National Consultation On Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya A Visionary Initiative August 11-12, 2008 Report
PROCEEDINGS
Proceedings of the National Consultation on Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya Scheme (KGBV) The National Consultation on Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) Scheme was held on August 11-12, 2008 at NIE,, New Delhi. The Consultation was attended by officials from Ministry of Human Resource Development, New Delhi, State Project Directors of different states, eminent academicians from Universities, Centres of Higher Education, s own experts, representatives of Non- Governmental Organizations and various stakeholders of the scheme such as students, teachers and warden of KGBV. The objectives of the Consultation were to : Identify issues pertaining to the effective implementation of KGBV scheme Evolve suitable solutions for strengthening the scheme Suggest recommendations for future direction The two day deliberations initiated in-depth discussions on different thematic areas such as KGBV : An Initiative of SSA for Girls Education; Exclusion, Inclusion and Equity : Problems and Solutions; Text, Context and Quality : Integrating Gender Sensitivity; Recruitment, Posting and Capacity Building of Teachers : From a Gender Lens; Building Awareness of Health Nutrition and Hygiene; Financial Management : Strategies for Partnership among Government, and Civil Society and Envisioning KGBV: Future Prospects. The session wise description of the Consultation is as follows : Inaugural Session Professor K K Vashishtha Welcome Note Professor Krishna Kumar Opening Remarks Professor Roop Rekha Verma Keynote Address Shri A K Rath, Secretary Presidential Address Professor Neerja Shukla Vote of Thanks
Rapporteurs Dr. Sandhya Sangai, DEE Dr. Sushma Jaireth, DWS The inaugural session began with a welcome note by Professor K.K. Vashishtha. He welcomed the members and mentioned that the KGBV scheme was an important initiative targeting girls who have dropped out and those who were unable to continue their education, due to several socio-economic reasons. As the scheme is already in operation, it is an opportune time to organize a National Consultation, that would deliberate on teething problems faced by the scheme. Some of them relate to recruitment and posting of teachers, teachers salary and provision of infrastructure facilities. He stated that the scheme was widely accepted by the community and has got positive responses from all the quarters and in blocks where it has been implemented. Professor Krishna Kumar, Director,, in his opening remarks mentioned that Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is currently the most important initiative in the context of school education, where deepest churning is taking place. SSA activities are reaching those pockets of the country which are most difficult and hard to reach. He reflected upon the contributions and involvement of different Department s of in furthering the objectives of SSA. The Department of Women s Studies (DWS) has also joined in promoting the cause of girls education, which is an integral part of SSA. The organization of the National Consultation on Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) scheme an important flagship programme for girls under SSA and the present Consultation is a step in this direction. The theme of the Consultation is very original and is meant for uplifting the girls belonging to rural and marginalized groups of the society. He shared some of his experiences about his visits to KGBV s at Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and one KGBV located near Chennai. These experiences strengthened his belief about the immense potential of the scheme and also in helping recover the losses that girls faced in being pushed out of formal schools due to multiple reasons. This Consultation would look into the possible policy implications this scheme would have in giving a second chance to those girls who have dropped out. It would also
explore possibilities of changes or modifications required for making the scheme truly responsive to the educational needs of girls belonging to SC, ST, OBC, Minority and those from BPL backgrounds. In this connection he also mentioned that it is important to know what are the minute details of the scheme, what factors help in its positive implementation and some of the major hurdles faced such as recruitment and transfer of teachers and the environment at KGBV. In context of the scheme he stressed upon the role of teachers. He stated that teachers of KGBV should be radical and revolutionary in their outlook and should be much above the prevailing stereotypes in the society. Another issue that needs urgent attention was the use of teaching and learning materials in KGBVs. He suggested that the new textbooks prepared by in the light of NCF, 2005 and the position paper on Gender Issues in Education may be referred for developing materials for KGBV students. He mentioned that the major issue in KGBV is not related to enrolment and retention but how knowledge is constructed and whether this knowledge links girls with their lived reality. Professor Roop Rekha Verma, eminent scholar and former Vice Chancellor of Lucknow University gave the Keynote address. She stated that KGBV was the first politically correct step in the field of girls education as it focuses on the most marginalized and deprived sections of the society. She added that while the scheme appears to be laudable in its conception, great care should be taken in its implementation. She was particularly concerned about the transmission of stereotypes, that is often visible in schemes designed for promoting girls education. She urged the august gathering to think of radical steps that could be introduced in KGBV so that education provided through this scheme is a powerful tool for empowering girls and also becomes an instrument for social change. She added that the major challenge that KGBV needs to address is not merely regarding curriculum and textual materials but also the pedagogy and environment of KGBV. She suggested that the teacher in KGBV should encourage students to question
and foster in them the quest for seeking knowledge. In other words the teachers must infuse in children the skills of critical thinking so that they constantly ask questions and search for an answer. Ms. Vrinda Sarup thanked for organizing the consultation. She stated that the two days deliberations would help in identifying key interventions for strengthening the scheme. She said KGBV was a revolutionary initiative and was designed with a specific objective of bringing back to the folds of education the dropout and never enrolled girls. Since KGBV is a residential school and the teacher and the taught stay in each others company for twenty four hours, it is important to think differently for development of these girls. In this regard Ms. Sarup mentioned the Report prepared by the Core Team set up in 2007 for evaluating KGBVs. She said that the enrolled girls in KGBV had immense potential and these girls would act as catalysts and change agents once they go back to the society. She added a positive note by stating that all provisions of SSA are available to KGBVs. States need to strengthen the scheme by adopting policy of convergence with other schemes in operation and also evolve suitable strategies for mobilizing funds for sustenance of the scheme. In this regard she mentioned few states have already taken steps for providing additional funds from their reserve to KGBVs. She appreciated Professor Verma s suggestion of how KGBVs should try and attempt to break stereotypes and prevailing gender biases in the society. She added that members of the National Consultation should contribute in generating rich body of ideas and workable strategies based on their own experiences to empower girls. A positive aspect of the scheme is its social acceptability and ownership among all stakeholders. She hoped that in due course of time KGBV would emerge as institutions of excellence. She informed the house that the there is a proposal for up-gradating KGBV upto the secondary level. Some states like A.P. and Uttarakhand have already increased the educational level upto the secondary stage at their own initiative and borne the financial expenditures required for it.
