Educate 200 Children & 1000 Families in India

IDF puts drop outs back on schooling track !

In a country where education is a fundamental right, it is rather ironic that the reported cases of school drop outs are on the rise. While the Indian education system continues to dodge age old issues regarding low quality of education, minimal enrollment in schools and accessibility, initiatives such as the Summer Open School (SOS) Program devised by Agra based NGO, Indian Dreams Foundation is helping fill the void.

Through a non formal education system, SOS plans to slowly but steadily bridge the gaps within the country’s formal education. The program in its first year started on 1 June 2012 and will run till 31 July 2012, at Balmik Basti, Freeganj, Agra.

Under the program, children between age three to six and older drop outs are made to prepare for enrollment into grade one of formal schools.  Through SOS, IDF not only enables these children to deal with formal school syllabus at ease but also succeeds in raising awareness amongst parents regarding the importance of education for their children and the ills of dropping out mid way. IDF re-enrolls the drop-out children into various schools and encourages parents of girl children to send their daughters to schools regularly.

The SOS centers impart a wholesome education that tries to improve communities as a whole.

At present, 37 children have enrolled in SOS. They are taught on various aspects of personality development, language, behavior, hygiene and social concerns. To build self confidence amongst the children from the slum and bring out their talents, SOS also ensures classes for music, dance and art are conducted regularly.

Within the two month period, SOS centre organizes Parents Meeting days to instill a sense of responsibility of their child’s education and also raise awareness regarding the many constitutional rights they can exercise under the RTE Act to ensure their children complete their education. These meetings also allow IDF to push important topics about health, hygiene and environment to the forefront.

The Summer School is a project that plans to raise questions among the slum dwellers on various issues faced by their community. It seeks to solve problems related to gender inequality and discrimination against girls when it comes to accessibility to education, health and individual choices. IDF also involves in activities aimed at abolishing child labour and caste based discriminations. 

IDF finds that a change in ideology is already setting into the minds of the parents of the 37 children at the SOS. Similar initiatives across the country will ensure the RTE does not remain a right only on paper but a right practiced in reality.