Rural Development Trust



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|Rural Development Trust (RDT) |

|Thiruporur |

| |

|Quarterly Progress Report |

|for the |

|Special School for Migrant Telugu Children |

|for the period |

|June to August -2007 |

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|Project Sponsored |

|by |

|ASHA-Seattle, USA |

| |

|Report Submitted |

|to |

|ASHA for Education |

|Seattle Chapter, USA |

| |

|Submitted |

|By |

|Rural Development Trust |

|32, Old Mamallapuram Road, (opp) Pillaiyar Koil, Thiruporur – 603 110 |

|Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu, India |

|E-Mail:ruraltrust@ |

|Fax & Telephone: 91-44-27445392 |

|Mobile: 9442531003 |

Rural Development Trust

Thiruporur Block, Kancheepuram District

Quarterly Progress Report

(June to August – 2007)

Introduction:

Rural Development Trust is a non governmental organization and it is registered in 1992 under Public Trust Act. We have been working in Thiruporur Block and St. Thomas Mount Block for the development of the poor, underprivileged and migrant community for their educational, social and economic development. For the welfare of the migrant Telugu unorganized workers and the educational development of the children we have been running special schools in 6 villages through the financial support of ASHA Seattle-USA. We extend our heartfelt thanks to ASHA Seattle-USA that it is rendering financial support form 2005 to run the special schools for the migrant Telugu children. As a field organization RDT is submitting progress reports and financial statements to ASHA Seattle-USA every year. We are narrating the quarterly progress report form June to August 2007 and submit it for your kind perusal. With the financial support form ASHA Seattle-USA we are able to run the special schools and provide free education, books, notebooks, noon meal, health care, teachers salary, van services, uniform, school building construction, rent for the school building, traveling for the staff, teachers capacity building training etc. In addition to this, Madam. (Mrs) Vani Subramani, Madam (Mrs) Riji Anand and Madam (Mrs). Poornimaraman are rendering guidance and sharing the information, innovative ideas for the development of the Special Schools. With the experience and the impact gained form 2005, we are running the special schools more systematically for the educational development of the migrant children.

Here we are narrating the progress report of the “Special School for Telugu Migrant Children” form June to August 2007 and submit the same for your kind attention and perusal.

Description about Telugu Schools and Project Villages:

1. Egatour ( Navalore):

In Egattur village the Special School for Telugu Migrant Workers Children has been functioning since 2005 with the financial support of ASHA. There were 168 children getting benefit during the academic year 2006-07.But now due to increase of population from the surrounding villages like Pudupakkam, Thazlambur, Kazlipattur and SIPCOT Construction sites the school enrollment has increased to 202 (male 99 female 103). There are 5 Teachers and a Cook are working in this school.

Now the infrastructure facilities like toilet, drinking water etc are available for the children in the school. This gives motivation to the children to come to the school regularly. This center has been established well with school materials, furniture, building etc. This village is situated 37 Kms away form Chennai along the Old Mamallapuram Road.

2. Vaniyanchavadi:

In Vaniyanchavadi, the Telugu School was started in August 2006. There were 37 children studying in the school in 2006. Vaniyanchavadi is situated on the eastern side of the OMR road and large numbers of vehicles are passing through this way every day. To avoid road accidents, the parents requested to start new center at Vaniyanchavadi. After analyzing the situation we have started the center in August 2006.

At present the school enrollment is 55 covering 27 boys and 28 girls. By seeing our services the church functioning in this area allotted a land on humanitarian basis, to construct the school building for the Telugu migrant children. The Telugu Hutments are very near and facilities like toilet, good drinking water and playground are available in this area. We can use this place as long as we work for the Telugu children. At present one teacher is working in the school to look after the children. With the support of ASHA we have provided school materials, uniforms and noon meal for all the 55 children. Parents are also showing their support to run the Telugu school regularly.Our coordinator visits this school regularly to improve the school.