Shree A.K. Rath, Secretary, MHRD complimented and its constituent Unit Department of Elementary Education and Department of Women s Studies for organizing the present consultation. He stated that this scheme drew its inspiration from Kasturba, who contributed in promoting education among the people of Champaran, especially when Mahatma Gandhi was busy in addressing the causes of the indigo farmers of West Champaran. She took the initiative of running the ashram, hospital and school for the children. She specially made efforts to educate girls. He shared his experiences gained through his visits to many KGBVs and stated that this scheme was the heart and soul of girls education and of SSA as well. He shared some of his concerns about the scheme that relate to the following: Lower participation of Muslim girls Making all KGBVs in states fully operational Training of teachers and staff of KGBVs Undertaking studies to identify causes of dropout of girls from KGBV Some of the recent steps taken by Government of India for strengthening the KGBVs was also stated by him. They relate to the provision of boundary walls in all KGBVs for ensuring the safety and security of girls. He also mentioned that the department is trying to upgrade all KGBVs upto secondary level and he hoped that in future all the blocks would have a KGBV. There are presently 6000 blocks in the country and about 2,500 KGBVs have been opened. This means an addition of 3,500 KGBVs are needed in covering the remaining blocks. He added that there is a need to have one model secondary school for girls in every block for which necessary process has been initiated. He hoped that the two day Consultation would discuss issues related to KGBVs such as women teachers, provision of toilet for girls and gender sensitive training of teachers and staff of KGBVs.
Professor Neerja Shukla, Head, DWS thanked the experts, of the National Consultation. She stated that the consultation would look into broader issues related to the scheme that require specific policy input. Also, concerns relating to the organizational aspect, including problems related to teacher recruitment and posting, teacher sensitivity towards the socio-psycho issues concerning girls would be discussed and deliberated in the Consultation. Session I Theme : Chairperson : Initial Remarks: Discussant : Rapporteurs: KGBV : An Initiative of SSA for Girls Education Ms. Vrinda Sarup Dr. Rashmi Sinha Dr. Rajesh Bhushan Dr. Neeraja Rashmi, DWS Ms. Mily Roy Anand, DESSH The session was chaired by Ms. Vrinda Sarup. Ms. Sarup gave a brief overview of the functioning of the KGBV scheme in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and hoped that the consultation would raise important issues such as recruitment and quality of teachers, strengthening of the curriculum, capacity building of teachers, etc. Dr. Rashmi Sinha appraised the participants about the functioning of KGBV schools in Uttar Pradesh. She stated that KGBV being a flexible scheme provided space for innovation to the teachers regarding curriculum planning and its transaction. While commenting on the process of teacher recruitment and their capacity building she expressed her concern regarding their non-availability due to remoteness, lack of family accommodation facilities and proper working conditions. She pointed out that health issues of girls is a major concern which requires provision of adequate funds. As regards evaluation, she stated that flexibility in terms of duration of examination needs to be considered.
