Dear all I think this case could be an eye opener and supportive example for the social activists especially some of the organizations who are working on education issues in Jharkhand.
It is futile to think about any new Bill or Policy when the children in mainstream are still denied access to books. The VECs are also not keen to take social audit of the book availability. Any takers for the same? Apart from this the basic issue is the use of education as there is increasing number of educated unemployed the motivation of parents in marginalized communities is still low, if it has got some boost thank only to the recent Sahiya, ICDS workers , para teachers and other local openings on contract basis. The question is how long it would help the children and their families sustain their livelihood. The population pressure has also added another dynamics to value education where the values and patience are shifting mercurially and needs a deep introspection in the pedagogy and the curriculum. Krishna Kant On Sun, Aug 17, 2008 at 1:48 AM, Annu thakur <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Jharkhand Forum | Jharkhand Blog | Jharkhand Video | Jharkhand > Network<http://www.jharkhand.org.in> > <http://egroups.com/list/Jharkhand> > * * > > > Dear Gladson > Your all articles are really very eyeopening. Situation is > same every where in Jharkhand. We are facing problems in Santal Pargana > too. The problem is-- how to deal with all these situations. It is > really shame for all of us. > Regards > Nalini > > > Quoting > [EMAIL PROTECTED]: > > > Dear Gladson ji, Very thought provoking > article > indeed. Shocking too. 61 years of independence from > the > British empire/ slavery and this is the state of > developement of our > state/government education > provision. Surely the future of nation ( the > children) > should not be denied the basic resources such as > books. > What's going on??? > > Vinod Kumar(12) needs to be commended for his > efforts, > as do the other children involved in the protests.How > does > one nominate them for some sort of recognition. > > I hope the adults in > this forum learn from these > children, rather than behaving like > children! > > Jai Hind, Jai Jharkhand > > William Kisku > > > --- Gladson > Dungdung wrote: > > > ** > > ** > > *Textbook > Strike* > > > > *In a Bokaro school, children demanding textbooks > > make > themselves heard by > > organising a sit-in and refusing entry to > grown-ups* > > > > *GLADSON DUNGDUNG* > > > > Free and compulsory > education is one of the > > constitutional rights of > > children and the > State is duty-bound to realise it. > > The Centre and State > > > governments provide free textbooks, uniforms, midday > > meals, > scholarships and > > other facilities to the poor children who cannot > > > afford it. For this very > > reason, when the children of Utkramit > Madhya > > Vidhyalaya in Chandipur of > > Bokaro district (Jharkhand) were > denied these > > rights, they started > > relentless resistance against > the authorities. > > Subsequently, they managed to > > get themselves > heard. > > > > The problem of unavailability of the textbooks began > > > with the introduction > > of the CBSE curriculum in 2002. The state > > > government's promise to provide > > free textbooks to the children up to > class eight was > > never fulfilled. The > > children did not get the > books in 2003. While in > > 2004, the books reached the > > schools in the > month of November, the session passed > > away without books in > > 2005. > A copyright dispute between the state > > government and the NCERT > meant > > the children got their books just in time for their > > annual > exams of 2006. It > > is August 2008 and the last time the children got > a > > fresh set of books was > > in October 2007. No wonder children of > Chandipur > > School were anxious. > > > > A child rights organization > "Dhara" organized "Bal > > Sansad" (children's > > parliament) in the > district on June 13, 2008 where > > the children discussed > > the issues > of unavailability of textbooks, midday > > meals, scholarships and > > > bicycles. Then a delegation of 15 children in led by > > Vinod Kumar > (12), > > Kartik Kumar (13) and Raju Kumar (10) of Chandipur > > School > met Alku Das the > > Block Education Officer (BEO) of Kasmar on June > 20. > > Das assured them that > > the books would be distributed on July > 15 as per the > > directions of Bandhu > > Tirkey, the Education Minister > of Jharkhand. But > > when he failed to meet the > > deadline, the > delegation again met the BEO in his > > office on July 16. In an > > > alarming development, an upset BEO threatened to > > have the children > put > > behind bars. 