3. Chemmancherry:

As usual the reopening of the Telugu School happened on 4th June 2007 with the support ASHA Seattle-USA and the cooperation of Telugu migrant families. At present the strength of the Telugu School is 142 consists of 89 boys and 53 girls. Now the children are studying from Day Care Centre to 6th Standard. We are doing all these activities with the cooperation of the PTA committee functioning in this school. At present three teachers are working in the Telugu School.

4. Kelambakkam:

In Kelambakkam, our school is functioning near by a construction site. This center was started in June 2006 with the support of ASHA Seattle-USA. At present 43 boys and 40 girls are studying from Day Care Centre to 6th Standard. For the educational development of the children we have distributed books, notebooks, writing materials and slates to the children. For the children speaking Odiya Language we are running a class and 23 children are attending regularly. For the benefit of the Odiya Children we have appointed a teacher form Orissa named Mrs. P. Bharathi who is good in teaching subjects in Odiya language. Including her there are four teachers and a cook working in the school.

5. Thiruporur:

The Special school at Thiruporur was started in June 2006 with 27 children with the support of ASHA Seattle-USA. By the reopening time June 2007, the school strength was 90 but now 56 children are studying in the school due to migration of families to the new construction sites far away form Thiruporur. For the educational development of the children we have distributed books, notebooks, writing materials and slates to the children.

6. JPR Nagar:

This is a new center that we have proposed to start for the educational needs of the Telugu children living in JPR Nagar and surrounding villages. In our survey we have identified 83 boys and 53 girls who need educational service. The preliminary activities for establishing the school is being done properly. The village elders suggested to have the inauguration of the school on 2nd October which the day of Gandhi Jayanthi.

Noon Meals:

The Telugu children are malnourished and they and very weak in health condition due to migration and poverty. All the Tamil Schools are providing noon meal to the children who are attending the school. But our Telugu Children are not getting this benefit. To reduce this problem and provide balanced diet to all the Telugu school going children the nutritious noon meals are provided from Day Care Centre to 8th standard. To provide this meals, weekly menu was planned and prepare the food according the menu. We use fresh vegetables, greens and dhal for the preparation of the food. In addition to this the children who are in the Day Care Centre getting biscuits, fruits and milk as supplementary nutrition. Through this service all the children are getting good noon meals and motivation to attend the school regularly. All the Telugu children express their sincere thanks to ASHA Seattle-USA for this noble help.

Preliminary Activities for the Reopening of the Special Schools:

For the academic year 2007 to 2008 the school reopening was announced on 4th June (Monday) 2007. Prior to school opening, the school attendance, admission records, and other registers are prepared properly. Painting Block boards, painting the walls, cleaning the school environment, and necessary arrangements were made a week before to start the school with new hope and enthusiasm.

After a short vocation all the teachers were called upon by the end of May 2007 and organized a teachers planning meeting. The teachers were given guidance to handle the classes and enroll the new admission. Teacher’s allotment of school and subject, schools in-charges, records to be maintained were given orientation to get clarity of the job assignment. Other than school attendance, the teachers have to maintain seven common records for all the Telugu schools.

Teacher’s Arts and Crafts Training:

On 2nd and 3rd June 2007, a Chennai based NGO called Sangathi organized 2 days training on Arts and Crafts for the teachers working in the primary level. From RDT five teachers were participated and benefited out of this programme. This training helps the teachers to prepare the Teaching Aids with Arts and Crafts method that will make the children to understand the subjects very well. There were many resource persons involved in the training like Mr. Ravi Aluganti from Madhanapalli. We submitted a brief report on 9-6-2007 in this regard.

