PROJECT BACKGROUND

ActionAid and Unicef collaborated together for the first project on Establishing Community Based Grievance Redressal Mechanism in two districts – Badaun and Maharajganj in 2014. The project was a pilot project and emphasized working extensively at the local level to create a demand based quality improvement mechanism in the two districts. The core of the project was to work with the most marginalized communities in both the districts to strengthen the grievances redressal system under RTE and improve access and quality of education in the two districts. This project specifically inclined towards strengthening the local communities, through Panchayats (village councils), School Teachers, School Management Committees (SMCs) and duty bearers and empowers to ensure the Right to Education Act is implemented at the local level, resulting in functional, quality and non-discriminatory schools, providing free education to children especially for girls. The focus of this project specifically embodies the integration of equity/inclusion concept in order to bridge the gender and caste, religion based divisions prevalent in the society, specifically in U.P, the effects of which trickle down to the schools as well.  The purpose of working with the most marginalized communities and especially with girls amongst them is to recognize the right of every child to education without discrimination on any grounds. The focus on equity and inclusion also envisages approaches that would help meet the learning needs of diverse groups of pupils and provide opportunities for all learners to become successful in their learning experiences.

The pilot project served as the foundation and next step in terms of improving the quality of education in government schools within the state. This project will further add onto to the existing efforts towards strengthening the education system within the state by integrating the component of CFSS[1]

PROJECT SUMMARY

Creating community demand for Child Friendly Schools in 6 Districts of Uttar Pradesh was conceived through the idea of strengthening the demand of such schools within the community so that the accountability of the State increases and is directly incident to quality of education in government schools. The idea of this project is in line with the implementation of RTE Act 2009[2]while integrating the principles of CFSS in order to improve the quality of education in way that the infrastructure, learning environment and learning processes aim towards children’s well-being, holistic development and inclusive learning.

This project will be carried out in 2 phases- phase 1 will focus on project at the local, district and state level to improve quality of and access to education in government schools through integration of CFSS within RTE. The focus of the project is to strengthen the local communities, through Panchayats (village councils), School Teachers, School Management Committees (SMCs), CSOs and duty bearers and empower to ensure the Right to Education Act is implemented through adoption of CFSS practices at the local level, resulting in functional, quality safe and child friendly schools, especially to girls and children of other excluded sections of the society. Efforts will also be inclined towards tackling issues like inequality, discrimination and exclusion within the communities since the project will be focused on working with the most marginalized communities- Dalits, Muslims, DNTs and tribal people. These communities on the pretext of being marginalized are usually shunned away from benefits of critical needs like quality education, health and nutrition. It works as vicious cycle where years of poverty, discrimination and alienation leads to further impoverishment and that directly affects their children who are usually pulled out of school to work. The situation of girls is more grim because of the influence of patriarchal system in the society. The project coverage is indicated below: