Are we really educating India?

"After my 13 years of education I still don't know how mortgage or taxes work but at least I know about the cells inside a leaf" - this is the story of every 18 year old in the country.  The Indian education system focuses more on theoretical knowledge than any kind of practical education that will actually help most of our population to get jobs in the future. Providing hard skills or understanding of practical know how will empower a very large section of students coming from a lesser-privileged background.  The point is not to do away with what is already being taught in our classrooms, the point is how to incorporate life skills and lessons within the already set and existing structure.  It is important to nurture the young minds of India with both education and the ability to be employed.

Government and Education

If we take our private and government sectors expenditures, we are spending a 4.8% of our GDP on education (even though the target set by the government was 6% , which is still a long way to go) where can we see the effects of all this investment. The tragedy is not that there is no money. The tragedy is that we do not know what to do with the money that is available; that we do not have structures through which we can channelize it.  There is no doubt that in many areas the schools have been given better infrastructure and new technology. But the lack of maintenance and basic knowledge as to how to operate such systems is absent. This causes a lot of wastage of precious resources and capital.

In order to tackle the loopholes in the education system, the following things can be undertaken. The first points of contact for any education society are the teachers. The government has a tremendous challenge of expanding the school system and at the same time putting resources in training teachers.  Across India around 25 per cent of teachers remain absent everyday. Improving the method by which the teachers teach can be a solution to education reform in India.  It is important to motivate and support the teachers so that they become quality-conscious and feel responsible for the improving the system.  One way of doing so is by identifying and implementing no or low cost teacher led practices that have the potential to make a significant positive impact on student learning. The best part about is that there is almost no cost involved in this method as it is something that is already existing within the system.

Children learning while playing 

Another thing that can be done in order to reconstruct the education system, is adding innovative life skills sessions within framework of the classroom. It is important to provide students with a set of skills that are going to help them deal with situations that may arise in the future. This will help them battle such times aptly. Students from underprivileged backgrounds, who may drop out of schools at later stage can use this very knowledge to their advantage in some way or the other. This set of skills can range from how to tackle your debts to even carpentry. The list can be vast.

One of the most important and grass root method that can be adopted to improve this system is letting the citizens of the locality taking charge of the schooling system near them. This is what we do at CACR.

Citizens Association for Child Rights-CACR , is a network of like minded citizens concerned about ensuring child rights with specific focus on ensuring good quality of education and health for all children. The network comprises of citizens who visit neighbourhood municipal schools and clinics, and participate in various programmes like School Management Committees, Computer Literacy Programme and Virtual Classroom projects, etc. and oversee the overall functioning and quality of education in municipal schools. We at CACR believe that regular interaction and discussions with the hierarchy of the Education Department and sharing of observations and suggestions with them periodically will ensure improved accountability and proper distribution of facilities and amenities for children enrolled in these schools. Citizens Association for Child Rights very strongly believes in supplementing the system and does not believe in creating parallel systems. We believe that the urban privileged public has immense power to influence and impact the lives of affected children for the better through government interface and participation.

CACR volunteers helping students get creative 

All the above will help us change the face of the education system in India.
Irrespective of all the cons in the system I believe that education is something that takes time to build-up but we should be hopeful on that count. 

-by +Meesha Gandhi is a intern with CACR , a nonprofit startup working to improve the education and health in public schools of Mumabi,India . Edited by +Richa Singh 

‘Sanitation is more important than independence’

Did you know that more than 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation and hygiene- related issues? Of the 60 million people added to the world’s towns and cities every year, most move to informal settlements like slums with access to no sanitation facilities. 780 million people lack access to an improved water source. 

Importance of Clean water and Sanitation 

Three things most of today’s world’s population cannot do: 

1. Take a hot shower, 
2. Get access to clean water, 
3. Flush away last night’s dinner. 

Today a greater number of people have a mobile phone than a toilet. Shocking, isn’t it?