Day to Day Activities of the Special School:

For the systematic administration and common working pattern of the schools, with the consultation of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) members, all the teachers assemble in the school by 8-30 am in their respective school. Some children are coming regularly their own and some are coming with their parents. The children who are from distance place, they use the van to come to the school in time. The regular time management of the school is planned according to the time table given below.

|Time Management of the Telugu Schools |

|9-00 to 9-15 |Morning Prayer |

|9-15 to 10-00 |First Period |

|10-00 to 10-45 |Second Period |

|10-45 to 11-30 |Third Period |

|11-30 to 11-45 |Morning Interval |

|11-45 to 12-30 |Fourth Period |

|12-30 to 2-00 |Lunch Break |

|2-00 to 2-45 |Fifth period |

|2-45 to 3-30 |Sixth Period |

|3-30 to 4-00 |Recreation and Physical Education |

|4-00 to 4-10 |Evening Prayer |

Note:

1. All the schools function from Monday to Friday and Saturday and Sunday are declared holidays. In case any local holidays occurred from Monday to Friday, the following Saturday will be considered as working day of the school.

2. Every Saturday the teachers meeting are organized. All the teachers will participate in the meeting. The school activities are discussed in the meeting and plan for the next week.

3. Teachers are motivated to visit the houses of the migrant children and find the situation of the children at home and the family condition.

4. The school records are maintained regularly in all the schools.

Syllabus Covered for Three Months:

All the Telugu schools are following the same time schedule for teaching the subjects and cover the lessons that are prescribed for the quarterly examination. And also the teachers conduct revision of lessons for the preparation of quarterly examination. Students are learning the subjects in Telugu and Odiya language with support of the experienced teachers. The Day Care Children are improving their learning capacity through play way method with toys.

Details about the Teachers:

For the migrant workers children we have been running the school in 6 villages during the academic year 2007-08. To teach the subjects in their native language, RDT appointed 13 Teachers form Andhra Pradesh, 3 Teachers from Tamil Nadu and one teacher form Orissa. Among the 17 teachers 12 are male and 5 are female. Out of 17, Seven teachers are graduates and having good teaching experience and the other 10 are undergraduates with good teaching experience. All the teachers are staying in the villages nearby the schools. To increase the teaching capacity, RDT has conducted ABL training, Arts and Crafts training and other need based trainings to the teachers to handle the subjects properly.

Van Service:

To bring the children from the construction places to the school, it was proposed to rent a van to help the children to attend the school safely. During the academic year 2006-07, RDT hired a van and increased the school strength. To continue this service and motivate the children to attend the school regularly, we are hiring a van and use it to bring the children and to drop them safely in their home. To reduce the dropouts and to give education for all ASHA Seattle-USA bear the expenditure and come forward to extend the van service to this academic year also.

Through the van service, children from Kumaran Nagar, Thalambur, Kazhipattur, Solinganallore, Siruseri, Padur, Sathankuppam, SIPCOT etc are getting benefit. On an average 200 children between the age group of 6 to 14 years are getting benefits especially the girl children are using the van to come to the school. The parents send their children to the school without hesitation.

Independence Day Celebration:

Every year we are organizing `National day Celebrations such as `Republic Day Celebration on 26th January and Independence day` celebration on 15th August. This kind of celebrations will create enthusiasm and a feeling of equality among our migrated children, par with other school children. This year we desired to celebrate Independence day celebration in a grand manner. So we organized Teachers and Parents Teachers Association meetings on 5th and 6th August. In these meetings the events for the celebration were planned. In these planning meetings following points were discussed with more importance:  

To Motivate all the migrated Telugu people and the students to Participate in large numbers.

To organize Cultural Programmes.

To conduct tournaments, and competitions   

To celebrate the Independence Day meaningfully in a grand manner, RDT took special attention to organize sports day, competitions, and cultural programes. Form 8th August we have been conducting the events and selected the best performers for prize distribution.

On 15 the August the flag hoisting started at 8-30 am in all the schools. Some of the parents and the well-wishers of the school participated in the celebration. Prize Distribution, Speech about the importance of the day, cultural activities were conducted.

In Egatour village, the Panchayat President, ward members and eminent members of the village participated in the celebration. These kinds of events create awareness to the public and motivate them to show their participation and create cordial relation.

