Smt. C.H.M. College (University Of Mumbai) 111111111111111111111111

Presentation at

New Destinations to

Literacy, Learning & Life :

A National Conference on Adult Education

Date 15-12-2005

Presented by

Dinesh Panjwani – In person

Charanjeet Kaur – Helped In preparation of this presentation

Aarti Pasarkar – Helped In preparation of this presentation

Smt. C.H.M. College (University of Mumbai)

India

1

This Presentation is an academic exercise built on Community Welfare Programs Formulated and Conducted successfully between 1991 to 2005 2

Employing Human Resources better is identified, as one of the Global Issues of the Twenty First Century by the United Nations. It states:

“ Only a handful of human beings now alive will ever attain their full potential. Billions live marginalized lives; 30% of the world’s labor force is not productively employed; 1.5 billion are condemned to the strait-jacket of illiteracy. Moreover, 80 million are added annually to human numbers – and to growing pressures on institutions and resources. Any alleviation of expanding human pressures and wasted human capacities – through responsible development and fertility, accelerated education and competence – is the most truly global challenge facing the international community, and the UN.”

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Philosophy In a developing Country like India, welfare measures need Voluntary Support to supplement the efforts of the STATE In such a scenario, such Community Welfare Programs that require minimum resources and can improve the life-style of its citizens are sought to be promoted. 4

Focus of the Community Welfare Programs under study Adult Literacy Adult Education Development of Volunteer Base Health & Environment 5

Voluntary Human Support in Indian Context

Educational Institutions are the largest provider of Human Resource for Voluntary Support

State Supported Community Workers

The Educational System from Primary to Higher Education is largely state funded

National Service Scheme - a Govt. of India Youth Initiative that operates from Colleges/Schools for Community Welfare Programs

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Largest College of Mumbai University with more than 11,000 students on roll 7 Faculties, 33 Departments 5016 Girls Students 14 merit Rankers in University of Mumbai Merit List. Conferred first 10 ranks at Sports, University of Mumbai for last 4 years First Ever Women’s Studies Centre In the State of Maharashtra First ever College in Maharashtra with Gandhian Studies Centre Close linkage with local community and authorities for community work Smt. Chandibai Himathmal Mansukhani College 7

Current Status of literacy levels in India

61 % Literacy

83% children enroll for school

Neo Literates relapse to illiteracy

75 % actual enrolment ratio for Primary stage

43% for the upper primary stage

Education Free up to primary level Highly subsidized subsequently Affordable at all levels 8

REACH

the

REACHABLE

RIGHTLY

9

A Self-Nurturing

Community Welfare Program based on Public Welfare System

on the Concept of

“ R each the R eachable R ightly ”, with focus on

Adult Education

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Premises 11

Case Study

Learn While you Work

An adult literacy program

for industrial workers

launched in 1991

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Reasons of illiteracy in India

Pre-Republic [1950] – No state sponsored free education

Post-Republic – Adults unfavorably placed in social, geographical and economic contexts

Women in unfavorable social environment

Children – earning unit of the family

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Historical Fact

An illiterate, usually, is not unemployed as he/she could not study in spite of the availability of free education, because of the need to earn for the family

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Philosophy

Reaching illiterates at their place of work and conduct of literacy sessions with the consent of their Employers

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The Program

Establishing Literacy centers in Industries with more than 20 illiterate employees

Establishing Literacy centers in Localities with 20 illiterate employees from unorganized sector

Establishing Self Supporting Centers

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Partners of the Program

N ational S ervice S cheme (NSS) – A Govt. of India Youth Initiative

The Sheriff’s Office [Mumbai]

The Corporate Sector

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Implementation: Area-based

Adoption of an area for total literacy

Climate building activities

Functional literacy

Post Literacy Campaign

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Volunteer Base & Finances

Volunteers - Educational Institutions & Workers

Expenses Shared between the Educational Institutions and adopted area.