Dr. Rajesh Bhushan presented an overview of the KGBV scheme in Bihar which adopts model III. He focused on three important issues i.e., Identification and Enrolment, Management and Future Directions. Regarding identification, he was of the view that the participation of NGOs can play an effective role in terms of increasing enrolment and retention of girls and identifying teachers. As regards Management, he stated that there needs to be a convergence of various schemes so that budgetary constraints may be resolved. Regarding the Future Direction, he suggested that the scheme should be upgraded upto secondary level and that one KGBV in each district may be converted into a resource centre so that it could act as a role model for other KGBVs. The Issues that were flagged by both the presenters are stated below : Need for a mechanism for the redressal of abuse faced by girls Existing physical facilities in KGBV are moderate such as availability of one toilet for 100 girls Availability and retention of teachers in KGBV is a major challenge of the scheme. Many teachers trained by Mahila Samakhya joined formal Government Schools and this created a serious problem in teaching and learning process Health of girls in KGBV is an important area of concern and budgetary provisions are inadequate in this regard Future of KGBV girls continue to remain an issue of uncertainty Lesser Enrolment of Muslim girls in KGBV Content knowledge of teachers are not up to the mark Exploring the possibility of convergence of funds in states
Session II Theme : Chairperson : Initial Remarks: Discussants : Repporteurs : Exclusion, Inclusion and Equity Dr. Padma Velaskar Dr. Nandini Manjrekar Ms. Latika Gupta Dr. Kanan Sadhu, DEGSN Dr. Padma Velaskar mentioned that girls education was critical and one should be clear about its purpose. In the present context it was important to examine how the intersection of gender, class and caste go along with the well conceived idea of common school system. She raised a pertinent question about how can education and scheme like the KGBV compensate for the existing social inequalities existing in the society. Dr. Nandini Manjrekar stated that literature available on KGBV did not mention the socio-economic background of girls enrolled in KGBVs. She expressed her concern about the safety and security of girls staying in residential schools. She was concerned whether KGBVs had mechanism for redressal of grievances. She added that the agenda of KGBV should not be minimalist in nature. She expressed her concerns of what relocation of girls from their families to a new social milieu provided by KGBV would mean to them and their families. What were the existing strategies for including girls from diverse socio-economic background. According to her an innovative scheme like KGBV should not limit itself to mopping girls from marginalized group and address only issues of survival and access but it should go beyond it. Ms. Latika Gupta was appreciative of the scheme but she felt that the scheme needs to be looked at critically. Based on her visits to some KGBV s of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and in Tamil Nadu, she felt that the academic rigour in the scheme was missing. Girls enrolled in KGBV were not able to acquire competencies for passing classes 8 and 10 examinations. She also stated that teachers of KGBV need special orientation and gender sensitivity for handling girls from diverse socio- economic background. Courses offered in KGBVs should dismantle stereotype and help girls envision different role other than being good mothers and wives.
Issues flagged in the session : Mechanism for redressal of grievances of girls and parents. Absence of an exhaustive database on enrolled KGBV girls. Agenda should not be minimalist Lack of academic competencies in different disciplines Academic and vocational courses in KGBV should not have elements of biases and stereotypes Absence of linkages of courses in KGBV to institutes of higher and vocational education. Lack of facilities such as playground, science labs and library facilities Session III Theme : Chairperson : Initial Remarks: Discussants : Repporteurs : Text, Context and Quality Dr. Purva Bhardwaj Dr. Sharada Balagopalan Dr. Gouri Srivastava Dr. Mona Yadav Dr. Ranjana Arora, CG Dr. Kirti Kapoor, DOL The session was chaired by Dr. Purva Bhardwaj who stated that the scheme was a timely intervention as it gave second chance to girls who have dropped out from formal schools. She stated that KGBV scheme had much diversity in text and in the teachinglearning processes. Dr. Sharada Balgopalan mentioned that KGBVs use the same textbooks which states prepare for the government schools. Girls in KGBVs are those who have earlier dropped out from the formal schooling system using these books. After a long gap they have again joined the system and use the same textbooks. This is a critical issue, which needs careful thinking. The other issue is teaching learning process in the KGBVs.
Teaching is challenging in these schools. Teachers in this system have to share greater responsibility than the other systems. They have to negotiate with the curriculum alongwith providing life skill training and integrating gender perspectives across different areas. Teachers have also to critique the textbooks, which often project an urban, male, middle-class, bias. Different textbooks and study materials need to be prepared for these girls in which enough spaces must be given to their local environment, their problems, their interest and also their life experiences. Dr. Gouri Srivastava mentioned that for ensuring equity and quality education in KGBV there is a need to provide additional materials that infuse gender sensitivity and link children with life outside school. In this context she mentioned textbooks prepared by based on NCF-2005, should be adopted, adapted and referred by KGBV schools. The pedagogical processes should also include element of gender sensitivity in trying to build confidence, self-esteem among girls so that they are able to face challenges in life. Dr. Mona Yadav emphasized upon the need for teachers to take into consideration the diverse socio-economic background of the girls in KGBV. In the context of textual materials she stated that textbooks used in KGBV rarely represent diversities of different communities. The girls who enter KGBVs have different academic standards hence the bridge courses offered to these girls should be according to their educational requirements. There is absence of reference of women s lives in various state textbooks used by the girls. The teaching learning materials should be more enriching. The major issues highlighted in the session was : Textual materials used in KGBV do not help in concept clarification of girls. Lack of additional teaching learning material for addressing contextualization, plurality and diversities of girls in KGBV. Low priority is given to life skills and vocational skills in KGBV. Dismantling of male middle class representation in textbooks. Inadequate habits among KGBV girls.
