Give a smile to 3000 slumchildren to attend school

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which represents the consequential legislation envisaged under Article 21-A, means that every child has a right to full time elementary education of satisfactory and equitable quality in a formal school which satisfies certain essential norms and standards. Ruchika also believes that the most basic education instills a sense of confidence, purpose and insight that is necessary for successful and productive participation in any society without which the children and adult lack the ability to adequately support themselves in a legitimate profession or trade and thus often fall prey to all forms of exploitation, corruption and abuse.

In response to the growing and apparently formidable challenges faced by the children on the street and of the city slums, Ruchika started an innovative fun school program viz. “Platform school” in April 1985. Presently the organization reaches out to over 7,000 children and their indigent families in about 150 slums of Bhubaneswar and 11 major railway hubs of Odisha with multifarious programs. Through a diverse and large variety of educational innovations, the organization has dedicated itself to the ideal that: “If the child cannot come to the school, then the school must go to the child”.

In response to the growing rate of drop outs from the formal school system Ruchika started Remedial Education program in 2009. Presently it reaches out to 4000 children with 105 primary and 67 elementary remedial education centers spread across 105 slums of Bhubaneswar.

Rajashree a distinguished little scientist:

 In the word of Rajashree a girl studying in class 7th “I live in a slum of Bhubaneswar established in the base of urban waste, dumping yards and always feel suffocated & have a dream to build an eco-friendly environment by proper utilization of wastages. This promotes me to see a dream to become an Environmental scientist in my life. When I got a inspiration to demonstrate my project while studying in Ruchika Remedial Education Centre. I had prepared a model on proper utilization of waste output of urban community, and my project was exhibited in  the Ruchika Science Exhibition program and was selected as one of the best model by the jury of National Children’s Science Congress, Govt. of Odisha. I am so glad to present my model in the 21st National Children’s Science Congress, Khordha Dist. Level competition and would like to thank Ruchika & its supporters for building the first ladder of my dream in the future- to be an Environmental Scientist”

• Progress report9 (DOCX)

We try not to be too eager to tell children that things are like this - we give them time: a truth they found out for themselves will stay with them and give them strength for entire life. NCF focuses on the life oriented education than traditional textbook centric Edn. RTE is implementing all over country since 2010. So the aim of the RSSO Education project was “materializing RTE for slum children in the age group of 6 to 14 years in Bhubaneswar through remedial coaching, empowering and mobilizing the community and sensitizing the school teacher.”

The slum children are provided with remedial coaching to ensure retention and to fill up the quality gap of school education and increase academic proficiency. Attempts is to be made to advocate with government school authorities to allow the remedial teachers to work inside the school rooms, so that they can impart special education to late starters, not starter, slow learners, academically weak children and children with specially needs inside the school which is to be helpful to prevent dropouts. In addition this year the organization is trying to form children’s groups in the slums and empower them to generate demand for quality education as part of its plan for sustainability.

RSSO believes that if the children trusted and cared for, growing of children usually know the right balance between challenges that they can undertake and when they need support, when given freedom, they learn that what is challenge for one of their peers need not be so for themselves. They learn to respect difficulties of their classmates, share in the happiness of overcoming them. Education it firmly believes is the one and only catalyst to improve the status of children, to give them a chance to improve their livelihood in the future and advance them an opportunity to upward social mobility. Therefore, RSSO seeks to ensure that a quality school education is imparted to all children within our target group of street and slum children.

Activities and Achievement

1. Activities with the Community

Basti Education committees have been working effectively. They monitor the working of remedial centers running in their respective slums.

• Monthly meetings of BECs are conducted religiously and resolutions are made unanimously.
• Community awareness programme have been taken up the following responsibilities.
• Community Mobilization

1. Visit the family and discuss with parents about the children’s performance.
2. Organize Community meeting & BEC meeting.
3. Create Community Awareness

• Work with Govt. School Teacher to ensure realization RTE prevision as follow.

1. Greater involvement of communities in school development and management.
2. Special Prevision for out of school children.
3. Universal enrolment and retention.
4. Creating a barrier free environment in the environment in the school.
5. Enrollment at all times and no stagnation.
6. Making school a punishment free zone.
7. Admission in age appropriate class and special provision for filling the proficiency gap.
8. Comprehensive and Continuous Evaluation – CCE.
9. Minimum facilities for sanitation ( separate toilets for boys and girls)
10. 25% reservation in private schools for SC. ST and BPL students.

