VILLAGE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY

(VCDS)NON-FORMAL EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY

(NFED)VELLAKULAM, KILSIVIRI POST,

BRAHMADESAM VIA-604 301 TINDIVANAM TALUK, VILLUPURAM

DISTRICT,TAMILNADU-INDIA

E-mail: vcdstn@gmail.comPrepared by M. Josephine Pavithra Devi, Responsible for Education for Children

VCDSBACKGROUND OF VCDS:• VCDS was started in the year 1980 in Vellakulam village to help the

poor farmers, destitute women, children, youth and dalits in rural areas.

• It has extended its support to these people by providing education. Because the constitution of India and the right to eduction and compulsory education act makes it possible to any citizen to conduct educational opportunities to uplift more than 500 million children living in rural areas and city slums. VCDS has been involved in providing education for the past 30 years. It has joined hands with government and other like minded organisations in the education program like non formal education, adult education, evening schools, education for the dalit children’s, vocational education and technical education to the youths.

• VCDS is now working in Organic Farming, Watershed management, Micro credit, Non-formal education for democracy, Technical education, Eco-tourism, Disaster management and relief work, Exchange and training for the national and international students and Human rights.

• There are 20 full time staffs and 21 part-time staffs working in VCDS.

• VCDS is working with the international organisations like Emmaus International, Siemenpuu Foundation, Maison Familie Rural, Swallows of Finland, Stockholm university of Education, Friends of VCDS in Sweden.

EDUCATION SYSTEM FOLLOWED BY VCDS-Respect others Right and Views:• Aim:The aim was to eliminate child labor and enforce children’s rights with the

cooperation of all stakeholders such as parents, government, education department, local panchayath and voluntary organizations like VCDS as well as the law enforcing authorities responsible for protecting children’s rights and eliminating child labor system in a rural feudal agrarian setup.

• For the past 6 years VCDS is mainly concentrating in the non-formal education for democracy (it is also called as supplementary education) and technical education to the rural youths both boys and girls.

• In the beginning of 2006 there were 30 schools out of that now only 21 schools are working stablely and continuously. The no.of schools have been reduced for want of funds as well.

• We are having technical training center for the rural youth providing technical education (approved by Government of India) through which they can be economically stable.

• In non- formal education for democracy project there are 3 superviors, 21 teachers and 1 co-ordinator working currently. The school drop out children and children with poor economic back ground are concentrated in this project.

• Through this non-formal education system we inculcate the students with democratic values,gender equality, equal education for all, environmental consevation.The methods we adopt is games, play, drama, dance and music and reading and writing to know the school subject as well.

• We conduct Parents tecahers meeting once in 4 months to assess the progress of each children and to rectify problems that might arise then and there.

• The teachers are trainned with new techniques to involve the students during the teaching ours.

• In NFED we conduct Science exhibition, PTA meetings, Competitions, Annual sports meet and cultural events. These science exhibition and the cultural events hepls the students to bring out their skills to the public and to gain self confidence.

• Non-formal education for working children, dropout children and destitute children are one of the methods recommened by the government of India to uplift those children and put them in the main stream of life. So VCDS is interested in giving education to those excluded and margenalised children from the beginning.

TOTAL BENEFICIARIES FROM BEGINNING TILL TODAY:• VCDS is conducting this non-formal education from the year

1980.• The total no.of benficiaries is 37,200.• From the year 2006 the no.of beneficiaries is 9000. Among

this the male and female ratio is 30:70• From the total beneficiaries the male and female ratio is

40:60• The indirect benficiaries are the parents of each children,

the village people, the farmers and the formal school childrens and teachers.

• The rural educated youths are employed as the teachers of these schools. Among these teachers females teachers are more in number. And many of the teachers have studeid in our non-formal school. They gain and experience on how to face the problem, how they can find solution to the problem and they are introduced and trainned to approach the government and obtain help from them. They learn to face the world and equip themselves to face the current fast changing world and to get the government welfare schemes.

• Through this dropout ratio is reduced and many children have to the university education and many are working in the government institutions.

Advocacy and Involvement• We do advocay with the Statelevel child right association (Tamilnadu Child

Rights Association), Child Rights and You (CRY) and the Government welfare board in order to bring policy cahnges to enhance the quality of education to children.

