 By
the government estimate, out of 200 million children in the
age group of 6 to 14 in India, around 59 million do not attend
school. Of the rest, who are currently in school, four out
of every 10 children beginning to attend school will drop
out before completing their primary school education. In addition,
various studies of children's learning achievement indicates
that the situation is actually grim. Recent community based
surveys done in 28 cities and eight rural districts in the
country find that not more than 30 per cent of school children
in the age group 6 to 14, in an educationally advanced state
like Maharashtra, can read simple text fluently or do basic
arithmetic sums.
The aim of education
imparted should be to bring changes not only in the amount
of knowledge gained but also in the abilities to do so, to
think and to acquire habits, skills and attitude which characterize
an individual who is socially accepted and adjusted.
Education is a means
to an end, Smile believes in the “empowering”
effect of education and its ability to enable people to develop
a critical questioning attitude towards society, government,
existing gender and cultural stereo types.
The term universalisation
must include universal enrolment, universal retention and
universal achievement of an acceptable level of reading; writing
and arithmetic. We at Smile believe that quality education
is key to overcoming poverty in a single generation. And the
same is fundamental in creating a future for human security,
community development and progress of the nation. It is an
enormous challenge.
It is also an immense
opportunity.
Smile works for providing
an enabling environment with its partner organisations (NGOs),
to kindle the light of education in each child. Towards this
end, training teachers in sound and creative pedagogy, providing
appropriate teaching aids, improving infrastructure facilities,
starting libraries, community mobilization and literacy promotion
are our priority.
We cannot ignore the
limitations imposed by the realities of our systems nor do
we aim to. Instead of creating parallel structures, Smile
supplements and works in synergy with existing Government
and other initiatives in providing education to all.
In our
endeavour to improve the quality of education imparted through
the non formal sector we aim and work for:
-
Click here to read how Education has transformed
lives of ordinary children in short time. The section
contains a select case studies.
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Achieving 100% School enrolment
and retention
- Promoting girl child education
- Capacitating teachers to be effective
as facilitators of learning
- Promoting the culture of reading
- Equipping children with skills for
life
- Providing conducive learning environment
- Community participation that supports
learning
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