Activities with Children

• To enhance the scientific outlook among the children and to identify their creativity in the field of science, a Science Exhibition was organized near our office premises at Samantarapur on 7^th & 8^th November2013. 100 science models were exhibited by 200 children. More than 4000 children visited the exhibition. In addition to science models, science quiz, science magic and cultural programs were organized by the children. Sri Anata Narayan Jena, Hon’ble Mayor, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation inaugrrated the exhibition. A number of dignitaries Dr. R.N. Ray, Chairman, National Children’s Science Congress, Sri W. Bliung, IAS, Addl. Secy. Deptt. Of Sc. & Tech. Dr. A.M. Srivastav, Director, & Dr. S.K. Patra , Asso Prof. Institute of Physics, Dr. C.R. Misra, Scientist, Kalinga Foundation Trust , Sri S. Pattanik, Dy. Director, Planetarium in first day ceremony. Closing function the Chief Guest ws Sri Bijyashree Routray, Hon’ble Minister, Deptt of Forest & Environment, Odisha and Sri Bhabani Charan Pattanayak. Chairman, Kalinga Foundation graced the occasion as Guest of Honour. They also encouraged the children and appreciated the programme.
• Dr. Bhagyadhar Boi, Sr. Scientist, Regional Reserch Laboratory, Bhubaneswar, Dr. Chittaranjan Mishra, Eminent Scientist were present in the program , and graced the occasion as Guest of Honour. They also encouraged the children and appreciated the program. Four numbers of Science Project on “Energy Source” has been selected for State Level Science Congress held as Khurda.
• Evaluation and Assessment – Six Competency based tests have been completed. About 80% children have completed all competencies as planned.
• 20 children of Ruchika remedial centers of Kancha Sahi, Sriram Nagar, Adeikhala B, ICPS Bhubaneswar Station, have participated in State Level Children Science Congress held at B.J.B. High School Khurdha.

C) Activities with Schools

        School Management Committees have been constituted in all the nearby Govt. Schools. Near about 50 numbers basti people of our intervention are nominated as the member of Govt. School SMC. Our teacher are meeting the members of SMCs and educating them about the RTE, explaining them various provisions laid down in the RTE and how these provisions can be realized for the children.

1. RTE Sensitization

The teacher maintains good rapport with the School teachers. They help the teachers and Head Masters have to learn a lot on RTE – 2010 and plan to implement it. They have to come out of stereotype mind set and dynamically advance opportunities for the children to learn in a free and enjoyable environment. The Cluster Educators will be given responsibility to work with the government.

1. Orientation on success methodologies.

Ruchika has experimented a number of success methodologies of teaching. To make the learning creative and enjoyable it has adopted two new strategies. All methodologies of teaching and assessment need to be replicated in government schools the innovated ideas and skills need to be transferred to government schools.

1. Support Service

The organization is continuously providing support service to identify children with special needs, plain to address the needs of these children, prepare effective MIS systems to monitor the progress assist them to make effective teaching learning materials (TLM) for the schools, support them to initiate Child Right Cells in the schools. Train the teachers on Right of the Child and prepare plan of action to prevent child right.

1. Co – Curricular Activities

The organization also has developed expertise in organizing different co curricular activates for the slum children. The schools in the targeted area will be helped to organize different sports activities, talent search programme, science exhibition, Math camps, English camps, Shaitya Sansads and other creative programs for the students.

1. Other activities done during this quarter

o   05 numbers of Teachers’ training were done.

o   09numbers of Teacher meeting were done

o   03 Numbers of staff meeting were done

o   One supervisory training was done

o   Base Line Exam was analyzed by all the teachers of remedial centers and steps have been taken up to improve the children’s development.

o   11 Numbers health camps we are done

o   70 Numbers health checks-up we are done.

o   27 Numbers of community empowerment meeting we are done on RTE-2010.

o   A Science exhibition (Little Scientist) has conducted

o   A State Level children Science Congress (Participated by children) has done

Outputs and Outcomes:

Outputs

1. Those children enrolled into the remedial centers, all are studying in the government schools.
2. The mission runs smoothly with expertise and well settled remedial teachers.
3. 80% students have been completed all competencies in Math and English.
4. 103 Basti Education Committees have been constituted and monthly meetings are conducted regularly.
5. All the records of the project are in place.
6. Base line assessment has been conducted.
7. Intensive training materials have been supplied to the schools as per need.

Outcome

1. The academic proficiency of the targeted slum children have increased to greater extent.
2. Dropout rate in the school has been checked almost completely.
3. Children are attending the school happily because all their home task are done in the remedial centers and all their problems are solved.
4. A positive Eco friendly environment has been created in the slum to love there center and to be interested in study.
5. Govt. School teachers are gradually   accepting our teachers and appreciating the methodology that Ruchika Social Service Organisation adopts in Pedagogy.

We sincerely express our heartfelt gratitude to our supporters for their magnanimous gesture towards the children living in oppressed and deprived of their minimum basic right to go to school.

Links:

• Demonstration of Appropriate Technology for Healthy childhood fo