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Activities

Pre-training Activity

Training of volunteers in basic skills

Climate building camp

Functional Literacy

Evaluation, Post-literacy and follow-up camp

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? Reaching Illiterate Workers 21

Pathway of Reaching Sheriff’s Office Corporate Sector National Textile Corporation Textile Mills Workers 22

Industries were enthused to provide 30 minutes off from their duty hours to illiterate workers - This triggered interest among illiterates

Literacy sessions of 60-90 minutes conducted every day

Survey of 3000 workers could be completed in 2 days by 50 volunteers

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Obstacles

Reluctance of the illiterates to identify themselves

Stagnation – Human-in-need

Unfavorable Response from the Literate workers

Stagnation – Human-in-Support

Fluctuating Interest level among Illiterates and Volunteers

Balancing - Extrinsic and Intrinsic Interest

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Overcoming Obstacles - Process

Reluctance of Illiterates

The textile mill management helped in identifying some illiterates to initiate the first batch

Unfavorable Response from Co-workers

Climate Building Activities

Fluctuations in Volunteers’ Interest

Appreciation of Volunteers and Institutions

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The terminology learned during the program

Area-based approach

Influence Segment

Support Segment

Deficient Segment

Stagnation

Obstacles

Neutralization

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Human Resource In an economy, a Source , which has static asset value in development or growth, is termed as CAPITAL. And a source, which evolves itself constantly and which consistently grows in its asset value in development is termed as RESOURCE 27

A state, therefore, supplements the economic activity with policies and practices, either to create a self-evolving economic system, or to sustain it. 28

Public Welfare System

Public Welfare System has two distinct Modes or Channels:

Public Welfare Schemes

and

Community Welfare Programs.

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A Community Welfare Program needs to be formulated with the following considerations in mind

Effective REACH to the targeted population. The targeted population refers to the Deficient segment of society and the Volunteer force required for executing the scheme.

Inbuilt provision for the EVEN DISTRIBUTION of the intended benefit to the target population.

The inherent capacity to continuously EVOLVE ITSELF to attain (1) and (2)

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The Community Welfare Program needs to be developed with the following considerations in view:

It should be a learning organisation

It should evolve itself through generative learning

It should have a support system to strengthen its efforts in its struggle for existence

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The Interest Group The sustaining of interest, and maintaining equilibrium among the aspirations of the interest groups is essential to ensure the workability of the CWP. Thus, it is important to understand the intricacies of the term ‘INTEREST’ 32

Components of Interest

Interest towards responsibility

Interest towards Incentive – Extrinsic & Intrinsic

Intrinsic – stimulated by the inherent nature of the activity

Extrinsic – stimulated and sustained by external rewards

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The success of a CWP, therefore, needs

The protection of the extrinsic incentive of the Interest groups,

and

The strengthening of Interest towards Responsibility, and Interest towards Intrinsic Incentive of the Interest Groups.

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Stakeholder

“Any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the organization”

“All stakeholders bear some form of risk… who do not bear ‘risk’ in the firm-stakeholder interface, might be omitted”

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The Stakeholder The CWP, which is formed for service-oriented activities and geared towards the growth of human productivity, needs to have an in-built mechanism for the development of loyal inclusive relationships with stakeholders for its success. 36

In this context, the stakeholders of the CWP, with their roles, may be identified as follows:

Promoter – Catalyst

Governance – Support System

Beneficiary – Challenged Segment

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AGELESS GROWTH A CWP is formed to fulfill the aspirations of human beings in need and is an avenue for the participation of productive citizens in the development and sustaining of the welfare state. Hence, it cannot afford to fail either in totality or in part. A CWP needs to be developed as an organisation with the aim of Infinite Success i.e. producing an uninterrupted sequence of growth (AGELESS GROWTH). 38

A CWP for its existence, primarily, needs

Its acceptance in the community

Continuous relevance of the correction process for which it is formed and

The necessary expertise and resources needed for the implementation of the correction process

This requires

An Inbuilt capacity to evolve itself and correct itself continuously

Ease out from the CWP any stakeholder which becomes redundant to the objectives of the CWP

The necessary expertise and resources needed for the implementation of the correction process

Easy adoption/identification of new stakeholders that support the CWP in achieving its objectives.

Continuous evolution of the objectives of CWP, especially if the deficient segment grows continuously in spite of the CWP achieving the desired success due to the limited success of a related CWP.