• We are working with B. Ed (Bachelore of Education) colleges and involved in teaching training and block placement.

• We lobby with Stateresource center for Education, SSA (Sarva Sikshya Abhiyan)-Education for all (Funded by the World bank), Social welfare Departments, Eco-Club (schools), ICDS- Integrated Child Development Scheme (Funded by the World bank) and Junior Red-cross movement for policy changes.

• VCDS has become one of the valuable stake holders of government education department in order to implement the policy “Equitable Education For All” without caste, creed , regionality and gender.

• Also we collaborate with some of the child development organisations such as SMILE Foundation, Save the Children and National Commision for Protection of Child Rights.

• We also promote Integrated Education system inclusive of Physically challenegd who are usually negelected by the School and the parents and the society as well.

ALTERNATIVES FOR PRESENT EDUCATION:

WHY ? WHAT? AND HOW?

• A common education system will eliminate the discrimination and give equal opportunity for all.

• The education should not be commodified but it should made as a basic right for all.

• The teachers should work with the children to teach them and to make them understand.

• Students should be given a chance to choose their stream of education or the subject they are willing to study.

• Technical education and Scientific education and education about culture should be promoted among the students.

• Education should be student friendly but not teachers centred, for the over all development of the child.

• Students should be given different form of learning method like doing projects, listening to radio, reading newspaper and preparation of their own lessons and study materials.

ACTION PLAN FOR NEXT FOUR YEARS:• Cluster school system will be strengthened in 100 villages covering 50,000 population

involving all institutions interested in childrens education ( 1000 children will be our irect beneficiaries).

• Conducting summer camp for the rural students.

• Collaboration with government Farmer schools and NGO child education networks.

• Awareness education and training for Young women

• Promoting Vocational educationfor the students srudying in our schools

• Enhancing computer education to the rural children.

• Cizitenship education for the national and internatioanl students to promote peace and hormony in the world.

• Increasing the school going children ratio and reducing the dropout ratio and child labour exploitation

• Providing free legal aid to free the children from forced labour.

• Increasing opportunities for the Dalits and children of margenalised communities

• Making Parents Teachers Association active in the formal schools

• Strengthening our information center for Child education and child rights

• Sponsoring some children who are economically poor especially Dalit girls and collaboration with children of agriculture background, forest background and coastal background for better understanding.

• Strenghtening the eco-clubs in the villages and in the government schools.

• Enable the parents to pay the cost for running the NFED school

• Encoruage the parents to contest and get elected in the grassroot democratic institutions such as panchayath, rural development banks because they controll the decisions, fund and programs.

CASE STUDIES

SELVI SANTHI – ROLE MODEL FOR NFE D SCHOOL TEACHERS

My name is Santhi. I am a differently able person I belong to Siruvadi village. I was a student of VCDS School. I had developed inferiority complex due to my very poor health. VCDS helped me to get rid of this feeling. After completion of +2, I was wondering about what the future would be for me and how to help others in a beneficial way. At that time VCDS NFE D School lent me a helping hand. I was selected as a teacher of NFE D School at Siruvadi. I was very happy that I got an opportunity to teach the students of the village. At the same time I was a bit afraid whether I had the capacity for this. But the Teachers Training imparted by VCDS alleviated all my fears. Apart from the regular subjects, training was given in Life Skill Education, Self Confidence, Human Rights, Women Rights and Child Rights. I also gained knowledge of worldwide developments. This helped me to develop my skills further. I am proud to say that from a person lacking in confidence, I have become a teacher for 70 students every year. I also take pride in the fact the top 3 ranks are got by the students of my NFED school.

I AM THE TOP SCORER IN MY CLASSMy name is Rajalakshmi. I am studying 8th standard. I am from Aavudaiyarpet village. In the early years of my school I cannot read and write my name. Then I joined in the NFED school in my village. The school was so friendly and lively. I was given an opprtunity to cope-up with the other students. And during my struggle to understand things my teacher helped and she explained me the subjects with patience. In our school I learned about child rights, women rights and how the environment is being damged through the people and what are the effects of global warming. With this knowledge I wrote an essay in a disater management competition and I was selected as the best essay writer. I was a mere scorer in my class but now with the help of my teacher and NFED school I am the top scorer of my class. My school teacher is really amazed to see my progress in the education and my rapid answers for her questions.