 In the year 2013, my school celebrated the United Nations World Water Day. As the survey head of the project, my team and I visited slums, residential and corporate complexes, a children’s hospital and an agricultural fair to understand the water problems these sectors were facing. Out of all the others, my visit to the various slums of Mumbai exposed me to a side of my city that I had never seen before. Open sewage channels ran along the length of the narrow lanes, with houses so close to each other that there was hardly any space to walk. The repulsive stench emerging from these channels made me feel a little nauseous. It surprised me how the residents of the slums were totally oblivious to it. When I told them how unhygienic it was to have an open sewage right outside their house, they said, ‘ये तोह चलता है ’, - This is completely fine. The concept of sanitation and hygiene was miles away from them. This experience made me realize that there is a dire need for awareness within the people.

In the midst of several pressing issues like corruption, human trafficking, the economic crisis, terrorism, etc. India may have lost focus on something as basic as water and sanitation. As Mahatma Gandhi once rightly said, ‘Sanitation is more important than independence’. Inadequate sanitation and hygiene is a major cause of diseases worldwide.I believe that sanitation is a noble and important mission for this nation.

The existence of such sanitation and hygiene issues in India is due to India’s huge and growing population, which is putting a severe strain on all of the country’s natural resources. Statistically speaking, majority of the water sources are contaminated by sewage and agricultural runoff. On a brighter side, India seems to have made some progress in the supply of safe water to its people, but there persists to be a gross disparity in coverage across the country. In India, diarrhea alone causes more than 1,600 deaths daily. What is lacking in this nation is awareness and education. I strongly support the fact that only awareness and education can take us a step forward towards either alleviating or even as far as eradicating several problems faced by us today.

Sanitation is the basic human right. Then why are women in particular going through a major sanitation crisis? Why do women have to walk miles to fetch water, in turn giving up on their right to education? Why do women struggle most from the lack of adequate sanitation? In many countries, women are not permitted to relieve themselves during the day. This has a major impact on the health of the women, risking the accumulation of toxins in their blood stream. 

Sanitation is a human right 

About half of all girls worldwide attend schools without toilets. The lack of privacy causes many girls to drop out when they reach puberty.The question I want to ask here is- why this discrimination? Sanitation is essential for one and all, whether a man or a woman. An increase in the sanitation and hygiene access of women can lead to several positives. Increase access leads to an increase in the rate of education of girls, improved health for women and girls, reduced child and mother mortality rates, reduction in any form of physiological injury, increase in the status quo of women and also provision of new employment opportunities of women. 

But a lack of access and the dual aspects of the water crisis – lack of water and of sanitation – lock women in a cycle of poverty.The water crisis is interlinked with the sanitation and hygiene concern prevalent in the world. Water is a scarce resource, which has become a source of conflict, instead of being a catalyst of building new connections. Sanitation and hygiene can be tackled by increased awareness and equality. Educating women about can indirectly lead to educating thousands of other individuals.

At CACR we screened short animation films on the necessity of hygiene and sanitation during the cleanliness week in municipal schools of Mumbai. After the screening lot of parents and students asked us questions on proper ways to store water in their houses, use disinfectants to keep their toilets and houses germ free and improve their health by various hand-washing techniques.As a organization working to promote education and health in school going kids , we remain committed to awareness creation on pertinent issues like clean water and  sanitation, hygiene -WASH. 

So please join hands with us to do your bit by becoming a change agent to promote healthy living. 