'Stop politics and get back to school. > > Otherwise > I'll throw you > > behind the bars,' is what the BEO told the > children. > > Adding fuel to the > > children's anger, the incident pushed > them to a > > strike till they get the > > books. > > > > Mobilising their > classmates, they locked the main > > gate of the school. They > > started > shouting slogans "Bhikh Nahi, Adhikar > > Chahiye" (we demand our > > > rights, not charity) and "Khichdi Nahi, Kitab > > Chakiye" (we need > books, not > > mixed-rice). The children's agitation continued for > > > four days. Durga Das > > Mahto, the head teacher of the school got into > the > > act threatening to expel > > them from the school. > > > > Bhagwat > Mahto the chairperson of the 'Village > > Education Committee', who > > > oversaw midday meals in school, put pressure on > > children and > convinced their > > parents to get their children to call off the > > > agitation. Most of the parents > > succumbed to the pressure but > fortunately, the > > members of 'Mahila Samiti' > > recognised the > children's concerns were genuine and > > backed them. The > > chairperson > of the Samiti, Basanti Devi said, 'Shame > > on us because we did > > not > support our children's demand. We cannot even > > understand the fact > that > > the children cannot study without books.' > > > > Finally, the > matter caught the attention of the > > District Superintendent of > > > Education (DSE) Shivnarayan Shah. On a July 22 visit > > to the school, > after > > his request to unlock the gates was heard, he > > conducted a > meeting in its > > premises with children, parents and teachers. > > > Representing the students, > > Vinod Kumar complained about the BEO's > response when > > they approached him. He > > was informed that the > scholarship has not been > > offered for the last three > > years, that > the girl children are not given bicycles > > and the mid day meals > > are > also not being served properly. > > > > Furious about the state of > affairs, Shah had the > > head teacher Durga Das > > Mahto transferred. He > dissolved the Village > > Education Committee and ordered > > the > constitution of a new committee within a week. > > Books were to be > provided > > immediately, five sets of them to the children of > > class > 8. He also ordered > > an investigation into the matter of scholarship > and > > distribution of bicycle > > to girl children. 'The officers will > be punished if > > found guilty,' he said. > > BEO Alku Das apologised to > the children in the > > presence of the DSE. Blaming > > the inaction of > the BEO and the head teacher of the > > school for the debacle, > > he > said, 'They did not do their job and also failed > > to report to me.' > > > > > The children were inspired to assume the mantle of > > the elders by > the > > activists of 'Dhara' through various training > > programmes, > where they are > > being taught about their rights recognised by the > > > United Nation Convention > > on Rights of the Child 1989, ratified by > the > > Government of India on 12 > > November 1992. Vinod Kumar explains, > 'Here, we learn > > about our rights – > > rights to development including > right to education, > > participation and > > protection". > > > > > According to Jeevan Jagarnath the director of Dhara, > > the children in > every > > village form 'Bal Akhra' (children group); organise > > various > training camps, > > 'Bal Sansad', cultural programmes and they go on > > > field trips, where they > > learn about their rights, issues and > redressal > > mechanisms. 'We are committed > > to making sure that the > children enjoy their rights, > > to the extent promised > > by the > government of India,' he said, adding, they > > had approached the > > > parents first but it was the children who set about > > exercising > their > > rights—a good sign of things to come. > > > > This successful > campaign of children for books has > > inspired the children of > > other > schools in the district. The children of > > Baraikala and Baraikhurd > > > middle schools have also started agitations > > demanding books and > other > > facilities. Bablu Kumar (10) of Utkramit Madhya > > Vidhyalaya, > Baraikhurd > > sounded a warning. 'We will also resort to an > > agitation > if the books do not > > reach us by the end of July'. > > > > There are > 44058 government and government-aided > > schools in Jharkhand, 1740 > > > schools in Bokaro district alone but not one of them > > has received > the > > textbooks four months into the new academic year. > > Neither are > textbooks > > available in the market. Herein lies the question > > mark > on the children's > > right to education. > > > William Kisku > > > > > -- Thanks and Regards; Krishna Kant ********************************** Abhivyakti Foundation Himani Bhawan New Barganda (Besides Barganda Sub Post Office) Giridih - 815301 JHARKHAND Phone NoS. - +91 9801331700/ +919934389910 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Alternative Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
