Quality Education for Overall Development of Underprivileged Children: A Need for Nation Building

?“We cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we can’t help but change” - Sheryl Sandberg. This statement holds a lot of weight. How? Let’s discuss.?

Here we will be talking about how to give quality (not quantity) education to underprivileged kids. According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), the number of students going to school in rural India is increasing. However, more than 50% of the students in the 5th standard are not capable of reading a text book of 2nd standard.They do not know how to solve basic mathematical problems.

And almost 25% of teens in the age group between 14-18 cannot read 2nd standard text fluently.

Hence, instead of focusing on uplifting literacy rate, it is time that we focus on quality education.?

We should always remember that before there is a change, there should be awareness. But this awareness should be in both ways- the ones who are privileged and the other ones who are underprivileged. For the privileged ones, they should know what is going on around them and know about the other side of the world which includes the underprivileged. Debates surrounding the educational sector and education for the underprivileged have been one of the hottest topics for years, and remains so till date, and not without reason.?

I feel that the acceptance and awareness are the most important stepping stones before we talk about imparting quality education.?

The first step is - ‘acceptance’. Accepting the other side. Why? Poverty and unacceptance have demoralised the underprivileged to a great extent. They need acceptance to grow and the privileged need to accept them to teach them in a better way so that there is maximum benefit to both sides. Second is - ‘Spreading awareness’. Spreading awareness means knowing the fact that it is this unacceptance of the underprivileged kids that drives them to the path of violence and aggression.?

Imparting Moral Ethics:?

Coming to moral ethics, the Neem School is just the right example. They have taken over to teach the kids through ‘sensitization techniques’. On ‘Nirbhaya’ incident in December 16, 2012, Dr. Anjali Nigam, in her article, stated that "The lack of values and the brutalisation of sensibilities through constant exposure to violence (the sub-culture in many slums) made it possible for a 15-year-old boy to thrust iron rods into a live human body."?

For our underprivileged children, the quality education and proper infrastructure are missing and the kids are also reluctant to go to school. Free mid-day meals, books and uniforms are often not attractive enough to bring the students back to school. This is a result of poverty and lack of awareness. Quality and innovative system of education is the way, probably the only way to get rid of this vicious cycle.?

But the big question is, how are we going to attract the students who have to work to support their families? Well, again coming back to the point made earlier – i.e. awareness. Making these students aware that education has the power to end this vicious cycle. Mid-day meal schemes and steps like that don’t always help but trying to spread awareness can.?

The primary way through which educational reform can be brought about is through collaboration and forming partnerships. There are many NGOs who are carrying out commendable work in the sphere of educating the underprivileged, whether in the capacity of training teachers, creating infrastructure or initiating informal models of education.?

There are multiple entities at play, and it is of utmost importance to invest in the future of these children. Education is the prime way through which the underprivileged can escape the vicious cycle of poverty and crime. There is a saying “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”. It is perfectly applicable in the present context. Merely providing the underprivileged children with food or materials do not help them in the long run, but giving them quality education will definitely help them in uplifting there conditions and they will get opportunity to become responsible citizen in the society.?

Government in collaboration with NGOs in the educational sector can make a significant impact. Organisations that work for the socio-economic development of the underprivileged must be recognised and fuelled with appropriate funds to optimise their endeavours.?

Some of the possible methods, which I would like to propose, to impart quality education to the underprivileged kids, are as follows:?

The idea of weekend school is a great initiative taken by some NGOs and should be taken up by more and more people in the future. I personally feel that all the schools and colleges should incorporate the idea of ‘weekend school’ for underprivileged children and should be in-built in their regular curriculum. Few schools have already started social service clubs and are doing really great. A necessary course can also be offered to the college students. The schools and colleges will identify the localities in their vicinity, where underprivileged children need education. The students in groups can visit those localities and impart education in a structured manned. The schedule can be worked out in consultation with the parents the children. The mode of imparting education will include,?

1. Audio-Visual mode using Learning Apps: There are many learning apps available for the school children of different classes and some of them are free also. My idea is to expose these underprivileged children with some of these apps to make the learning very interesting. The school/college students will carry the laptop and projection system to the specified location. The children will be shown videos and animations and simultaneously will be explained and taught. For any doubts, the proper explanations will be given for their clear understanding. I feel, this way of teaching will enhance their interest towards learning.?
2. Giving quality education is a must. Why only studies, there are things like extra-curricular activities, teaching moral ethics, etc. The extra-curricular activities make learning a lot more fun and interesting.?
3. In addition to theoretical teaching, these kids should be exposed with vocational teaching depending their interests and ability. We can help these children in?selecting right career options depending on their skill. If we can identify and tap these skills at the very early stage, we can achieve our dream of ‘skill India’.?

References:?

• https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/25-teens-in-age-group-14-18-can-t-read-grade-2-text-fluently-aser-report-101705477288545.html
• Anjali Nigam, Why I started value based schools to tackle juvenile crime - https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/8449506?

• Geeta Dharmarajan, Inspiring slum children through education: a story from Delhi, Early Childhood Matters - November 2010?

• https://theirworld.org/voices/india-village-weekend-school-underprivileged-children?

• 5 ways to upgrade the rural education system in India, India Today Web Desk, New Delhi, July 25, 2019: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/featurephilia/story/5-ways-to-upgrade-the-rural-education-system-in-india-1573497-2019-07-25?

• Can education in rural sector be a game-changer?- India Today Web Desk, New Delhi, June 25, 2019: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/featurephilia/story/can-education-in-rural-sector-be-a-game-changer-1555673-2019-06-25?

• 32 million Indian children have never been to any school: How can we reform education for the underprivileged?- India Today Web Desk, New Delhi, August 19, 2019: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/featurephilia/story/32-million-indian-children-have-never-been-to-any-school-how-can-we-reform-education-for-the-underprivileged-1582293-2019-08-19?