Representation in the Grama Shaba Meeting:

It is in practice that the Grama Shaba meetings are conducted four times in a year and one meeting must me conducted on 15th August. To utilize this situation and to represent the needs of the Telugu School, the Coordinator T. K. Elumalai and the teachers participated in the Grama Shaba meeting in all the 6 villages. We filed a representation and requested the village administration to provide place for the Telegu School, to construct School Building, Toilet facilities, safe drinking water and infrastructure development. The Panchayat members sympathetically considered our request and assured to fulfill the needs of the Telugu School. To give quality education and to modify the infrastructure facilities RDT is taking various initiatives that are possible at the local level.

Teachers Meeting:

Every Saturday all the teachers are gathering in RDT office to attend the weekly review and planning meeting. The teachers must submit the weekly report in their language and share their experience of the week. The doubts and difficulties are discussed and proper solution will be suggested in the meeting. On the basis of the planning, the activity for the next week will be carried out. These meetings are helping teachers to learn the teaching experience and to adopt new techniques in the teaching methods. All the reports are kept in the office for verification and documentation. The following activities are given more importance in the school administration.

1. To keep the school environment clean and neat

2. Teach the subjects with teaching aids and follow easy methods.

3. Move with love and compassion to all children

4. Work properly to reduce the dropouts and increase the school enrollment.

5. Records maintenance.

6. Provide hygienic nutritious noon meal to all the children.

7. Cover the subjects in the prescribed time.

8. Conduct monthly test and quarterly examinations.

9. Organize PTA Meetings and plan the agenda of the meeting.

10. Maintain rapport with parents and local leaders.

11. House visit and identify new admission.

12. Keep the records, school building and teaching materials in a safe condition.

13. Special attention for the weak students.

14. Attend training to learn the innovative teaching methods.

15. Getting awareness on Child rights, child protection etc.

16. Work for the abolition of child labour among the migrants.

17. Give importance for the education of girl children.

18. Give health and hygienic care to all the migrant children.

19. Keep linkages with nearby schools.

20. To find local resources for the development of the children.

For the past three moths we have organized 13 meetings and the above said activies were discussed. These kinds of meetings help the teachers to learn the techniques and to grow well in the teaching profession.

Memorandum to District Collector:

The Telugu families are migrating in nature and shift their settlements according to the employment opportunities. Due to migration of families the children are going with their parents and happen to dropout from the school studies. To avoid this situation, it is important to provide shelter for the migrating children to stay in one place to complete the academic year.

To provide the shelter and to establish the school in a permanent place we approached the village administration to allot land for the school. The Panchayat presidents advised us to approach the District Collector in this regard. On 31-07-2007 we met the District Collector of Kancheepuram District and submitted a letter stating to provide land for the Special School for Telugu Migrant Children in 6 villages. The Collector received our letter and assured to find the possibilities of providing land for the Telugu school. Once we get the land it is possible to construct a school building and shelter for the migrant children.

Important Events:

1. On 19-06-2007 the medical team from the Kelambakkam Primary Health Centre, conducted a vaccination camp at the Special School for Telugu Migrant Children, Egatour. By that time the doctors put DT and TT vaccine for the children who have completed 5 years and 10 years. Altogether 44 children who fall in this age group received this vaccine and benefited.

2. The Programme Coordinator and the team of teachers approached the Supervisor of Block Resource Centre (SSA Scheme) on 22-06-2007 at St. Thomas Mount Block and explained the situation of Telugu Migrant children and seeking the support form the SSA Scheme. But they advised to meet the District Coordinator and Chief Educational Officer of Kancheepuram District in this regard. We approached the concerned District authorities and submitted a memorandum for the development of the Telugu migrant children.

3. To construct a kitchen room at Egatoor Telugu school, we approached the school Headmaster of the Tamil school. But he directed us to meet the Asst. Elementary Educational Officer and Block Development Officer to obtain necessary permission. In the same way we approached both of them and got the permission.

4. On 13-07-2007 we distributed free text books, notebooks, slates, pen, pencil to all the children who are studying in the Telugu schools.

