Involving Children & Community

For provisions of quality elementary education, CYSD’s intensive and extensive interventions have directly influenced the process of education in the State bringing about positive changes in developing leadership skills among children and in child-to-child motivation and mobilization, ensured regularity in school attendance and better learning environment for the pupils, bridging gender gaps between boys and girls, and in greater parental awareness and community ownership on elementary education and the community ownership of elementary education. Through its policy framework, CYSD has been sustaining continuous research and evaluation from cluster to state level as its incumbent needs and cap-stone points, for orderly growth of education in tribal areas. 

Participation in the community gives definite direction to children’s attitudes, interests & aspirations of life. 

Child Peer Groups:

CYSD took the initiative to involve the Child Peer-Groups in different curricular and co-curricular activities through campaigns, literary activities, projects and other socially useful and productive activities. Irrespective of age, sex, gender, disability, color, ethnicity, etc. both boys and girls were made to facilitate processes developed by CYSD to enable children to raise their voice and get involved in decision-making and work with key duty-bearers and to engage them as partners in actions. This meant recognizing children as persons and actors; respecting them, their individuality and their diversity; involving them in the decisions affecting their lives, the lives of their community and the larger society in which they live. The child-peer groups formed, acted as revolutionizing negotiators putting forward their voices, concerns and recommendations into activities, projects and programmes of organizations. CYSD took conscious action to ensure that issues important to them do not get subsumed.

Development of child peer groups into child right institutions and monitoring of quality education:

CYSD facilitated inter learning within peer groups of school going children through programmes and activities like quiz, painting competition, science exhibitions and summer workshops to motivate their peers to join school. The child peer groups were developed into child right institutions for monitoring of quality education. The members of these groups were oriented and sensitized on their rights so as to be able to fight for it. The recently formed federation of children’s group plays a pivotal role in taking initiative for child rights, inspiring parents to enrol out-of-school children to the nearby schools and ensuring learner regularity in schools. They also undertake enrolment campaigns and create awareness among the parents on child rights. The peer group members meet on a regular basis to review their progress and to draw up future action and follow-up plans.

CYSD took the initiative to involve the Child Peer-Groups in different curricular and co-curricular activities through campaigns, literary activities, projects and other socially useful and productive activities. Irrespective of age, sex, gender, disability, color, ethnicity, etc. both boys and girls were made to facilitate processes developed by CYSD to enable children to raise their voice and get involved in decision-making and work with key duty-bearers and to engage them as partners in actions. This meant recognizing children as persons and actors; respecting them, their individuality and their diversity; involving them in the decisions affecting their lives, the lives of their community and the larger society in which they live. The child-peer groups formed, acted as revolutionizing negotiators putting forward their voices, concerns and recommendations into activities projects and programmes of organizations. CYSD took conscious action to ensure that issues important to them do not get subsumed. Children Consultations have been organized to understand the perception of children of various in-school problems and suggestions to improve, in the form of group discussions, picture drawing and role-play by the children, with teachers, government functionaries of the Education Department, PRI representatives, and school committee members as participants, to address inadequacy and irregularity of teachers, insufficient teaching-learning materials, lack of playgrounds and playing materials and irregular mid-day meals.

Special Learning programmes for children in difficult circumstances:

CYSD tries to reach children in difficult circumstances, (migrant children (girl), dropouts, children who are so-called untouchables and otherwise-able children) to ensure their medical certification and distribution of aids & appliances. Initiatives have been taken to mainstream these children into regular schools.

Sishu Bikash Kendras:

For ensuring an overall development of children aged between 3-6, CYSD set up Sishu Bikash Kendras for them in villages where there were no Anganwadi or Mini-Anganwadi Centres. CYSD runs 35 SBKs today, with the support of Plan India, for children not having attended pre-schools due to lack of access and inadequate services.

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