereotypical practice since my childhood.

Its physical science exam, pupils are literally bewildered at questions given in the paper.

Absolute silence in the school can be seen only during exams!

Discussing the questions with their peers, in front of a hawk eye invigilator! 

Exam Season

February, March and April are peak months for educational institutions in a country like India. Students, teachers, institutions from secondary to university level will gear up in preparing for the final assessments. The litmus test is not only for students but also for teachers and institutions.

Practical exams:

From junior to senior intermediate and under graduates to post graduates have to undergo practical exams before they appear for final exams. Usually these practical exams will be held in mid-February. Whereas, schools don’t have such kind of exams since practical exams are not required for elementary level- a written assessment as a  final exam is the mandate, though it has many loopholes.

Pre-finals:

Prior to the final exams the students have to undergo some mock tests which are named ‘pre-finals’. It is a compulsory exam which is held in the school campus itself. These exams are about pupils practicing the model test papers, revising the things learnt and removing the fear of exams.

However, it has some drawbacks as well- many schools finish their syllabi before the New Year and conduct as many as five to six mock tests. Pupils get fed up writing the exams continuously for two months and as a result they develop an apathy towards exams.  Also, students complain that they waste their precious time in appearing for mock exams which could be utilized in preparation for the finals. 

The identification:

Hall-ticket:

A piece of paper with an 8 to 10 digit unique number will be issued to every student who are going to write the public exams. The exam venue will be printed on those tickets usually.

Exam center:

Pupils will be waiting for the hall-ticket to check their exam centers, wishing their exam centers would be near to their locality in order to minimize travel time.

On the other hand, some students with a disposition towards cheating will calculate the probability of malpractice in the exam depending upon the exam centers. It’s a bitter fact that some exam centers are famous for such malpractices, where the invigilators themselves supply answers to the students.

Need of the hour is change in exam pattern, and assure 100% transparency in invigilation. 

From the EFF team, we wish good luck to all the students appearing for their Public Exams…! 

Walkathon

A recent survey unveiled that there are around 793 million adult illiterates in the world- mostly from third world countries. Out of which, two thirds are women[Source: Wikipedia]. According to 2011 census, Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) stands 24^th in literacy ranking out of 28 states in India. It’s a huge 7% difference compared to the national’s 74.04%. A.P.’s government has come up with many programs to eradicate illiteracy; however the progress is languishing at a snail’s pace.

We, the EFF team initiated an event-Walkathon, supported by PurpleTalk Inc, with a cause: ‘EDUCATE A CHILD’. The walk was about appealing to people of the nation to educate a child as a contribution to society. Here ‘educating’ doesn’t mean we have to go to a class and teach; there are so many ways to volunteer towards eradicating illiteracy from the nation, such as–          

·         Sponsor a child’s education.
·         Adopt a classroom.
·         Counsel parents of the drop outs.
·         Organize education awareness programs in slums/rural areas.
·         People passionate about teaching can teach students remotely using technology.
·         Visit a school nearby to figure out their problems.

Along with EFF one more NGO joined the event, it is ‘MAD’ (Make a Difference) which is working towards empowering underprivileged children through education.

Details of the event:

Date: 25-Jan-2013

Time: 4pm onwards

Venue: KBR Park, Banjara Hills, Hyderad

Pamphlet

Snaps from the event: 

In front of KBR Park

Giving a brief explanation about EFF and MAD

Volunteers cheering J

Busy bees take out time to join the walk!

And that was a never ending line; people were joining in at every corner of the walk!

Distributing the pamphlets to passersby

No one can stop us!

And that was a fantastic evening, with pleasant climate!

Everyone had a lot of fun along with the walk! 

Read India

What do you present a kid on his/her birthday? A doll, a playing kit, an automated toy etc. If you ask me, I would definitely suggest books as the best option to gift. Indeed, the competitions or quizzes we organize on behalf of EFF, we prefer to gift books rather than items or trophies since we have observed pupils in the rural as well as in urban areas are largely unable to afford books apart from those prescribed in their academic courses.

