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The Shiksha Karmi project
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The Shiksha Karmi Project (SKP) has been called “one of the most successful
primary education projects in India” (Agneta Lind, Head of Education
Division, Sida, in Ramachandran 2001, p 5). The project was initiated by
NGO activists and senior officials in Rajasthan, India, in response to the
appalling situation in many village schools. Sida funded a large part of the
project.
The Shiksha Karmi Project is unique in several ways. It was conceived and
implemented by government and NGOs together. It is based on continual
dialogues between villagers, project workers, NGOs, government bodies and
the donor. It has successfully reached some of the most disadvantaged communities
(‘Scheduled Castes’ and ‘Scheduled Tribes’) in Rajasthan.
The problem to be tackled by the project is the fact that in thousands of
villages and hamlets in Rajasthan the primary education system does not
work. There is often a primary school building, but no teacher and no support
system. Only about half of the 6–11 year old children attend primary
school and the dropout rate is around 55 per cent. The official literacy rates
are amongst the lowest in India: 55 per cent for men, 20 per cent for women
(1991 Census). In many remote villages there are no literate women.
There are four major reasons for this:
1. Absent teachers: Teachers, often with an urban, middle-class, high-caste
background, do not want to live in an isolated village amongst low-caste
or tribal people speaking a different language.
2. Corrupt government education system: Teachers are allowed to draw a salary
even though they rarely or never visit the school they are supposed to
serve. (In return for this ‘benefit’ the teacher has to pay off school inspectors
and others in the educational hierarchy.)
3. Social conservatism: Child marriage is common and many parents believe
that investment in girls’ education will have negative social and economic
consequences for the family.
4. Poverty: Many households are poor and children must contribute to the
household economy from an early age.
The project dialogue
The Shiksha Karmi Project (SKP) was designed to address the first three
reasons: absent teachers, corrupt officials and discrimination of girls. Villages
were to be selected on the basis of remoteness, irregular teacher attendance
and low enrolment of children. The primary school teacher posted to the
village would be withdrawn and replaced by two young persons, ‘Shiksha
Karmis’ (education workers), from the village. The assumption was that young
persons with only primary schooling can become barefoot teachers in their
own villages after a short initial training period and further on-the-job training.