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contrary to current received wisdom, having a school in close proximity seems to exercise the
least pressure in influencing educational outcomes.
Box 21: A ray of hope in an otherwise hopeless situation
Not far from Sitapur, actually adjoining it, in Barabanki district 40 km from Lucknow, we had the
occasion to randomly visit a GPS in Baddupur village. The school caters mostly to 257
disadvantaged SC children located in a catchment of about eight villages within a three KM
radius. The school was established about 11 years ago, under DPEP in this most backward block.
This school tough competition from 15 private schools in same village that serve the better off
Kurmi (OBC) farmers’ children.
The headmaster, the assistant teacher and the lady para teacher run an active school where
learning was taking place in a disciplined environment, without traces of corporal punishment.
The children had arranged their slippers neatly in a row and were seated in their respective
classrooms in mixed groups – classes I and II together, III and IV together and V separately on
the veranda.
The rooms had visible TLMs and could do with more. The head teacher regretted that they had
not received the teacher grant this year even though they were actually using it. Even the school
improvement grant had not been released. However, these were no deterrents to activity-based
learning taking place in the classrooms and outside. The blackboard in the classrooms was
creatively used by children, for writing and doodling, while the copies had been neatly piled on
the teachers’ tables for corrections.
The teachers were aware and empathetic to the children with disabilities and those from poor
families who had to work with their parents. The head teacher said he was lax with those who had
to work in the fields during harvest time by permitting them to come late and go early, provided
they did their written work. When the dry ration (wheat) was deposited in the school, by the PDS
distributor, it was distributed by the children in the presence of their parents. Parents of 75% of
the children visited the school to ask about the performance of their wards as the school was close
to the market. In fact, parent teacher meetings were organised every other month, especially on
market day when they could make it. Though the school had a formally constituted VEC of five
members, they rendered far more support on an informal basis for school activities and needs.
The Pradhan of the village visited the school almost on a daily basis. Here the school has no other
formal or informal community groups to either monitor or support it.
The head teacher reported that academic supervision/support was rendered by the Cluster
Resource Coordinator on a fortnightly basis. This was evident from learning achievements, which
were clearly visible in interactions with children and random testing and questioning. So we can
say that good teachers do make good schools – in the government school system. The community
(parents), school and the VEC are not isolated entities. They can actually be the pillars of a
child’s development continuum if well co-ordinated efforts are made.
Source: Uttar Pradesh Report
Educational Resource Unit Page 79 April 2003