Ensuring Children’s Access to Right to Education in Areas of Civil Unrest: Role of Youth in World’s Largest Democracy

Gunjan Wadhwa(National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, India)

Child Poverty and Social Protection Conference 10–11 September 2013

Agenda Context

BB Structure/Functionaries

BB Footprint

Process Overview

Challenges

Achievements with statistics

Interface : C & S examples

Impact Assessment

Dovetailing with Government programs

Conclusion .

2

CONTEXT

• Children worst hit when left without adult protection, institutional care & support

• Little is known about how to effectively reduce the impact of civil unrest on children, prevent it altogether & safeguard their rights

• Emergency relief for children is often supplied but it rarely includes education as State focuses more on law &order

• Conversion of schools/hostels into relief camps , halting process of education

3

ROLE OF EDUCATION

• Intrinsically linked to empowerment & exercising agency

• Enables young men & women defy/negotiate with, authorities and status quo

• Schools ,hostels act as safe havens for them

• Otherwise face the risk of being recruited by Naxalforces, trafficked for labour or sex work, or employed in menial occupations thereby destroying an entire generation

4

Areas of Civil Unrest:Challenges

Constructive Access

Lack of teachers

Non-availability of midday meals

Teacher absenteeism

Low retention in schools.

Large out of school population

Trafficking for domestic labour

Recruited to naxal forces

Non-functional AWCs.

Physical Access

Terrain (Hill, forests, rivers).

Rural Connectivity.

Accessibility.

Grey Zones facing “State Deficit”

5

Anganwadi No. 40 in Tariyani Block, Sheohar District, East Champaran, Bihar: Devoid of food, teaching

material for children

6

Awasi Vidyalaya for Tribal Children in RohtasgarhPanchayat (Residential School for Tribal Children)

7

Paucity of Classrooms: School run in abandoned chicken farm at Mohammedpur tola, Barashankar Panchayat,

Patahi Block, East Champaran District, Bihar

8

Profile of Children

• Marginalized group leading a precarious life

• Join workforce, nexus of illegal activities, or trafficked, sold, married or migrate

• Remain invisible & “State-less” – out of the purview of State schemes, policies & programs

• Do informal/unskilled/casual labour & slowly edged out of any active participation

• Intergenerational cycle of poverty

9

Policy/Legislative Framework

• In India, education & child labour laws (RTE & CLPRA) applicable only to children in 6-14 age group; 0-6 & 14-18 remain vulnerable

• Thus, out of 100 mn children in 14-18 yrs, 32 mn in workforce – farms, brick kilns, mines, quarries, sweatshops, domestic labour, sex work, substance abuse, street children

• Girls worse off – invisible population in schools & workforce!

10

The Bal Bandhu Model

• NCPCR initiated a pilot program for protection of rights of children, called the Bal Bandhu (friends of children) Scheme, in five civil unrest affected States

• 200 youths were identified from within the affected communities and employed

• Sadly, a pilot program only for a period of three years beginning 2010

• Role remains largely undocumented

11

OBJECTIVES:

• de-link the issue of protection of rights of children from the violence and unrest in the affected States

• mobilize communities to take responsibility of their children

• interact with the government at the local level to respond to the demands of the communities

• ensure that children enjoy all their rights and entitlements

12

STRUCTURE:

NCPCR

Project coordinator

Resource Person (two per Block )

20 Bal Bandhus per Block(local Youths)

National / State

District

Block

13

AREAS OF INTERVENTION:

• Andhra Pradesh (District: Khammam- Cherla Block)

• Assam (Districts: Chirang- Sidli Block; Kokrajhar- KochugaonBlock)

• Bihar (Districts: East Champaran – Patahi Block; Rohtas–Rohtas Block; Sheohar– Tariyani Block; and Jamui- Khaira Block)

• Chhattisgarh (District: Sukma – Sukma Block)

• Maharashtra (District: Gadchiroli- Dhanora Block)

14

State District Block GPs/

VCDC

Villages

1. Assam Two Two 37 501

2. Andhra Pradesh One One 17 100

3. Bihar Four Four 75 331

4. Chhattisgarh One One 19 119

5. Maharashtra One One 20 76

Total Nine Nine 168 1127

Bal Bandhu Footprint(2010-2013)