5. On 25-07-2007 we organized the district level network meeting called “Concern for Child Rights” at RDT office, Thiruporur. There are 25 NGOs who have been working for the child rights in various places joined together and formed a Network in Kancheepuram district. These meetings will be organized in different NGOs every month and discuss the issues related to children like child abuse, child violence, child exploitation and child negligence and find legal remedy for the affected children. If we work collectively, the problems will be solved properly for the betterment of the children. To protect the Telugu Children from the social evils, RDT took part in the NGO network and finding solution for the local issues.

Release of Bonded Labours and Child Labours:

Rural Development Trust started a free tuition centre for Telugu migrant children at Kalavakkam in 2006. By that time eight (8) salt workers children from 12 families (Dalit Community) were enrolled in the tuition centre and gained all the benefits. These salt workers families were form Muthaiyapuram Village, Athimarapatti Panchayat of Thoothukudi District. We have provided all the study materials, uniforms and refreshments in 2006.

During the academic year 2007 none of these children attended the Tuition Centre. In our enquiry these families were threatened by the contractors and some of them were beaten by the Goondas. On 13th July 2007 the contractors have beaten these salt workers families with the help of Goondas. Mrs. Karpaga Lakshimi got fracture in her left hand and others have got minor injury.

To find legal remedy and to release the salt workers from the problem, RDT approached the advocates Mr. Umakanth and Mr. Venkatesan from Chengalpattu. On 19th July a team of advocates and RDT visited this area again and filed a case in the Thiruporur Police Station on behalf of the salt workers. The police officials called the contractors and enquired the case but nothing was happened.

On the next day 20th July, we met the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) (Mr. Muralidharan), Chengalpattu and filed a complaint about the salt workers problem. Immediately the RDO ordered the Thasildar and Deputy Thasildar of Chengalpattu Taluk, Revenue Inspector of Thiruporur and Village Administrative Officer of Thiruporur to undergo field visit and enquiry.

The team visited the area on the next morning 21st July and conducted personal enquiry with all the families. The Salt workers witnessed the atrocities of the contractors and the sexual harassments with the women. As a result of the enquiry the Thasildar decided and declared them as Bonded Labourers. Immediately they arranged a Tempo Van and took the 12 families (31 members) to the RDO office, Chengalpattu.

The RDO conducted second level enquiry with the family members personally and concluded the workers as Bonded Labourers and issued Release Certificate to all the 20 adults and 3 child laborers. The rest of the 8 are children.

Even though it was a tough task, RDT took this issue as a challenge and achieved to release the bonded salt workers. We adopted proper approach for legal remedy and financial support from the government for the affected poor migrant workers. At present they are living in their native village and the 11 children are attending formal school. RDT is doing follow-up activities for the sustainable development of the affected families.

Parents Teachers Association (PTA) Meeting:

The PTA meetings are organized regularly in all the six Telugu schools once in a month. On an average 45 to 50 parents took part in the meeting and reveal their valuable suggestions. During the PTA meeting the flowing matters are discussed for the betterment of the Telugu School.

1. The parents are requested to send their children to the school neatly with clean dress and combed hair.

2. The children must be in the school in time.

3. Parents must avoid accompanying the children with them to the construction sites and make them dropouts.

4. The parents are advised to send their children regularly to learn the subjects very well.

5. Parents are advised not to beat their children and keep them with parental love.

6. It is being strictly instructed that the female children must attend the school regularly to avoid dropouts.

7. In some places the children above 12 years are going for work. It was advised not to send the children for work and requested them to send Telugu Schools.

8. The parents suggested organizing health and vaccination camps once in a month.

Conclusion:

We extend our sincere thanks once again to ASHA Seattle-USA for the continuous financial support to run the Special Schools for the Telugu Migrant Children in 6 villages. Even though we are doing many activities in the day to day functioning of the Telugu school, we are narrating the important events that give understanding of the progress of the Telugu Schools. We are very much committed ourselves to work for the educational development of the Telugu Migrant Children and their families to get away from the social problems and to get individual development. We are proudly witnessing that RDT is the only organization rendering such a kind of services for the Telugu migrant children in Kancheepuram District. We assure you that we will extend our services to the uncovered children that are living in this area in future.

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