Reading is the best way to acquire a language. Students from underprivileged and middle classes in our country are distributed free text books by the government of India. Therefore, they have access to their text books. We have many students in the nation who crave to read more. Unfortunately, many schools have no libraries and those which do have them lack good collections of attractive books. On the other hand, modernization and access to information on the internet has adversely affected the importance of libraries both in rural and urban areas. Then how can we quench the thirst of reading in students belong to economically backward classes?

 To develop reading skills in students a NGO named ‘Pratham books’ has come forward with a noble cause – ‘a book in every child’s hand’.

About Pratham Books:

At Pratham Books, we believe that every child has the right to enjoy good books.  And we believe they should have stories set in surroundings familiar to them and in a language close to their culture. We believe that to make books accessible to every child, the price points have to be very low. Pratham Books is a brand of story books as Indian as the children who read them. As a not-for-profit publisher, our dream is to see a country where every child wants to read, is able to read, and has something good to read.

Click here for more info - 

some cover pages of the online books

Thank you Pratham Books : )

We EFF team are grateful to Pratham books, who gave us access to their online titles. The books are nicely designed with attractive illustrations that will appeal to any age group. Simple language, fewer lines in paragraphs, good story line and great quality slides which draw the students interest. Currently, we’re using online story slides converting it to ppt to show in the virtual classroom. Vernacular medium students found it very easy to read with fascinating pictures. The stories depict the typical Indian family background and culture. 

Eenadu: Press release

It’s for the second time that Eenadu covered Education For Free; the article had been released on 29^th July’12, in RR district edition.  The post is in regard to the virtual teaching at ZPHS, Gandeed, with feedback from a  few students.

Here is the paper cutting of the edition – 

For those who are not able to read Telugu, here is the translation of the article…courtesy - Sudha teacher J

Online Education…students’ reception..!

Every year there is a substantial increase in the number of students joining private schools. Government schools are struggling to retain their students. Even though they have implemented a particular program named “success” which was introduced to improve their language skills, especially English. It has started two years ago but the students could not get acquainted to it. In such situation a private organization has thought it essential and came up with dedication to provide online teaching system for the schools.

 

      In the year 2008 in Hyderabad, a city-based Software Company named “PurpleTalk Inc” collaborated with Masab tank Red Cross Government Girls High School and established this unique system of online teaching. Since last 4 years from that particular school, students were imparted language skills and vocabulary which provided great results. Presently the management is planning to introduce this online teaching to government schools in rural areas and reach out to the underprivileged children. Mr. Sridhar Muppidi (founder) of PurpleTalk Inc, Mr.Rama Krishna, Mr. Hari, Mr. Sateesh,  Mr. Neelakanta and Mr. Suresh, Mr. Bhanu have worked hard together to develop this software without any help from other networks. They have used the latest technology to make this program a success. They have selected a locality which is 130 kms away from Hyderabad city, viz, Gandeed and spent more than a lakh to arrange a big screen, video projector, Internet, camera and audio system.

        From 11^th 29th October 2011, the higher standard classes are directly reached through video conference online teaching. The students interact with teachers through bi-directional video and audio. There will be approx 2 to 3 sessions per day based on the convenience of the students. Apart from concentrating in English, they are bringing importance for subjects like math and other subjects too, with ample examples and videos. Every month exams are conducted to test the knowledge and understanding of the students. Recently the volunteers of the company has renovated a few rooms in the school, which was in a damaged condition, in order to continue classes.     

Response of the students about online education:

Rajesh – 8^th standard

                       “I lost the fear of English”

I have joined the “Success school” which was a Telugu medium, when the management has introduced English medium, I found it very difficult to cope up with the teachings in English, gradually the new method of teaching through video conference interested and encouraged me to continue studying in English medium without any fear. I have improved my language skills, vocabulary and grammar too. And moreover I am gaining knowledge in lot of other subjects through this online system of education…!    

 Sravani – 7^th Standard

                  “Better than the usual classes”

 The power point teachings (visual displays) through this success school has helped me in grasping knowledge on various subjects such as language, communication skills and English because the online teaching has attracted us, which is different from other regular teachings. The teachers repeat the lessons until we are thorough with the topic- by this method of online teaching we have learnt to use the English language fluently.