 -by +Meesha Gandhi , is a social media intern with CACR , a education non-profit based in Mumbai ,India. 
Edited by +Richa Singh 

References:
YOU TUBE VIDEO : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCid_6o8_t8Vx7oZUFGi5BnA
http://water.org/water-crisis/womens-crisis/

http://water.org/

Source:  https://whatstartslikeafireburnslikeone.wordpress.com/

CACR works to improve the quality of education and health of school children in municipal (inner city) schools
Facebook : www.facebook.com/CitizensAssociationForChildRights

Be the change you want to see : Time to end the gender bias

A group of my friends and I were having a discussion on the women of today. One of my acquaintances, a woman herself, felt very strongly about how a woman will be considered disgraceful and ‘impure’ if she was in an affair before marriage. According to her any man would never accept such a woman, on account of her prior dispositions. When asked whether it was okay for a man to be involved in any such relationships the answer was yes. Women are dependent on men, she said. I was a little taken aback by such a mindset. But after careful deliberation and introspection I realized that maybe it wasn’t her fault. It was the society we lived in. Ours is a patriarchal one, which is internalized by women who watch the world through the prism of this patriarchy. At that point it dawned upon me that people, educated or otherwise need to get rid of the asymmetrical power equation rampant in this male dominated world. It is necessary to change the belief that women are a weaker gender. There is a need for a new school of thought to arise that states that men and women are equals and nothing less than that.

The different stereotypes for women

My colleague characterized women in a certain way. This led me to think about the various gender stereotypes existing in the society I live in. The society needs women to be elegant, soft-spoken, well dressed, accepting, flexible and unambitious among the several other qualities. Everywhere I look I am made well aware of the fact that I am a woman. My friends often complain of the gender stereotypes forced upon them- ‘No late nights. No wearing shorts. No cussing. No being loud. Don’t be so strong headed. You need to be adaptable. What will you do once you go to your husband’s house? Don’t ever forget you are a girl. Fortunately for me my parents have never made any distinction between my older brother and me, nor did my mentors at school make me feel less competent just because I was a girl. Just like me there are several others who share similar thoughts and uphold similar beliefs. I understand that there is no automatic solution to transform the orthodox realm of thought process that encompasses us. I believe that the change is slow, but already in action.

As my views on the state of women in my own country and the world, crystallized I became aware of how strongly I felt against any gender discrimination prevalent in my society.

 There is a need to end gender inequality. By overcoming this disparity we can take the first step towards solving several other social problems faced by the world. 

Boko Haram kidnapped 300 Nigerian girls from their school

Issues borne from gender bias have grim consequences on the lives of the victims. For instance, the United Nations estimates as many as 200 million girls are ‘missing’ in the world today. In India and Pakistan, thousands of women are victims of dowry deaths. In India alone, there were almost 7,000 dowry deaths in 2005, with the majority of victims aged 15-34 years. In a study of female deaths in Egypt, 47 per cent of female rape victims were then killed because of the dishonour the rape was thought to bring to the family. In Nigeria, a treatment centre reported that 15 percent of female patients requiring treatment for sexually transmitted infections were under the age of five. An additional six percent were between the ages of six and fifteen. In Nepal, 40 percent of girls are married by the age of 15. 31 million girls of primary school age are not enrolled in school.

Despite progress, girls and women continue to be discriminated against and lack access to education, political and social rights. There is a need for change. There has always been a need for change. A change for a better and sustainable tomorrow. For female empowerment and equality. I believe in a school of thought that propagates gender equality. A school of thought where girls are taught to be free and not submissive. Where men and women walk shoulder to shoulder without any bigotry faced by either. Where the struggles of women have been energised to further break the barriers set by society. 

I believe that I am a feminist. Gender equality or feminism does not mean overpowering the opposite sex or ‘anti-man’, it is in fact by definition the opposite. Emma Watson's speech on feminism to the UN defined a feminist as, “a person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes.” If one believes in these ideologies, she or for that matter even he is a feminist. Feminism can also be construed as a woman maintaining her sexuality, in the same way men do.If we really want equality we must all make an active decision to abandon phrases such as “You are such a girl” and the like. If we really want equality we must try our best to ignore gender and stop competing with one another. We must stop pressuring each other to fit with this stereotype, which more often than not leaves us feeling repressed and unable to express ourselves. 

