rush reports

Report of the month of Sep. 2006 Rush

Project code: Ark/ed/Gov-02
Activities of the cef Puri Dist during the month of September 2006.

THE GOVERNANCE IN THE EDUCATION
Arakhkuda UGUP
Presently the school keeps 113 children in class 1, but 37 children got admission in the session Apr-May 2006. The inclusion process wants to admit rest of them in the Sep-Oct 2006 when the drop out and non-going categories added in July-Aug 2006. There are technical variation in the opinion of the HM and teachers about the admission procedure and sessions. A circular from the state department to the SI of schools is urgently needed to direct the teachers of all the schools to keep open enrolment across the session to check drop out as well as to avoid children’s involvement in labour activity.

The children from migrant families of Arakhkuda village ‘who live in the lagoon areas of the lake at present were also enrolled in the nearby school Sanpatna Project Primary by Ms. Rinamani Behera. The children have their enrolment in the Arakhkuda UGUP School before but due to accessibility from their new residence they are continuing in Sanpatna Project Primary but the will appear in the examination in Arakhkuda UGUP.

Decisions will be taken to shift these children from the previous school to the present school taking in to account of the accessibility to the later. All these children are using boat to cover their way.

During a discussion on the present issues the CRCC Mr. Rajkishor Jena asked for some TLM (teaching learning material) for the existing schools from the OSA project because the schools have approved the MDM for our children (new enrolled by OSA). He also demanded some authorization from the OSA body granting permission for the voluntary OSA teachers who are attached into the school. This seems a grassroots political plank to derail the position again because the schooling in the GP has eclipsed the mal-governed SSA programs and rest of the education infrastructure by the ODISA SIKHYA ABHIJAN. Hence the VEC people are asked to demand more regular teachers into the existing schools before OSA withdraws all the camp teachers from the GP in the future.

Short-term inclusion setbacks

The OSA CAMP OF SHORT TERM is running from 7 to 9 A.M assisting and preparing children attending their schools where the short term teachers are running classes during the whole session in the school. The future problem of shortage of teaching staff in the schools has to be redressed by the PTA, MTA, VEC otherwise the children can not get the rightful services. It is observed from the camp operation that the children of higher classes were not able to learn the minimum of the appropriate education. Camps proved to be the best option for the children in this habitat.
Rally:
Intermittent rally in the GP is a sensitization activity being conducted by the shortterm children and their camp teachers. The collection all the slogans from all the educational projects were used in the rally in Arakhkuda on 27th sep 2006.

Machine boat provision by the camp teachers:
One motorized boat leaving Sanpatna and Arakhkuda sea beaches to the Sanpatna project primary school, the travel grants were initiated by the camp teachers @ 10% at the beginning and now has been deducted to the limit of 5%. This initiative is not a sustainable action to continue for long run. The community or parents to be involved as well as the OSA to cater the need of the displaced people and their children in this mission, in this context, the mass mobilization meetings to be made effective. The SSA has to initiate hostels in the GP considering the livelihoods of fishermen’s family

Problems:
The camp schools after a limit are feeling the need of chalk, children’s notebooks and pencils where as schools are not changing drastically as expected by the village committee.

A refreshers training to the existing staff is needed along with provisions to train new staff who will join after a vacancy due to resignation of a staff. In the coming days there may be some vacancies to be occurred due to posting of the staff as SSS under the Govt. education department.

Mid Day Meal
Mid day meal and egg are available now in the schools. Some of the authorities have started recognizing the change in the situation due to OSA intervention.

Responding disability: ( abstract of a case study)
A camp teacher Ms Saida Mahammed includes the following case study for this month.
Name of the child: Gita Behera, D/o- Basu Behera, aged about 9 years admitted in class 1 staying in the Baidharsahi with her parents. Gita is impaired because she is deaf and dumb. The parents usually decided not to send her to school because she cannot learn anything. Gita’s time was passing in her settlement alone. Ms Mahammed visited her house before the initiation was taken up in her location she brought the child to the camp but it was a challenging task to make the child understand what is going there.

Gita was not aware of the syllables, she is now writing them flawlessly. She keeps close contact with the teacher and tries to know what she speaks even the sound is not audible to her. She learnt good manners and believes some change is happening in her life. Gita’s family is very happy to see the result of inclusion.

But Gita needs audiometer and TLM for the deaf and dumb to promote so also the teachers need a refreshers training on dealing with the children with special need.



Meetings

Cluster meetings
09/09/2006, 15/09/06, 23/09/06/
Place: Osa office Arkahkuda, Seabeach Arakhkuda.
Regarding the action plan and activity, OSA working days.
Progress report of the activity of concerned teachers were discussed, where family visits, mass mobilization and functioning of the VEC was the thematic area of discussion.

Core group meeting:
28/09/06
OSA office Arakhkuda
Progress reports submitted to the coordinator and advisors by the teachers. Alternatives for the communication was also discussed.

Meeting with the VEC members

Dated: 06/09/06, 07/09/06/08/09/06/ 12/09/06, 20/09/06
Arakhkuda and Sanpatna. Village and Lagoon area
Awareness drive for the parents regarding OSA camp and schooling process. Agreement of the presents to facilitate the OSA education process.

Parents meeting:
07/09/06/, 15,09/06, 19/09/06
Arakhkuda and Sanpatna.

Presence of children in the camp school, role of parents in children’s education, Aims and objectives of OSA was discussed.

Mass mobilization
12 to 17 09/06
arakhkuda and sanpantna seabeach.
Improvising the OSA approach. People’s participation in OSA was emphasized.

Day’s celebration:
05/09/06
all the children were facilitated to observe Guru Diwas (Teacher’s Day) in the Arakhkuda UGUP and Sanpatna Proj. Primary, Gopinathpur UGUP
Major Discussion on the shortage of Guru People in the present scenario in the GP, teacher’s involvement in Mid Day Meal theft, willful neglect in education where they are appointed.





Meeting and tour of the Osa Dist authority

14 /09 and 17/09 2006
Gabkund , Sanpatna and Gopinathpur
Monitoring visits done by the director. Discussion on sustainability of Osa/

Trainings
Dated: 03/09/2006
Gattani Seva Niketan Puri
Child rights and combating child trafficking.
How a teacher community can prevent trafficking. Right of the child and duty keepers.

Visitors

Debasis Rath
Rush Puri dated 14 and 17/09/06
Place: Sanpatna, Gabkund, Gopinathpur.
Remarks: monitoring of the schools run by Osa teachers.

Ms Devjani Himansu
Dated 15/09/06
Para-professional for childline India foundation.
Remarks: MIS for the monthly performance records

Requirements observed:
Chalks and notebooks and mapping of OSA project area.

Logistics supplied: chalks for the program

Records verified: camp records, VEC records,

Place: Arakhkuda OSA Office
Date: 05/10/06 sd- GPcoordinator


Seen
OSA HQS office Puri. Seal signature.