South 24 Parganas district, with low literacy rate has attracted SHIS attention to evince action in identifying problems and then take steps to solve them. Literacy level is an indicator of the extent of development of an area. The difference in the literacy rate between men and women arising out of varied reasons has been understood in undertaking the "Girls Education" with Dr. Joachim Hacker’s assistance in the district.
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Girl children are the most neglected lot in the community. There is a strong need to provide them education so that they can be self reliant and earn respect from their male counterparts in the times to come.
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Having recorded impressive progress in the last couple of years, this programme orients itself around the aspect in the enrollment, dropout and learning achievement among girl children. Also, it envisages reducing the dropout rate to less than 10 per cent. |
The other objective of this programme is to raise the average achievement level by at least 25 per cent and to ensure achievement of basic literacy in the girl’s education. Above all, this programme is aimed at providing access for all girl children to primary & secondary education classes (I to VIII) through SHIS Girls Academy.
This programme has proven in providing equal opportunities in the primary & secondary education level for girl children, irrespective of caste, colour or creed.
Education is the birth right of all girl children and they will not only endeavour towards laying the foundation for a quality education for the marginalised, but also introduce computer education to bring the girl children into the mainstream of education and technology.
Access and Enrolment
- Regular enrolment drives.
- Conducting special camps and bridge courses for girls to mainstream them.
- Providing formal schooling.
- Intensive mobilisation efforts among the resistant groups.
- Working in close collaboration with the community in identified pockets.
- Using women's groups (SHG’s), to follow up issues for girls' education.
Retention
- Monitoring attendance has been high on the agenda and micro initiatives for girls' education have been taken up. Community involvement is high in this process, particularly in mobilising parents for regular attendance of their children.
- Follow up of drop out girls to bring them back to school either through camps or bridge courses.
- Organizing retention drives to put regular pressure on parents and the school system to ensure retention of girls. These are not one time drives but are organised at regular intervals to sustain the pressure and take up corrective measures as may be necessary.
Achievement
- Special coaching classes/remedial classes for girls.
- Creation of a congenial learning environment for girls in the classroom where they are given the opportunity to learn. This is being done through special inputs by the teachers.
- Remedial classes being organised for girls who are not faring too well at school
Improved classroom environment to provide equitable learning opportunities to girls. Most interventions have been through teacher sensitisation programmes. |