International's Womens Day

These Values need to be instilled in the minds and hearts of children right from school. CACR strives to give equal opportunities to girls in school . Facilitation of 75  municipal school girls to participate in DNA iCan Marathon  was one such initiative. We hope to have many more. On the occasion on International Womens' Day its my appeal : Do join us on ur endeavour.

+Meesha Gandhi  is a intern with +Citizens Association For Child Rights  a non-profit startup striving to improve the functioning of public schools in India 
Edited by +Richa Singh 

This article first appeared on her Blog Here 

 Image courtesy : sayingimages.com ; idiva.com ; carpoolcandy.com

The Marathon with a Message: MUSTRun 2014

Participating in a marathon always feels good but it feels GREAT if it is for a noble cause. On this early Sunday morning school students, several professional athletes, amateurs, and differently-abled individuals flooded the streets of Bandra to make H-West Ward disabled friendly.

       On the 14th of December 2014, Citizens Association for Child Rights and H-West Federation organized an event titled " MUSTRun"  that brought together all these people from different walks of life along with 500 municipal school students. The 4th edition of MUSTRun marathon flagged off from St. Stanislaus High School grounds and this year it included 6 races ranging from a 21 Km race (men and women) to a special 1 Km race for the disabled.The outreach was over 4000 participants and volunteers from all over the city.

 The main objectives of the marathon were to start an Access for All project to create a barrier-free H-West Ward which will ensure ease of access to infrastructure for the handicapped as well as to senior citizens, pregnant women and people with injury.  It also supported an Oral Health Awareness Campaign along with H-west Federation’s partner The Dental Nexus to spread the importance of good dental hygiene among the population.

Citizens Association for Child Rights was represented by approximately 500 school children in age group 11-16 years from neighborhood Municipal schools who participated in the 2 Km run. Last year , we had around 250 students participate in MUSTRun and it was heart breaking to see the students battle with discomfort as they ran without shoes. It was their enthusiasm and perseverance that helped them complete the race. Thus this year CACR worked towards raising funds to get all 520+ students new pairs of shoes and socks. Thanks to all the donors who gave generously.

Donation Appeal for shoes

Getting up on a Sunday morning is something that I resent, but the opportunity to make Bandra a disabled friendly zone seemed to be a perfect motivation for me. I was responsible to get the students of Petit School in Bandra to the location of the marathon. Even though it was six in the morning, all the students were full of enthusiasm and were ready to run. As soon as they had settled into the buses we drove of to the location. The students were getting more and more eager to run.

      Soon students from all the other schools poured in. Everyone had this new  found energy within him or her. All the BMC school students were given biscuits and bananas before the race so that they are energized. After a while the race began. The first one was the boys 2 Km run which was followed by the girls 2 Km run. Both the times I could see all the students ready and willing to win the race. All the by-standers cheered all the students and coaxed them all to finish the race. After the race all the students were given a while to rest followed by a food hamper, which they happily munched on. Seeing the joy and satisfaction on the faces of all the winners was priceless.It was Sunday morning well spent. We were happy to give a chance to these children to display their athletic talent.

Municipal school girls run at the 2km race at MUSTRun

Citizens Association for Child Rights had also organized a photo booth sessions for all the participants and volunteers present at the venue. Each person posed with a quote that they felt suited them the most. The quotes spoke about education, volunteering, and child rights among the various other topics. All the participants posed happily with the posters.

People happily posing to support child rights and education 

Soon the event came to an end with a prize distribution ceremony. All the winners were given cash prizes along with other goodies. All in all the event was a huge success that was covered by 25+ News Dailies and few televisions channels.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself with my team mates. Hope to do it again next time.

Meesha with her team members who helped make MUSTRun a success

-Meesha Gandhi, is a social media intern with CACR , a education non-profit based in Mumbai ,India. CACR works to improve the quality of education and health of school children in municipal (inner city) schools.