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Community Interface The Deficient Segment and Support Segment together, are referred to as the Target Population, and the section of the target population, which the CWP aspires to reach and which can be reached, is referred to as the Targeted Population 40

Reach the Reachable Rightly Reach the Reachable Rightly is the process of reaching out effectively to the Target Population. It is an evolutionary process, which makes the CWP exists rather than merely subsist.

Reach the Reachable Rightly may be defined as follows:

Reach: The process of identification of the Human Source that has become stagnant, and the attempt to convert reasons of stagnation to obstacles in growth.

Reachable: The process of converting the identified Human Source in stagnation to Human Resource, whose growth has been impeded due to obstacles in growth.

Rightly : The process of neutralization of obstacles in growth of the Human Resource

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Intervention Stagnatio n Obstacle Correction Support Identification Reach Reachable Intervention Evolution Rightly Human in Deficiency Human in Need Human in Correction Human in Support 42

The Influence System on the Target Population (Deficient & Support) in the order mentioned above:

Employment Sector

Public Welfare System

Community Networks /Associations

Voluntary Organizations

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Approachability to Human Capital It is a well-established fact that the Influence Segment for procuring human capital and economic resources, or for classifying the target population for mass approachability is the same; hence, forming an association with any segment of the Influence System shall ensure reach to both the Deficient Segment and the Support System. A CWP must align itself with Educational Trusts/Institutions, as they are the largest providers of the volunteer force, and they have the most effective modes of reach to a large section of society through the families of the students/academic fraternity 44

Self-Nurturing A CWP should not pursue any commercial activity of its own; it should not be an employee-based working system; however it must align itself with some PWS as an allied activity. In a welfare state, with well-defined Public Welfare System in place, this is not a difficult task, as every CWP and PWS needs to extend its reach. It is very important that the CWP must be of intensive nature, linked with other social development programs, since its reach to the reachable can be enhanced in this way. 45

The educational institutions, with their close links with the PWS have effective reach to it. An association of educational institutions and the PWS ensures the availability of volunteers and easy reachability to community; therefore, with educational institutions as partners to the CWP, reach to the PWS becomes a forgone conclusion . 46 P ublic W elfare S ystem Voluntary Organizations Educational Trusts/Institutions Community networks, formal and non-formal. Corporate/Business Networks/Associations

The Process of Reachability 47 Defining Neutralization Identification Firm-up and Follow up

Neutralization Acceptability is the characteristic needed for the evolution of a CWP, and Resistance is the characteristic that needs neutralization 48

Public Welfare System - a medium of effective reach Society Deficient Segment 49 Community Welfare Program Deficient Support Willing Restricted Empowered Unwilling Resistant Unproductive Public Welfare System Restricted Resistent Opportunity lost Reachable Approachable Opportunity Resisted Reachable Approachable

Public Welfare System - a medium of effective reach Support Segment 50 Public Welfare System Empowered Unproductive Benefited Reachable Approachable Not Benefited Reachable Un Approachable

Conclusion Finally, Reach the Reachable Rightly is a process not methodology and this process shall continue to evolve itself. 51

S HE Projects formulated and worked out since 2004-2005 52

S helter of H ealth & E ducation A Necessity for Women’s Development 53

Amalgamation - Approach 54

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The Initial Project W.S.C. Primary Education System Network. Higher Education Institution 56

Health Project Childhood to Motherhood 57

The Study

Identification of Partner – The Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation.

Scope Identification.

Sensitization.

Survey.

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Intervention Yoga at School 59

Background & Philosophy of the Intervention Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root “Yug”, and it means to bind, join and unite. 60

Yoga is the Life -style for Self Development and Spiritual Discipline of Body and Soul. 61

Yoga emphasizes that Yoga does not merely teach a life-style, but is a concept and practice to be adopted right from the birth of a person. 62

Yama - abstention from harming others, from falsehood, from theft, from incontinence, and from greed;

Niyama - observance of purity, contentment, mortification, self-study, devotion to God;

Asanas - postures;

Pranayama - control of the breath;

Pratyahra - withdrawal of the mind from the senses and external objects;

Dharana - concentration, or fixing the mind;

Dhyana - Meditation;

Samadhi - State of supreme consciousness brought about by profound meditation, in which the individual seeker becomes one with the object of meditation.