Maharashtra

AP

Chhattisgarh

Assam

Bihar

15

PROCESSES: After initial survey of the area&children, functionaries of the Scheme engaged themselves in addressing gaps in delivery of education

• fulfilling the civil work for school for construction of classrooms

• revival of schools, anganwadi centres

• enrolment of children in schools/ashramshalas/KGBVs/RBCs

• regular supply of midday meal

• appointment of adequate teachers

• building capacity of teachers&officials of education department in implementation of the RTE

ACTIVITIES (gist):

Engaging with gram panchayats and community

Revival of schools, Ashramshalas and hostels for children

Campaign to build child rights’ consciousness in the block

Training to District Level Officials

Engagement with education departments, district administration,State governments and Tribal Welfare Departments and Ministry ofTribal Development, Government of India, to ensure right toeducation

Vacation of schools and hostels by police and para- military forces

ACTIVITIES (in detail):

Conducting household survey of all children in the 0-18 year age group to employ child tracking systems

Monitoring enrolment of children in school

bringing children back to school

verifying attendance as well as absenteeism with the help of the community

petitioning for reinstating subject-wise teachers in schools

attending block level trainings as well as orientations.

Visiting schools regularly and getting involved in various activities of children such as games, music, dance etc to develop a bond with them

18

Contd.

• Visiting the parents of out of school children and motivating them to send the child back to school as well as to send the younger children to AWCs

• Training of gram panchayats on the provisions of the RTE Act.

• Formation of Bal and Balika Adhikar Suraksha Samiti (Child Rights Protection Forums) and encouraging these to make regular petitions on several matters concerning children and their rights

19

Mandate Process Indicators Activities

• Stability.• Entitlement to

protection, health, nutrition, education and safety fulfilled through government action.

• Enhance democracythrough community participation.

• Intervene: non discrimination.

• Social security.

Survey and identify children (0-18).

C&S interface. Repairing institutions

with the community. Enrolment Reviving

schools/AWCs. Mainstreaming

children to schools, AWCs,etc.

Innovative Advocacy Intervene: IDP Rights engagement. Teachers: capacity,

recruitment. RTE.

C&S acceptance. Child labour SG and NSG. Petitioning. Trafficking. Convergence. Neutral

operability space. Infra deficit viz. a

viz. human capital intervention.

Grey zones. Universal reach

(IDP and remote).

Engage with GPs. Revival: Schools,

AWC Build child rights

consciousness. Training: District Engagement: Education District Adm Tribal Ministry Vacation of

Schools by the Police and CPMF.

PROCESS & ACTIVITY OVERVIEW:

20

INTERVENTIONS:

• In Tardi, children tended cattle and collected wood from the foreststo sell in the markets. The Bal Bandhus, through their child trackingsystems, found that children were enrolled in school but notattending the same. They motivated these children to go to schooland due to this the number of children attending school in Tardirose significantly.

• In Rohtasgarh, the pupil teacher ratio (PTR) was severely skewed.The school timing was erratic and teachers were irregular. However,after Bal Bandhus held consistent meetings with the teachers, theygradually started coming on time and schools started openingtimely.

21

Contd.

• In problematic panchayats such Goli and Garhi, the Bal Bandhus identifiedand rescued child labour, listed out children migrating to other States andmapped out schools with issues. They shared this information with theadministration and helped it carry forward the task of protection ofchildren’s rights.

• Instead of ringing the bell inside school premises, the teachers in Tariyaniblock chose a more encouraging and innovative way to call children toschool. They reached half an hour before school hours, carried the bell tothe village and rang it to ensure every child came to school! As a result,185 children of the enrolled 223 children began attending school regularly,as opposed to the poor attendance of 16 earlier!

22

Education

Health

Govt : BB Reach

Child Labour

Petitioning

Infrastructure Access viz. a viz human capital intervention (community Mobilization)

Convergence (C&S)

Achievement s with Statistics ….

754

Improved delivery

Summary States.