Session IV Theme : Chairperson : Initial Remarks: Discussants : Repporteurs : Recruitment, Posting and Capacity Building of Teachers Professor Shantha Sinha Professor Krishna Kumar Prof. Sharada Jain Dr. H.K. Dewan Dr. C.G. Venkatesha Murthy Dr. Raj Rani, DTEE Dr. Saroj Pandey, DTEE The session was chaired by Prof. Shantha Sinha. She stated that the role of teacher is critical to bring out the best in children and tapping their resources is essential for their overall personality development. Teacher orientation programmes should focus on making teaching sensitive to handling girls from rural and marginalized groups who have struggled to come to the portals of education. This struggle should be appreciated by the teachers. Prof. Sharada Jain mentioned that girls education is crucial for their overall development. Girls enrolled in KGBV are from the most marginalized sections and their inner potential needs to be nurtured by the teachers. In the context of teacher orientations programmes she mentioned that teachers should be trained in such a manner that they should attempt to bring out the hidden talents in the girls. In this regard she stated that teachers motivation is essential because that is the kernel for strengthening teaching with joy and joy in learning. Teacher should attempt to encourage habit of questioning among children. The journey of knowledge should be based on a constant dialogue between the teacher and the taught. She added that teacher and student should seek knowledge as companions. The approach adopted by teachers should be to unravel answers of questions asked by students. She drew attention of the house on important and pressing problems faced by the teachers which relate to the salary structure, working conditions, security facilities and their overall dignity.
She added that KGBV is a formal school and consists of teachers some of whom are permanent and others are additional teachers, few are also temporary. Based on her experience she mentioned that some of the teachers of KGBV do not have academic rigour. The teacher is expected to constantly update content knowledge and relate theory with practice. Education provided to KGBV girls should be able to respond to their contextual situations. In connection with recruitment of teachers certain criteria needs to be focused upon. They are - teachers should be excited about his/her job, want to face new challenge and have a desire to innovate new approach to teaching. Dr. Hridya Kant Dewan stated that the role of teacher educators in training teachers are important. The teacher educators should be specialists in content areas and accordingly the pedagogic process should be designed for training KGBV teachers. While training the teachers certain core areas should be kept in mind. They are concerns related to equity and social sensitivity. The teacher should not undermine the hidden talent of rural girls and their attitudes towards them should be empathetic. He further added that there is a need to look into the entire education system and improve its quality so that parallel structures of formal education are not replicated. Dr. C.G. Venkatesha Murthy mentioned his experiences of KGBV in Karnataka. He stated that the girls of KGBV should not be undermined on any account. They are much above in their competency level. The role of the teachers in KGBV was a challenge and their effort should be to focus on their overall personality development with component of life skills. The pedagogic process that needs to be adopted in KGBV is to constantly uncover and discover syllabus. He added that the current in-service and pre-service training programmes for teachers do not provide spaces for teacher to reflect. He appreciated Mahila Samakhya experience in training teachers and their effort in creating a rich library for children. Regular and temporary teachers of KGBV should not take up their teaching assignments as a burden or punishment. The issues that emerged in this session are stated below : Capacity building of teachers Service conditions of teachers
Pre-service and in-service teachers training programmes lack sensitivity to the socio cultural and educational backgrounds of KGBV girls Special incentives for teacher motivation is missing Session V (a) Theme : Chairperson : Initial Remarks: Discussants : Repporteurs : Building Awareness of Health, Nutrition and Hygiene Dr. Sharada Jain Professor Ashish Bose Dr. Smriti Singh Dr. Sushma Jaireth, DWS Dr. Anjani Koul, DESM The session was chaired by Dr. Sharada Jain, eminent gynaecologist and social activist. She stated that the health situation of children particularly girls is a matter of concern. She cited anemia as a major health issue affecting girls as every nine out of ten adolescent girls in the country are suffering from this menace. She further mentioned that anemia and malnutrition are the two sides of the same coin. Anemia is very much curable and can be addressed by dietary supplements and balanced diet She stressed on the teaching of reproductive health among the school girls and teachers. It is important to educate girls regarding their own health related issues to enable them to make informed choices. Prof. Ashish Bose a well known demographer was very critical as regards the health issues pertaining to the girls. He focused on the problems of female foeticide, which according to him represents a civilizational collapse. He warned about the poor sex ratio and increasing trend in female foeticide in some of the affluent states of India namely Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. The phenomena of female foeticide is prevalent in states that are economically prosperous and also have better educational indicators. This reflects that the status of women is not linear in terms of economic development and education. He further discussed about the National Rural
Health Mission (NRHM), which is a very planned project focusing on improving the health status of rural girls. He also emphasized the need of yoga for KGBV girls. Dr. Smriti Singh, presented the health scenario of KGBV Girls in Uttar Pradesh. She focused on the status of anemia, menstrual problems, adolescent changes, food and nutrition and hygiene for KGBV girls. She expressed her concern about the low budget allocation for health and nutrition of the girls. The per capita grant for daily maintenance of KGBV girls is Rs.25 per head which is very low. Issues that were flagged during the session : Empowering KGBV girls in making informed choices for health. Exploring possibilities of introducing yoga in KGBV schools. Allocation of increased budget for meeting health related expenses. The accountability of State Health Department and other agencies involved in it should be monitored. Session V (b) (Parallel Session) Theme : Financial Management : Strategies of Partnership among Government Civil Society and Corporate World Chairperson : Shri M.P. Vijay Kumar Initial Remarks: Professor K.K. Vashishtha Discussants : Ms. Shubhra Singh Repporteurs : Dr. Mona Yadav, DWS Dr. Y. Srikanth, DEME The session was chaired by Shri M.P. Vijay Kumar. He stated that the funds for running KGBV was sufficient for meeting the recurring and non-recurring expenditures. However, due to the absence of proper guidelines for utilization of budget under different heads, it is left to the imagination and discretion of concerned officers for its utilization. With regards the public-private-partnership he mentioned that the States can look for partners at local level like non-government organizations and the corporate sectors for
