QUALITY EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN OF MISHING COMMUNITY

The context of elementary education in Assam can be compared to several other educationally backward states like Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, parts of the Northeast and disadvantaged pockets in the economically or educationally better off states. Need-based planning in the education sector in the state has been very weak and the provision of school infrastructure, location of new schools, school buildings and additional teachers was guided more by political considerations than the needs of local communities. There has been very little regularity in the area of teacher recruitment, placement and transfers also which has greatly impacted on the quality of teaching and concomitantly education. Secondly, there are marked disparities in school facilities and the quality of schooling in areas which are remote or inhabited by marginalized groups like tea garden workers, Adivasi groups, certain other tribal groups and the Muslim pockets in riverine areas and so on. As the target population has been affected by a number of inter-linked issues such as displacement due to migration, loss of sustainable livelihood and lack of basic quality education, there is a good scope for AEA to develop its expertise in this niche area in the North East and also develop a substantial body of knowledge on the effects of migration vis-a-vis the Mishing community, subsequent impact on education and their coping strategies.

OUR RESPONSE

The Project will build a liaison with the Government stakeholders like the District Administration (Deputy Commissioner), Block and Panchayat officials, Officers of the Elementary Education at district and Block levels and build the capacities of the primary stakeholders (the villagers, members of the School Management Committees, Village Heads (called Gaon Burha), the women, the youths and the children on effective school management.

OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT

To develop strong local leadership to initiate quality education through provincialisation of venture schools.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• Improve the basic quality of education through Back to Basics (B2B) activities and check drop out of girl children at the upper primary level.
• Critical analysis of the coping strategies and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) of Mishing children, facing perennial floods and frequent displacement
• Sensitize district administration and other government officials towards the issue of venture schools and lobby for the pronvicialisation of the same
• Create a strong community demand base and mass movement to leverage resources from the Sarva Shiksha Abhigyan (SSA), State Government, Mishing Council and other stakeholders for quality education
• Enable access to government livelihood programmes like National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), Strengthening Self Help Groups (SHG) and other entitlements (Ration Cards).

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

• Venture Schools provincialised with quality support from the government.
• Enhanced competency levels of students
• Linkage developed between NREGS and Mishing community leading to livelihood opportunities.
• Mishing community avail their entitlements (ration card)
• Increased enrolment and retention of girl child in schools
• Women collectives formed and capacitated