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Sustainable Human resources shall be created with the help of Kaivalayadham, a premier Yoga Institute of India, and active support from the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation to incorporate YOGA as a routine academic activity beyond the curricular requirements of Primary Education. 64

The following steps have been visualized for its implementation

Nomination of two teachers, preferably women, by each participating Municipal School as the Trainer-Coordinator of the program

Acceptance by the Municipal Administration, in principle, of the incorporation of YOGA training to Girl Students of the Primary Section of the Municipal Schools.

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Continued…….

Conduct of 30-days Training in three phases, of 10 days duration each, for the identified teachers, nominated as the Trainer-Coordinator. Kaivalayadham, Lonavala, as per their prescribed approved course for YOGA trainer, shall conduct the training sessions. The training shall be conducted as per the following schedule

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Continued…. i) 1st Phase: 10 days training at Smt. CHM College, imparted by the Faculty of Kaivalayadham. ii) 2nd Phase: 10 days Residential Training at Kaivalayadham , Lonavala, the training, lodging and Board shall be provided by courtesy of Kaivalayadham. The traveling expenditure shall be borne by either the participants or the deputing School. iii) 3rd Phase: 10 days training at Smt. CHM College, imparted by the Faculty of Kaivalayadham, and Award of Certificate 67

Continued….

Each trainer, on an experimental basis, should conduct a 1-hour session thrice a week with two divisions of the primary school to which they belong for next 6 weeks with provision of weekly feedback survey from the participants that shall be analyzed by the faculty of Women’s Studies Centre and Kaivalayadham, Lonavala.

One-day review session with trainers by the faculty of Kaivalayadham, Lonavala, to assess the effectiveness of introducing YOGA at Primary Schools for girl students, and devising strategies to strengthen its effectiveness.

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Continued…..

Create a chain effect of step (1) to step (5) till every teacher of the Municipal School is trained and provisions are being made to impart YOGA training to every student of the primary section of the Municipal School under this scheme.

Regular Publication of the Review report for record and improvement.

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S HE Teachers Municipal School Students Municipal School Acquired Skills Imparted with Skills 70

Progress

 70 schools under the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation have aligned themselves for these programs.

20 teachers of the Municipal Schools have successfully undergone the first phase of Yoga training, and the training of the second batch of 20 teachers is in progress.

14 Municipal schools have started conducting Yoga training for girl-students through the teachers trained under SHE.

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INTERVENTION : ADULT EDUCATION R each the R eachable R ightly THREE Rs OF ADULT EDUCATION 72

Basic Components of Developing Human Resources

Basic Literacy

Continuous Up-gradation of Knowledge and skills

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Adult Education Adult Literacy 74

The Campaign : Reach out to segments of society that need intervention Those which are in reachable surroundings and environment Open to sustained and progressive intervention 75

One such segment is: Parents of Children studying in Municipal Schools. They are reachable . 76

Initial Stage: Identify partners – Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation, Smt CHM College and other Institutes, KMK Community Polytechnic 77

Methodology: Survey to reach the reachable Sensitization of staff Identification of volunteers Identification of teachers Identification of resource providers 78

Inducement: Free Vocational Training for those who agree to devote time to Basic Literacy 79

S HE Teachers Municipal School Students Municipal School Adult Education Imparted with Skills Parents Adult Education 80

Evolution: Replicate the model by incorporating more corporations and colleges and regular review for analysis and enhancement. Bring out Progress Report regularly Identify more partners for this campaign. 81

Progress  Approximately 200 women have successfully joined the Preparatory process of undergraduate education under YCMOU  Approximately 350 schools/college dropouts have joined the Preparatory process of undergraduate education under YCMOU.  Approximately 200 illiterate women (mostly mothers of girl-students of the Municipal schools or wives of the employees of local self government and Police Personnel) have expressed willingness to join the literacy classes, of which the literacy sessions with 50 illiterate women are underway. 82

Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress.” - Mahatma Gandhi 83