improving the facilities in KGBV. However, any kind of partnership entered into should not compromise on the quality dimension of the KGBVs. Professor K.K. Vashishtha emphasized on the importance of a manual giving guidelines for utilization of budgets of KGBV. He added that there is no clarity about utilization of funds and therefore a lot of unspent balance is reported in most of the KGBVs. Quality in any organization requires four basic inputs namely-human power resources, time, management of resources and financial resource. For financial resource the regular fund flow from the centres to states and from states to KGBV would help in improving the quality of the scheme. In developing partnerships the personal and hidden motive of the partner should be explored before entering into such partnerships. He emphasized on strengthening life skill and vocational skills in KGBV. Ms. Shubhra Singh gave an in-depth presentation on the pubic private partnership operating in Rajasthan. She suggested that the partners involved in the partnerships should comprehend KGBV in a holistic manner and the interest of KGBV should be kept in mind. While entering into such partnerships the goals of the scheme should not be negotiable. She presented three models of public private partnership in Rajasthan and processes involved in forming such partnerships. The major issues that emerged in this session relate to the following : There is no manual indicating the guidelines for utilization of finances and there is no flexibility given to KGBV managements for utilization of funds. Most of the KGBV face problems of land acquisition for construction of hostels. Financial allocations do not take into account the current cost index. Public-Private-Partnership need to be strengthened but such partnerships should not compromise on the quality and objectives of KGBV. The issues of sustainability after the dissolution of partnerships is a key area of concerns. There is a need to make initiatives and innovations in KGBV which are local level. In built monitoring and regulatory mechanism for looking into the functioning of partnerships.
Theme : Chairperson : Initial Remarks: Presentation by Repporteurs: Observations : Concluding Remarks: Vote of thanks: Deliberations and Recommendations Professor Neerja Shukla Professor Sharada Jain Ms. Mily Roy, Dr. Kanan Sadhu, Dr. Ranjana Arora, Dr. Raj Rani, Dr. Sushma Jaireth, Dr. Y. Srikanth, Ms. Vrinda Sarup Professr Krishna Kumar Dr. Gouri Srivastava Professor Neerja Shukla chaired the session and Professor Sharada Jain gave her initial remarks. Professor Jain stated that the scheme was unique and holistic in nature and it is a first attempt of non-formalization of formal education system. In connection with orientation of teachers of KGBV, she said that their training has to be different as they address a very diverse group of children belonging to SC, ST, OBC, Minority and BPL backgrounds. She talked about partnership in KGBV s and mentioned that partnership should help in promoting equality among different managing partners. She agreed that the issue of teachers was complex because teacher recruitment in KGBVs varied from state to state and there was no proper policy guidelines in this regard. In some KGBVs teachers are appointed on a permanent basis where as in few they are temporary and in others they are contractual. Despite, variations in staffing patterns there is a need to promote a sense of ownership of KGBV among teachers Ms. Vrinda Sarup thanked the team of and participants who participated in the deliberations of the Consultation. She agreed that the cost of food items has increased due to inflation and the executive committee of SSA has agreed to revise it. In the context of infra-structure she stated that most of the problems related to it would be taken care of once KGBVs have their own buildings. For addressing the training needs of the teachers she mentioned that could take a lead in this direction by developing special training modules for teachers of KGBV which could be adopted, adapted and contextualized based on the needs of the state. With regard to TLM a package could be
developed to deal with children having different learning levels. could also help in preparing such packages. She agreed that Science and Math laboratory and libraries were very much needed in all KGBVs. She informed that recently 2% untied funds were given to each district for improving quality in education and she suggested that this fund could be utilized for meeting the requirement of the above mentioned facilities. A lot of activities in KGBV could be handled through convergence with various departments such as health department of the states. In some KGBVs the public private partnership was working well, whereas in others it was not functioning properly. As a result a very serious issue that needs to be looked into is the commitment of the partners and sustainability of such partnerships. Professor Krishna Kumar emphasized on the inter linkages between the institutions of higher learning and KGBVs. He was of the view that educational reforms begin at the margins and gradually become part of the mainstream. The KGBV scheme could also attempt to initiate reforms that would enable girls to get mainstreamed in education. While appreciating the scheme he expressed that it took a long time to conceptualize such a scheme which could work effectively with right kind of management, right synergy taking place, leaving enough space for critiquing prevalent practices and sharing of anxieties. Since girls in these formal schools are available for twenty four hours there is enough potential for introducing Art and Aesthetic Education to these girls. In this context could contribute in providing expertise in the area of Art Education. Regarding Teaching Learning Materials he said that has developed science and maths kits and a mobile chemistry lab which could be utilized by KGBV girls for concept clarification in these subjects. He said that KGBV scheme was a fire fighting response to a systemic crises in our educational system. For re-envisioning the future of the scheme there is a need to constitute a small committee which can work towards reconceptializing it with a future vision and also updating it. He said that this Consultation was a modest attempt which would further trigger more serious attempts for making the scheme more responsive and effective to the educational needs of girls from marginalized sections of the society.
