Call for Interns: Shiksha ka Sawaal Abhiyan

A state campaign to initiate and facilitate community monitoring of public schooling through the RTI

The Soochna evum Rozgar Abhiyan (a network of civil society organisations working on transparency and accountability) and the Rajasthan Patrika (a newspaper with extensive presence across the state) are launching a yearlong state wide campaign from March 2015 to February 2016 in Rajasthan. This is expected to cover all schools in the 295 blocks of the state. Right to Information applications will be filed in government schools by community residents and students. The information sought will be on different aspects of; teachers and students, toilets, playgrounds, drinking water, school management committees and school development plan.

Apart from filing the RTIs, the Right of Education Act (RTE) and the Right to Hearing Act (RTH) will be used to increase accountability and file grievances arising from the information sought. This will be followed by a ‘transparency and accountability’ yatra which will go through each of the 33 districts of the state. This will culminate with a State level Convention with resolutions that bring together the outcomes of the campaign.

This is a chance to be part of a unique initiative that directly links citizens at the neighbourhood level to structures of authority. It will be a learning experience on the everyday use of legislations such as the Right to Information, Right to Education and Right to Hearing by citizens for greater civic engagement. Most importantly it will give those of us who have the privilege of obtaining high levels of formal education, an opportunity to ensure others have access to similar such opportunities.

Interns are sought for the months of May and June 2015 to kick start the campaign.

Placement: Interns will be trained at the State level and will be placed at the Block level for the duration of one month. They will work closely with the Block Coordination Committee which shall consist of 1 civil society organization (CSO) representative, 1 member of Rajasthan Patrika and 3-5 active citizens of the area.

Responsibilities of Interns:

1) Work with Block Coordination Committee to form citizen groups at the cluster and village level2) Assist in drafting and filing of RTIs.3) Liaison with ward members and Panchayati Raj representatives. 4) Reach out to community based organisations (Self Help Groups, Nehru Yuva Kendra etc.)5) Help create atmosphere of citizen-state engagement. 6) Maintain web based system to track information received.7) Document stories the state of education both positive and negative.8) Prepare brief study reports on the status of government schools in the block allocated. 9) Communicate effectively the campaign experience through social and other media. 10) Assist in organising events to creatively disseminate information received.

Support Provided: Given the voluntary nature of the campaign, all costs of travel, accommodation and food will have to be borne by the interns. Logistic support will be provided by the concerned CSO and the Rajasthan Patrika representative to make reasonable arrangements for boarding and lodging. Constant support will be provided by the block and state level co-ordinating teams on strategy and day to day activities.

Time period: At least one month in May – June 2015 for full time placement at the Block level. Interns will be encouraged to continue as volunteers with the campaign and sustain their engagement with the community.

Details: To apply for this internship fill up the volunteer form available at http://shikshakasawaal.blogspot.in/. You will receive a confirmation email from shikshakasawaal@gmail.com and we will get back to you. Those who participate for a month will receive a certificate of recognition.