Five. Blocks.

Thirteen Villages.

1127 Schools.

1305

28322

23

C&S Members: 9542 Reach. Mtgs. 9854 Participation. 241428

3943

ACHIEVEMENTS:No Activities Dec 2010- March 2012

1 Gram Panchayats/VCDCs contacted 212

2 Community Meetings held 4787

3 Meeting held with Block Level Officials 155

4 Meeting held with District Level Officials 104

5 Children enrolled in School 14889

6 Schools made functional 963

7 Anganwadi Centres made functional 931

8 Children enrolled in Ashramshalas/RBCs/KGBV 2497

9 Schools vacated by police/armed forces 7

10 Children contacted for support during final exams 13257

11 Children tracked and restored to families 400

12 Rallies, Marches held 389

13 Orientation on RTE 861

24

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT:

• Revival of ashram school for over 350 students in Kamangad village,Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra – the school has been taken over bythe State govt. from a private trustowing to community demandand pressure

• In the Koyabekur gram panchayat, the teacher had to travel a longdistance from either Konta or Kerlapal and inevitably got delayed toreach school. On finding this out, a house was built for him by thecommunity members within 15 days and now he permanently staysthere, doesn’t leave even during holidays!

25

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT:

• In Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, the Tribal Development Department helped 112 failed tribal children re-appear for their 10th class exams, by provision of coaching classes in a residential setup for 2.5 months. This was done in addition to fee waiver, all arranged for by the Tribal Department (Gov. of Maharashtra).

• In Kokrajhar, Assam, 28 child labourers were released with the intervention of the principal secy., Bodoland Territorial Council and Labour Inspector. Also, 27 child marriages were prevented in the block with the aid of an active police force. Further, in the recent communal crisis, the Assam govt. has been very responsive to the health and educational needs of children

• Sarpanches/village heads of East Champaran district of Bihar, overwhelmed with the changes in institutions, have taken up issues of child rights and now regularly monitor anganwadi centers and schools. Further, the SDO, DEO, BRP have ensured that schools conduct morning assemblies on time, anganwadi workers and teachers discharge their duties, and there is no misuse of power.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Bal bandhus have acted as eyes & ears of the government; thusshould be used for community & State interface, penetration inremote areas, data collection & innovative advocacy

• Replication & Expansion of the Scheme to other blocks affected bycivil unrest – the present cadre should give training to the newbatch of youths who will be recruited from within these blocks

• Bal bandhus can act as a facilitating agency & ensure convergenceof all govt. departments & outreach of all govt. schemes in areas ofcivil unrest

27

Contd.

• State should help bal bandhus to complete their higher educationand provide them with scholarships etc.

• State should employ the child tracking system, as used by balbandhus, to keep track of & plan for all children in India

• Exchange programs with other countries which are running similarinnovative youth oriented programs for exposure of these youths

• Essential to revive the trust of community in govt. system & instillconfidence to access govt. run institutions such as schools, hostels,AWCs

28

CONCLUSION:

• Assumption: Naxals (Maoists) did not allow institutions to function or disrupted their regular functioning. However, proven wrong!

• Schools, hostels, AWCs in these areas did not function because they never opened. The school teachers were either absent, on leave, or not appointed on the pretext of their security.

• Thus the presence of bal bandhus was a game-changer! They proved these assumptions wrong, motivated and mobilized the communities by holding innumerable meetings, conducted household surveys, tracked every child in the village, and thereby created a groundswell of demands for child centric institutions

• Simultaneously, pressurized the govt. to respond to these demands without creating any parallel structures or mindless criticisms of the State

29

Contd.

• With regard to ensuring children’s access to their fundamental rightto education, these youths focus on creation of democratic spacesand a dialogue between the community and the government in anon-adversarial, non-confrontational, and a non-intimidating way

• Employ child tracking systems in areas of conflict – one of the keyobjectives of the 12th five year Plan in India – since at the local levelchildren have names & are not mere statistics

• Help the governments in perception management - reach areaswhich otherwise remain inaccessible to the block and districtadministration, giving them credibility and advantage!

30

Thank you

31