39% of dropped out children belong to OBCs vs 33% STs, 27% SCs: Chhattisgarh report

Like in other sectors, the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown have badly hit the learning ability of schoolchildren in Chhattisgarh, a recent fact-finding study report, jointly prepared by the non-profit Atmashakti Trust, the Dalit Adivasi Manch (DLM), a people's collective, and the Jana Jagaran Samiti, an NGO of Chhattisgarh, has said, insisting, the State government should prioritise its efforts to bridge learning gaps of children in government schools.
Based on online study of 323 villages of Mahasamund, Balodabazar and Janjgir Chapa districts of Chhattisgarh, the report seeks to capture efforts of the State government towards the recovery of learning loss due to school closure during the pandemic and to appraise the state government about the current status of education so that a collaborative efforts can be undertaken to bridge the gap. It collected data from 651 respondents on the Learning Recovery Programme (LRP), 367 respondents on RTE norms, 101 respondents on dropouts, and 96 on migration.
According to the report, 62.1% of the students said that they are facing difficulties in their current curriculum because they aren't able to link it with their previous year's curriculum, pointing out, the Chhattisgarh government has no LRP programme in place, which will force children to be at the periphery of education. Therefore, it will be tough for the students to recover from the learning losses during the Covid-19 pandemic, it adds.

The report reveals that 27.52% (101) of schools are short of one teacher compared to the number of sanctioned posts in their schools. Lack of adequate school teachers enormously affects education in Chhattisgarh, it says, adding, 25.88% (95), 19.07% (70), and 7.90% (29) of schools are short of 2, 3 and 4 teachers, respectively.

The report discloses that 14.71% (54) of schools don’t have separate toilets for boys and girls. In almost all the offices and institutions, one can find separate toilets for males and females, then why is it not there in schools even after 13 years of the implementation of the RTE, even though this is the primary need for the students?, it asks.

The report finds that 24. 52% (90) of toilets in schools lack water facilities, with parents complaining, what is the use of toilets without proper water facilities?
The report says that 12.26% (45) of schools don't have playgrounds, which serve a vital role in the physical and mental health of students.
The report finds that out of the 101 dropout cases, 32.67% belong to ST, whereas 26.73%, 38.61% and 1.98% are from SC, OBC, and general categories, respectively. The significant reason for dropouts, it points out, relates to the fact that 32.67% are engaged in household work. Further, 7.92%, 14.85%, 7.92%, and 36.63% said their dropout resulted from difficulties in the curriculum, other logic, parents aren't interested, labour work, and the parent got migrated, respectively.
Then, says the report, 77.22% of students had no opportunity to read, nor was there any scope for them to engage in reading activities during the Covid-19 pandemic.
As for the current engagement of the migrant students, 57.29% said they are helping their parents in the household work.

Comments

Sattvik Food Festival: Shouldn't one question notion of purity, cultural exclusion in food choices?

Recently, I visited the Sattvik Food Festival, an annual event in Ahmedabad organized by Anil Gupta, professor emeritus at the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A). I have known Prof. Gupta since 1993, when I sought an appointment to meet him a few months after joining The Times of India in Ahmedabad—one reason why I have always been interested in the activities he is involved in.

In lieu of tribute to Pritish Nandy, said to be instrumental in collapse of Reliance-controlled daily

It is widely reported that Pritish Nandy , journalist, author, animal activist, and politician, has passed away. While it is customary to pay tributes to a departing soul—and I, too, have joined those who have posted heartfelt condolences on social media—I cannot forget the way he treated me when he was editor of the Reliance-controlled Business and Political Observer (BPO), for which I had been working informally in Moscow.

Challenging patriarchy? Adopting maternal and marital surnames: Resistance continues

Anandiben Patel The other day, I was talking with a group of family friends. The discussion revolved around someone very close to me who had not changed her official name in documents, including her Aadhaar and passport, after her marriage. However, on social media and within her husband's family, she had adopted her husband's surname as a suffix to her own. I mentioned that there is a growing trend—though not yet widespread—where women prefer to retain their maiden names or add their maiden surnames alongside their husband's surname. Another emerging trend is where men choose to add their mother's name, or even their wife's name, to their own. This revelation surprised my family friends.

To be or not to be Sattvik: Different communities' differing notions of purity and fasting

This is a continuation of my last blog on Sattvik food. When talking about Sattvik, there is a tendency to overlook what it may mean to different sections of people around the world. First, let me redefine Sattvik: it means having a "serene, balanced, and harmonious mind or attitude." Derived from the Sanskrit word sattva, it variously means "pure, essence, nature, vital, energy, clean, conscious, strong, courage, true, honest, and wise." How do people achieve this so-called purity? Among Gujarati Hindus, especially those from the so-called upper castes who are vegetarians, one common way is fasting. On fasting days, such as agiyarash —the 11th day of the lunar cycle in the Vedic calendar—my close relatives fast but consume milk, fruit juices, mangoes, grapes, bananas, almonds, pistachios, and potato-based foods, including fried items. Another significant fasting period is adhik maas. During this time, many of my relatives "fast" by eating only a single me...

Shyam Benegal's Mathan a propaganda film that supported 'system'? No way

A few days ago, I watched Manthan, a Shyam Benegal movie released in 1976. If I remember correctly, the first time I saw this movie was with Safdar Hashmi, one of the rare young theater icons who was brutally murdered in January 1989. Back then, having completed an M.A. in English Literature from Delhi University in 1975, we would often move around together.

Barred premise allowed? 'Modi govt fails to seek release of fishermen languishing in Pak jails'

Are the Indian authorities or their Gujarat counterparts softening their stance toward NGOs that flag human rights concerns? I can't say for sure, as only recently the foreign funding license of one of the most prominent NGOs, Janvikas, headed by the well-known civil society leader Gagan Sethi, was canceled. This NGO has been working on livelihood issues for underprivileged sections of society for several decades.

Riddled with occupational hazard, iPhone units may shift from China to Bengaluru, Tamil Nadu

Top multinational corporations appear to be apprehensive: US president-elect Donald Trump may put additional tariffs on goods manufactured in China mainland, even if their headquarters are based in Taiwan, Japan or the US. Hence, they are considering relocating their units from China to several countries, including Thailand and India.

Would Gujarat Governor, govt 'open up' their premises for NGOs? Activists apprehensive

Soon after I uploaded my blog about the Gujarat Governor possibly softening his stance on NGOs—evidenced by allowing a fisherfolk association to address the media at a venue controlled by the Raj Bhawan about India’s alleged failure to repatriate fishermen from Pakistani prisons—one of the media conference organizers called me. He expressed concern that my blog might harm their efforts to secure permission to hold meetings on state premises.

World Bank approved $800 for Amravati despite negative internal view, court, NGO objections: CFA

Despite over 170 representatives by civil society organisations, hailing from 17 countries, all of them written to the World Bank’s executive directors calling upon the top banker to defer its approval, even as seeking further detailed studies, the Bank’s board of directors has approved $800 million for the Amaravati Capital City project.

Search This Blog