The Sankalp programme honours its commitment of providing access to quality, holistic education for marginalized children in India by addressing learning achievement gapsthrough active participation of the community.

SANKALP: A NEED OF THE HOUR

While rigorous implementation of educational programmes at the national level has certainly seen an improvement in enrolment rates, significant challenges still remain in terms of improving quality of education. The survey on Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) undertaken by NGO Pratham found that only 72.2% of grade-3 children could read 2-digit numbers while only 50.8% of them could read grade-1 level text (ASER, 2019). This learning gap makes it increasingly difficult to meet demands of higher grades which may eventually lead children to dropping out of school. What compounds the problem further is the complex interplay of social factors (like gender, regional and caste-class disparities) together with problems of inadequate school infrastructure and functioning, as well as poor quality of education. Aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, Sankalp as a model and programme emphasizes the need to ensure inclusive and equitable, quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for children above 6 years of age.

VISION

 “Human Capital with democratic values and scientific outlook for transformation”

MISSION

“Engage in inclusive, quality, and equitable educational interventions for marginalized communities”

COMPONENTS OF SANKALP PROGRAMME

Sankalp model and programmes facilitate quality learning through innovative teaching – learning methods and pedagogy, while also providing opportunities for holistic development of children and youth through life skills education, extra-curricular activities and overall personality development.

EMOTIONAL COMPETENCY

Self – dignity, Self – esteem, Self confidence, Positive outlook, Interpersonal relationship

ACADEMIC COMPETENCY

Subject knowledge, Comprehension, Analytical skills, Articulation

SOCIAL COMPETENCY

Educating about rights, Inculcating values, Social consciousness

OUR FOCUS GROUPS

Tribals

De-notified Tribes

Dalits

PROGRAMME INTERVENTIONS

Supplementary Education Centers (SECs)

Target Group: 1st –5th std. children

Non-school going and/children enrolled in Government schools are engaged in holistic learning activities for 2-3 hours outside regular school hours.

Short-term Residential Training

Target Group: 3rd -9th std. children

For 15 days, 2-3 times a year, children are provided rigorous academic and life skills inputs to enable their holistic development.

Children’s Resource Centres (CRCs)

Target Group: 6th -8th std. children

Children from 3-4 villages are brought together at a cluster level centre, outside school hours, to engage them in academic and non- academic learning for 2-3 hours a day.

Long-term Residential Training

Target Group: Up to 2 yrs; for children in 9th – 10th or 11th – 12th std.

To support them through demands of higher education, promising children are provided rigorous academic and non-academic support to help transition aforementioned milestones.

Youth Resource Centres

Target Group: Adolescents

Students of senior secondary or tertiary education at the Panchayat/Block level are guided towards academic excellence, leadership skills and personality development by engaging them in a multitude of carefully designed activities/initiatives.

Kishori Groups (for females)

Target Group: Adolescents

As a means of empowering them, girls are given information about their rights (including their sexual and reproductive health) and trained on essential life skills through monthly meetings under guidance of mentors.

Mata Samitis

Target Group: Mothers of children enrolled in learning centres

Mata Samiti members act as agents for community and resource mobilization and ensure regularity of quality inputs for all children within and outside Government schools. Additionally, they are trained to ensure social equity and access to entitlements by becoming active within local governance.

SOME INNOVATIVE INTERVENTIONS

As a means to support and add impetus to Sankalp interventions in their respective operational areas, some partner organizations are implementing additional programmes namely:

Pre-Primary/ Preschool Education

Children aged 3-5 years are engaged in age-appropriate activities for 3 hours daily, which additionally act as a means of achieving school readiness and a motivation to learn, which may prevent future school drop-outs and child labour.

Grihini Schools

School drop-out girls receive nine months’ residential training focusing on academic learning in morning hours and vocational skill trainings (tailoring, cooking, soap making, beautician etc.) in the afternoons. This program also focuses on life skill education.

Ambedkar Prerna Dal (APD)/ Ambedkar Prerna Yuva Dal (APYD)

This village level group is designed to promote quality learning, group study, collective actions, awareness of rights and inculcating leadership qualities among children by means of multiple activities in bi-monthly meetings.

SANKALP COLLABORATION WITH GOVERNMENT

Linkages with Village Education Committees (VECs), Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) as well as School Management Committees (SMCs) within Government schools are maintained on a regular basis through interface and advocacy meetings, workshops and consultations, training and capacity building of teachers, curricular innovations, and joint visits to programme sites. Other than quality education, there is liaison with departments responsible for protection and development of children.

Regular dialogues are maintained through the year by organising interface and advocacy meetings, workshops and consultations, training and capacity building of teachers, curricular innovations, and joint visits to programme sites. Such activities allow exchange of learnings and a model that supports the other.

INNOVATIVE

TEACHING-LEARNING

AND PEDAGOGY

Rural Education and Development (READ), Bettiah in consultation with Government Education experts developed Chirag series of books for teaching Hindi and Maths across
varied grades. These books have been developed in both Hindi and Bhojpuri

PRABHAT, another Jesuit organization published Khilte Phul (a bi-lingual book in Maithili and Hindi)

MANTHAN published Gyan Deep, a language primer

Maharashtra Prabodhan Seva Mandal (MPSM) developed 60-educational charts to learn Marathi, English, Math, Science and Social Studies

OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  • Improved enrolment rates, school retention and successful grade transitions
  • Enhanced academic achievement and learning levels across all grades
  • Increased self-esteem, confidence and positive self-image among children
  • Active community participation towards ownership and sustainability of the programme
  • Strengthened social capital in the form of collective motivation, encouragement and leadership
  • Increased proactiveness towards social inclusion and academic achievement of children within Government schools and administrative systems