OVERALL RECOMMENDATIONS
Overall Recommendations of the National Consultation The recommendations arising from different sessions have been categorized as short term and long term and are presented below: Exclusion, Inclusion and Equity : Problems and Solutions Short Term There is a need to adopt the gender sensitive approach of Mahila Samakhya to the KGBV schools. In this context NGO s entrusted with the responsibility of running the scheme need to be carefully selected. Procedure of selection should be rigorous and transparent. The involvement of NGO s of different socio-religious backgrounds can be used in encouraging enrolments of girls from minority communities as they have social acceptance in the community. Further, their help can be elicited in imparting vocational skills, tackling problems related to health and nutrition. However, care should be taken to see that the religious affiliations of these organizations do not get reflected in the KGBV schools, which are expected to act as a Correctional Agencies. Scheme should have inbuilt provisions for girls with disability. Organization of regular community mobilization programmes for promoting enrolment and retention of girls in KGBVs. Preparation of socio-economic profile of KGBV girls. Organization of training programmes for functionaries of KGBV e.g. warden s for strengthening inclusion and quality issues in KGBV s. Development of a mechanism for tracking students who have passed out from KGBV and its documentation. Long Term Strategies of inclusion of girls from different socio-economic background needs to be sensitively planned for prevention of further exclusion KGBV should be up-scaled to secondary school.
There is a need to have an institutionalized mechanism to keep in touch with parents of KGBV girls for ownership of the scheme by them. Text, Context and Quality : Integrating Gender Sensitivity Short Term State textbooks being used in the KGBV s in many places do not provide an understanding of necessary concepts as the context of these girls are often missing in these books. Further, textbooks do not project gender concerns and many others related to equity and social justice in appropriate manner. In this regard textbooks based on NCF-2005 should be used as they weave issues of gender and marginalized groups in textual materials. They also attempt to connect children with their lived realities. Science and Math kits developed by should be used in KGBVs for better understanding of these subjects. Reservation of at least ten seats for KGBV girls in Navodaya Vidyalayas, thereby giving the KGBV girls a second entry point after class VIII. 15% of National Talent Scholarship (NTS) to be reserved for KGBV girls for their transition to secondary and senior secondary stages of education. Need to work out strategies which can link schools to ITIs, Polytechnics and other Vocational Institutes. In this regard NIOs run courses on Rural Health and Rural Engineering and schemes such as Aasha and Hunar can be used in KGBVs to enable students to link education with the world of work. An integrated approach to work and education as a pedagogy needs to be adopted. Funds to be provided to expose girls to the outside world in terms of educational tours and excursions. In some KGBVs assistance is provided by the state but in those where there are no provisions for such visits this component needs to be added. Provision of physical facilities needs to be provided such as science, maths and language laboratory, computer labs, functional library and facilities for organization of Sports and Yoga.
Provision of sports and vocational teachers in KGBVs should be provided for overall development of girls. Appointment of Urdu teachers should be especially made in blocks having larger concentration of Muslim population as Urdu teacher can help in the retention of Muslim girls. There is a need for strengthening academic rigour of the scheme. Teaching in KGBV schools is very challenging, teachers have greater responsibilities to negotiate with the curriculum and also to critique the textbooks, which often project an urban, male, middle-class, biases. The delivery mechanisms which teachers use in these schools need to be critically assessed and accordingly the teachers need to be provided necessary orientation and training. Long Term The teaching learning requirements of girls need to be carefully planned as these girls are from diverse socio-economic background and of different learning levels. Since stereotypes are being strengthened through curriculum and teaching, use of theatre, puppetry and other such activities can be used to undo stereotyping and biases. Perhaps use of such mediums can address issues such as untouchability and other socio-cultural taboos prevailing in the society. Academic and vocational courses in KGBV s should dismantle gender biases and stereotypes. There is a need to connect school life with existing and lived realities which girls face outside the school such as violence, scarcity of water and other multiple challenges. The significant question is how the curriculum should be designed so that the social milieu and context of girl is addressed. Sports and Physical Education and Arts and Aesthetics can be introduced in KGBV schools.
Recruitment, Posting and Capacity Building of Teachers : From a Gender Lens Short Term KGBV teachers should be encouraged to participate in in-service training programmes organized by various organizations such as the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti,, SCERT, NIEPA, CCRT and RIE s Selection of teachers should be based on written test and personal attributes of teachers. Deserving and needy teachers should be given priority and they should be apprised of the requirements of the challenging job they are appointed for. The service conditions of the teachers which include their salaries, working conditions, residential facilities, crèches, transport facilities, maternity leave benefits and incentives need to be given urgent attention. New and innovative approaches in pedagogy of different subjects like Mathematics, Science and Social Sciences needs to be part of the teacher training prograrmmes. Migration of teachers from KGBV to government school needs to be addressed on priority basis. As these phenomena has an impact on teaching and learning process and the bonding already established between teachers and the pupils in a residential set up. For strengthening academic rigor of KGBVs the Karnataka Model can be adopted. Regular teachers could be deputed to these schools in addition to teachers selected under the scheme. Long Term Pre-service and in-service programmes at all levels for teachers should have a strong gender sensitive component keeping in view the specific contexts of KGBVs and should attempt to address the socio-psycho needs of the students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Teacher training programmes need to be based on continuous monitoring and feedback.
