The EGS is special in that the impetus for education does not come for the government anymore. Instead , it comes from the people. This is what my professor calls self-selection , a new concept that has caught on with many schemes now including the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
So what is self-selection ? It simply means that the government will not conduct surveys to guage the demand for a service anymore. Instead the people will come to the government demanding the service and showing reason for why the demand is justified. The case of the EGS should demonstrate it better .
Under the EGS , the community that has decided that it needs the school will first bring together the students who need education , identify a local resident who can become a gurji/teacher , provide a startup space for the school . They will then approach the Panchayat who will appoint the teacher and refer the case to the government . The government will now participate in the process by providing training for the teacher , paying his salary , providing teaching an learning material for the students and monitor quality peridoically .
For those of you who think that this model will never work , here are some statistics for you cause I know your love for numbers and proof . This is from 2002 Planning Commission report .
There was a 20.2% increase in literacy from 44.2% in 1991 to 64.4% in 2001 and the scheme was implemented only in 1998 ! This is undoubtedly a success story .
To those of you wishing to contribute to this cause
http://www.fundaschool.org/jsa.html
Posts
3 comments:
Wow! That is quite something aint it?
Its great that we have such schemes but it never comes to light.
It would sometimes help to get the cynicism out of the way and look at the positive things.
Isnt it great that despite all the numerous problems we have, we are still one of the fastest growing country!
That is the beauty of the Indian nation ! :-)
That's an interesting scheme- and it sounds like it'll not only help build schools but also open up jobs for the local community.
But I have to say- that statistic just serves as another example of how numbers can deceive. The growth in literacy does seem remarkable (over 20%) but it really doesnt say how much of it is due to this scheme. The growth could be due to a multitude of others factors and simply due to greater prosperity in the country. Don't you think? Or am I missing something here?
Post a Comment