Despite its giant leap forward in the technology sector, India still lags behind in basic education with nearly one out of every three children out of school.
What are the recent initiatives by Government and NGOs in universalizing education? What is the status of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, India’s Education for All program? Why is access to schooling still such a challenge? What can be done to ensure that every child remains in school? What is the role of the Government, NGOs and the community in ensuring the goal of education for all?
To
debate the issues and find solutions, the Reaching and Educating At-Risk Children
(REACH India) project organized a national conference that brought together
some of the foremost thinkers and practioners in the field of elementary education
for vulnerable children. The conference was held at the India Habitat Center in
Delhi from August 24 to 26, 2005.
The conference was inaugurated
by Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Panchayati Raj, Mr. Mani
Shankar Aiyar, who stressed the role of the panchayats in ensuring quality education
for all.
The conference showcased certain themes each day. Day
1 focused on the education sector in general and moves on to specific delivery
models and approaches. Day 2 focused on quality of education issues including
mainstreaming, teaching-learning methodologies and tracking of children. Day 3
focused on issues around networking and sustainability.
While
the aim of the conference was to disseminate information about REACH India and
the elementary education sector to multiple stakeholders, the primary target audience
for the conference was REACH India’s 74 partner NGOs currently spread across
four geographical areas: Delhi, Kolkata, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
More
than 150 people attended the conference including two members from each partner
NGO and one from each sub-grantee; representatives from other NGOs, Government
(both national and state), private sector, donor agencies, and educational/academic
institutions; and members of our Advisory Board and Grant Selection Committees.
NGO guests included representatives of established “education
oriented” NGOs that function outside the REACH India network as well
as those which focus upon related issues such as gender and children’s rights.