Ambica-Teacher:

 It is our purpose to develop the language skills and to boost the talents of the students, particularly children belonging to downtrodden and underprivileged sections living in villages. Our determination in providing well qualified faculty to train these children through this online teaching program have reached many students. Thus far, it is an encouragement for those people, especially teachers who are basically service oriented, to achieve satisfaction by getting acquainted to this environment of online teaching program.

A Visit to remember: Lessons and memories created

EFF team visits its rural schools once in three months to check the progress of the students. The trip is arranged with some volunteers on 24th Nov'12. PurpleTalk employees - Sheik Khaleel Babu, Mr.Siva Sankar and Mallesh volunteered; travelled with us more than 270 Km. We spent the whole day with students and shared their views & suggestions. 

Volunteers turned teachers

For some time the volunteers turned teachers-conducted classroom games and activities, which gave them a welcome break from their routine lives. To be a teacher is not an easy job, as people think; in fact it needs a lot of ground work to be called a good teacher. Pupils watch our movements and gauge how well we are able to connect with them emotionally-What we wear, what we speak, our body language, our behavior-everything counts. Pupils imitate teachers, so care should be taken by the teachers that there is no flaw in presenting themselves in front of the children.

Mr.Khaleel, giving a small speech –“pursue your studies with love but not as a duty”. Occasionally, words we spell out are so touching and inspiring unknowingly. 

Mr.Siva Sankar, interacting with eighth standard students

EFF teacher, Sudha, conducting classroom games

And that’s me, with sixth standard students. They were so cute and lovable, that I couldn't leave the class.

Mallesh turned cameraman clicking snaps of us J

Progress

Coming to the actual progress of the students through virtual classroom teaching- the students of vernacular medium did not make much progress in speaking English. On the other hand, English medium students of high school are much better. They've made a lot of improvement. The main goal of virtual classroom teaching is to make them focus not just on studies but also, on social issues, environment problems, current affairs, intelligence, general knowledge etc. The visit enlightened us in some areas to work on, mainly the method of teaching for vernacular medium with different lesson plans.

 It’s a known fact that students from a rural background are not as outgoing as urban folks. Though they have talent, they just keep quite owing to fear and dare not disclose their talent in front of everybody. We are trying to introduce them to the pleasures of being liberal in thought and speech. 

Prizes for the winners

The visit had one more purpose, to distribute the prizes for GK quiz winners, conducted on the occasion of Children’s day. The competition was held between two schools- ZPHS Boys’ and ZPHS Girls’ schools of Gandeed village and Mandal.

At last we thanked the school managements for giving us warm welcome and coordinating with us in taking sessions with the children. Grateful to the volunteers who took time out of their busy schedules for EFF.

The soul is healed by being with children – an English proverb

Children are akin to buds sprouting from branches. When they blossom into flowers, their scent and colours will help us enjoy the entire world-Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Well said by the first prime minister of India...as an honour we celebrate his [Nehru’s] birthday as Children’s day. He was fond of children and was known as ‘chacha’ (Uncle) Nehru among them. 

On 14^th November we celebrate Children’s day in every school throughout India. Children’s day was one of the favourite celebrations in my school life. Teachers used to entertain us in many ways, they used to dance, sing, play skits etc. Hilarious TV ad ‘all-out’ was released in those days, where the machine eats away all the mosquitoes like a frog. We rolled on the floor laughing when our strict Hindi teacher acted like ‘all-out’ machine eating all the mosquitoes. That was really unforgettable. School memories rejuvenate us all the time. 

Children's day celebrations @Red cross Government Girls’ High school, Hyderabad.

On the event of children’s day, Lions Club organized some competitions and distributed prizes to the winners.

The cute little angels from primary-performing a dance in front of the chief guests

A devotional song, performed by high school students.

They are upper primary students, was performing ‘Pankida’ dance with sticks. Though they are too small to handle the sticks, their coordination and timing was impeccable throughout the song. I must learn from them for next Navarathri ; -)

Fancy dress competition: A traditional Kashmiri girl

 Miss Goa

Gujrathi girls

The day concluded with refreshments.