Teachers should be an agent of change. They should overcome their own prejudices and biases and efforts should be made by the teachers to encourage questioning and critiquing social practices that hinder confidence building among girls. Participatory teaching should be encouraged. Preparation of Training Modules for teachers in content areas of Sciences, Maths, Social Sciences and Physiological needs of girls. Building Awareness of Health, Nutrition and Hygiene Short Term Provision for budgeted Group Health Insurance for all girls. An amount of Rs. 25 for Nutrition per day per girl (i.e. Rs.750/- pm) is too less as it was implemented about 4-5 years ago. The consensus among the experts was to raise this amount upto Rs.50/- per day per girl (i.e. Rs.1500/- pm), that would take care of the living cost index and rate of inflation in the states. The Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) very meticulously utilizes the budgetary provisions for each student. In connection with medical care, NVS budgetary provision of doctor and its unit cost per child is Rs.1,117/- (for details see Kumar,Gupta, What is Missing in Girls Empowerment, Economic and Political Weekly, VolumeXLIII, No 26 and 27, June 28, 2008 ). In case of KGBV so far there is no provision of doctor and the unit cost per child is Rs.750/-. The recommendation for following the NVS norms was put forth by the house. KGBV should have a direct link with PHCs, CHCs and an effective ambulance service need to be introduced at village level for handling emergencies. More autonomy and freedom should be given to the KGBVs with regard to expenditure on health and hygiene. Long Term The group recommended very specific quarantine area in the civil design of each school to be compulsory, as communicable diseases are common in most KGBVs.
Professional bodies like Indian Medical Association and Gynecological Association may be involved for regular health check ups at KGBVs, since anemia and malnutrition amongst these girls are rampant. Steps should be taken for increasing the hemoglobin to 12 gm and more. Financial Management : Strategies of Partnership among Government and Civil Society Short Term Constitution of an Autonomous Administrative Body to look after the management issues of all agencies (NGOs, MS, SSA and Corporate Sector) running KGBV. The capacity building for different levels of management and functionaries of KGBVs, such as cooks, security personnel and accountants should be planned systematically for strengthening social sensitivity, accountability, roles and responsibilities. Convergence with different schemes of the State can be explored for meeting financial, academic and health related concerns of KGBV. Programmes such as the Meena Manch, Meena Puppet theatre of the NPEGEL can be used to generate awareness on socio-cultural issues. KGBV run by different agencies can seek convergence with Civil Society and MS groups such as Kishori Kendra, Kishori Sangha and Mahila Sangha. Public-private partnership based on Rajasthan model can be replicated. However, the credibility of such partnership has to be kept in mind to an extent that it serves the purpose for which partnership is sought. There is a need to build capacities within the KGBV to have a prefect management group which can assess the credibility of the agency. Documentation of partnerships will facilitate in affective running of the KGBVs. Preparation of manuals for wardens and other functionaries of KGBV for utilization of funds under different heading and providing clarity on flexibility regarding its utilization.
Financial allocation to be enhanced keeping in mind the current cost index of various items. Long Term Updating rules and provisions of the scheme as and when required. The group felt that government has allocated reasonable budget for KGBVs. Funds for innovations have to be generated at local levels. Since these initiatives and innovations are local specific, the state governments should conceive, generate and seek public-private-partnership in this respect. While mobilizing resources through public-private partnerships the goals of KGBV and the quality issue in KGBV should not be compromised on. The KGBVs which are functioning in the hilly areas and in north eastern region need specific financial allocations as the cost of construction and material used is very high. Envisioning KGBV : Future Prospects Short Term Research studies could be undertaken on the following themes : - Lower participation of Muslim girls - Identify causes of dropout of girls from KGBV Scheme must be extended upto class X and if possible upto class XII. Constitution of a small Committee which can work towards reconceptializing it with a future vision and also updating it, looking after the implementation and monitoring of KGBV and conduct mid term review of the schools. There is a need to re look at the school s architecture from a pedagogically sensitive angle such as designed location of toilets, heights of wash basins, electric switches, provision of ramps etc. in this regard some of the architectural firms such as Aga Khan Planning and Building Service in India (AKPBS), Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), National Building Cooperation, Council for Advancement of Peoples Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) and Vinyas Centre for Architecture and Design can be consulted for designing KGBVs that are girl friendly.
