Seva Mandir Rural Education Program Udaipur/Rajsamand, Rajasthan

1. Seva MandirRural Education ProgramUdaipur/Rajsamand, Rajasthan Project Update and Proposal Review 2014-2015

2. Background: Seva Mandir • Founded in 1968 with an extensive education promoting for promoting primary education since 1991 • The work of the organization spans over 626 villages, around 70,000 households, distributed across five blocks – Badgaon, Kotra, Girva, Kherwara, and Jhadol • Key strategic organizational objectives: • To create and strengthen institutions for development • To enhance people’s capabilities for self-development • To create sustainable improvements in the livelihoods base • AfE-SV supports education program in Badgaon block since 2007

3. Seva Mandir Education Program • SevaMandir Education Program has its roots in LokJumbish movement • LokJumbish - education for all - movement started in 1989 aimed at ensuring education for all in the state of Rajasthan through community mobilization with three primary objectives • Universal Primary Education • Universal retention of children up-to 14 years, and • Improvement in quality of education to enable essential levels of learning • Shiksha Kendra (NFE Centers) for promotion of primary education • Non-Formal-Education centers in villages across Udaipur/Rajsamand district to bring literacy to first generation learners with community partnership • Evolved directly out of LokJumbish movement • Seasonal Residential Learning Schools for tribal children • Full-time Immersive, seasonal residential school evolved out of extensive research in tribal and migratory regions of southern Rajasthan

4. SevaMandir Education Program [2] • Activity Centers (SahayogKendras) • Capacity building initiative with the government schools • Support Center to improve learning and introduce activity based learning • Improve attendance, retention, and comprehension amongst children attending government schools • Improving overall quality of education and in-part community trust in the government schools • Action Research Project with MIT-PAL • Measure, and in part develop, intrinsic motivation of teachers • Reduce teacher absenteeism through use of camera and other intervention techniques • Make children and parents participate in improving quality of education in school

5. SevaMandir Education Program [3] • Jan ShikshanNiliyams or Village Libraries • Community powered, often mobile, libraries in villages to bring education and general awareness to doorstep … • UurjaGhar – Youth Resource Centers • Targeted intervention focused at rural youth of age 14-25 to who are losing their affinity with the village • Equipping the youth to meet the challenges of the changing world • Forum for constructive recreation as well as building and acquiring useful skills and knowledge

6. SevaMandir Project Summary • AfE-SV primary education intervention programs in the entire Badgaon block • Operating 20 ShikshaKendras in Badgaon block • Initiating/Operating 5 Activity Centers in Government schools • Supporting at least 25 tribal children from Badgaon for seasonal residential learning camps • We reach over 1500 children directly through this project • SevaMandir NFE Centers have been officially recognized as Special Teaching Centers by the Education Department, Govt. or Rajasthan and are in-principal RTE compliant • [2012-2013] Study Report of progress and overall impact of ShikshaKendras since the beginning of AfE-SV funding is here http://www.ashanet.org/projects-new/documents/876/impact_study_report.doc

7. SevaMandir – Progress Update 2013Shiksha Kendra • 171 NFE Centers/Shiksha Kendra in 5 blocks of Udaipur with total enrollment of 5976children. • Badgaon block has 20 centers and 21 instructors reaching 576 children • 124 new admissions in 19 centers, 45% girl student enrolments • 1231 children in total enrolled into government schools, 112 from Badgaon (AfE supported) • Up from 99 government school enrollments in 2012 • 38% children admitted in classes 5 and 6

8. SevaMandir – Progress Update 2013Shiksha Kendra • Breakup of children by classes admitted into government schools: • New Enrollments in 2013-2014 in Badgaon Block:

9. SevaMandir – Progress Update 2013Shiksha Kendra • List of active ShikshaKendras:

10. SevaMandir – Progress Update 2013Shiksha Kendra • Enrollment Details 2013-2014:

11. SevaMandir – Progress Update 2013Shiksha Kendra • Dedicated Teacher training program evolved over past 20 years • Mandatory teacher training thrice a year and bi-annual instructor meetup sessions • Conducted a teacher evaluation in September 2013 in which 176 instructors participated and 85% instructors were found to be at Level 2 and 11% at level 3 (highest level) • Organized a world teacher exchange program between October 14th – 26th in cooperation with Edukans (Netherlands) to facilitate professional exchange between education professionals from Netherlands and teachers from SevaMandirShikshaKendras, Activity Centers, and leraning camps • Themes of program: • Evaluating learning • How children earn • Active learning • Lessons in Planning and instructor workshops

12. SevaMandir – Progress Update 2013Activity Centers • ASER 2010 revealed that only 5.7% of children in grade-II (age 7) can read and comprehend text and it trends to 87% by class VIII. Similar results were found for learning numeracy • Activity Centers or SahayogKendras were started in collaboration with AfE-SV and Government schools in 2008-2009 • Activity Centers are housed within government schools and run by SevaMandir teachers • Primary objective is to enable activity based learning by providing various opportunities and exposures to learning and rapid understanding of math and language comprehension • Activity Centers work in conjunction with the government schools, and have been incorporated into the regular school schedule.

13. SevaMandir – Progress Update 2013Activity Centers • Reaches 821 children of 1st-10th standard in four Government Schools • 304 children from 6th-10th standard are also enrolled in after-shool tuition centers

14. SevaMandir – Progress Update 2013Seasonal Residential Learning Schools • Seasonal learning camps were first started in 2001 to cater to need of out-of-school children, primarily child laborers • Immersive, activity oriented learning model involving a variety of tools and methods for first time learners with minimum of 6hours of devoted interactive learning sessions per day • Residential Schools conducted at Dr. Mohan Singh Mehta rural training center, Kaya (Udaipur) and/or VidyaBhavanKrishiVikas Kendra, Badgaon (Udaipur) • Math and Hindi are taught with supplemental assistance of workbooks developed by SevaMandir, and various learning tools. • Focus on using local language and idioms for accelerated learning in familiar environment for children

15. SevaMandir – Progress Update 2013Seasonal Residential Learning Schools • 197 total students in 2nd learning school, 58 repeat students from the first camp • Blockwise participation of children in 2nd learning camp (7/11-31/12):

16. 2014 ProposalProposal Overview • Continue Education Program in Badgaon with following components: • 20 ShikshaKendras/NFE Centers • 5 Sahayod Kendra/Activity Centers • Support 20 25 tribal children to attend Three Seasonal Residential School Program

17. 2014 ProposalFinal Budget

18. 2014 ProposalProposed Budget – Shiksha Kendra Budget estimate of running one Shiksha Kendra

19. 2014 ProposalProposed Budget – Activity Centers Budget estimate of running one Activity Center

20. 2014 ProposalProposed Budget – Seasonal residential School Budget estimate of 25 children attending one Seasonal Residential Schools

21. 2014 ProposalProposed Budget – Seasonal residential School Budget estimate of 25 children attending one Seasonal Residential Schools

22. 2014 ProposalAppendix - RTE • NFE Centers are RTE compliant by virtue of a being granted a special status by Department of Education, Govt of Rajathan • Persistent and dedicated effort over past two years have led to this special status being accorded, although its still an in-principal agreement at this point • Activity Centers are RTE exempted because these are not full-time schools and are operated in-conjunction with the Government School • Seasonal Learning Camps/Schools are also RTE exempt because these are not full-time schools but are considered as supplementary education units