Long Term Agenda of the scheme should not be minimalist. This scheme needs to be seen not merely as yet another project but as one that seeks to promote meaningful social change. There is evidence to show that the scheme is getting structural support and we must promote it as an institutionalized movement. Inter-linkages between institutions of higher learning and KGBVs needs to be strengthened. Role of in strengthening the KGBVs textbooks should be used in KGBV Schools. Developing of training modules for addressing training needs of teachers. TLM packages could be prepared by for better understanding of concepts of different disciplines. Science and Maths kits, Mobile Chemistry lab developed by can be used to strengthen the understanding of these subjects. Since girls in these formal schools are available for twenty four hours there is enough potential for introducing art and aesthetics education to these girls. Expertise in this area can be provided by.
APPENDIX TIME TABLE LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
National Consultation on Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) Scheme, August 11-12, 2008 (Monday-Tuesday) Programme Schedule INAUGURAL SESSION Venue: Room No. 202, Chacha Nehru Bhawan, 09:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m. Registration 10:00 a.m. 11:15 a.m.: Professor K K Vashishtha Welcome Note Professor Krishna Kumar Opening Remarks Professor Roop Rekha Verma Keynote Address Shri A K Rath, Secretary Presidential Address Professor Neerja Shukla Vote of Thanks Rapporteurs Dr. Sandhya Sangai, DEE Dr. Sushma Jaireth, DWS 11:15 a.m. 11:30 a.m. : Tea ACADEMIC SESSIONS Venue: Room No. 202, Chacha Nehru Bhawan, Time: 11:30 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Session I Duration Theme: KGBV: An Initiative of SSA for Girls Education Chairperson 5 1 + 10** mins Ms. Vrinda Sarup Initial Remarks: Dr. Rashmi Sinha, Supplemented by 15 + 20 mins a Teacher, a Warden and Students of KGBV from UP Discussant : Dr. Rajesh Bhushan 20 mins General Discussion: 20 mins Rapporteurs: Dr. Neeraja Rashmi, DWS Ms. Mily Roy Anand, DESSH 1:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. : Lunch 1 Opening Remarks ** Closing Remarks
Session II Venue: Room No. 202, Chacha Nehru Bhawan, Time: 2:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m. Session II Duration Theme: Exclusion, Inclusion and Equity Chairperson: Dr. Padma Velaskar 5 + 10 mins Initial Remarks: Dr. Nandini Manjrekar 20 mins Discussant: Ms. Latika Gupta 15 mins 10 mins General Discussion: 30 mins Discussion Points: Coverage and Reach Criteria of Selection Community Mobilization Rapporteurs: Dr. Kanan Sadhu, DEGSN Dr. Raju, DERPP 3:30 p.m. 3:45 p.m.: Tea Session III Venue: Room No. 202, Chacha Nehru Bhawan, Time: 3:45 p.m. 5:15 p.m Session III Duration Theme: Text, Context and Quality Chairperson: Dr. Purva Bhardwaj 5 + 10 mins Initial Remarks: Dr. Sharada Balgopalan 25 mins Dr. Gouri Srivastava Discussant: Dr. Mona Yadav 20 mins General Discussion: Discussion Points: Curriculum, Textbooks, TLM and other Supplementary Books Pedagogic Processes Science and Math: Issues of Comprehension Bridge Courses Vocational Courses 30 mins Rapporteurs: Dr. Ranjana Arora, CG Dr. Kirti Kapoor, DOL
August 12, 2008 (Tuesday) Venue: Room No. 202, Chacha Nehru Bhawan, Time: 9.30 a.m. 11.00 a.m. Session IV Duration Theme: Recruitment, Posting and Capacity Building of Teachers Chairperson: Professor Shanta Sinha 5 + 10 mins Initial Remarks: Professor Krishna Kumar Discussant: Professor Sharada Jain Dr. H.K. Dewan Dr. C.G. Venkatesha Murthy General Discussion: 15 mins 15 mins 15 mins 30 mins Discussion Points: Recruitment and Posting Training Working Conditions Remuneration Motivational Strategies Rapporteurs: Dr. Raj Rani, DTEE Dr. Saroj Pandey, DTEE 11.00 a.m. 11.15 a.m. : Tea Time: 11.15 a.m. 12:45 p.m. Session V (A) Room No. 202, Chacha Nehru Bhawan, Theme: Building Awareness of Health, Nutrition and Hygiene Session V (B) Room. No. 229, Chacha Nehru Bhawan, Theme: Financial Management: Strategies of Partnership among Government Civil Society and Corporate World Chairperson: Dr. Sharda Jain Chairperson: Shri M.P. Vijay Kumar Initial Remarks: Initial Remarks: Professor Ashish Bose Professor K.K. Vashishtha Duration 5 + 10 mins 15 mins 15 mins Discussant: Discussant: 15 mins Dr. Smriti Singh Ms. Shubhra Singh General Discussion: General Discussion: 30 mins Discussion Points: Nutrition Health Care & Medical facilities Menstruation Management Preventive Measures for Dealing with Communicable Diseases Health Insurance Rapporteurs: Dr. Sushma Jaireth, DWS Dr. Anjani Koul, DESM Discussion Points: Budgetary Provisions Non-Recurring Recurring Building Stipend Construction Maintenance Furniture Examination Fee TLM Salaries Library Books Rapporteurs: Dr. Mona Yadav, DWS Dr. Y. Srikanth, DEME