A Half-Hearted Attempt at Education
Channel: VideoVolunteers
Date: 2014-04-01

Our Community Correspondents have been busy travelling around their villages and blocks documenting the ground level realities of education in India. By highlighting the shortcomings of the system and by getting communities involved in the process, we hope that the future students of India are able to get the education they want and deserve. 
 
Today, CC Neeru Rathod reports from the primary school in Kanpur Village, Sayla Block in Gujarat's Surendranagar District where several provisions that are to be organised for students under the Right to Education Act 2010 are missing.  

Everything in this school seems to be implemented with a half hearted attempt. There is a water tank but some fault in it means there is no water. So, a majority of the students, who come from far off farm settlements, have a tough time when the water taps don't work, especially in the cruel desert summers. The kids who live close by can run home for a drink of water and return but for the rest, that is impossible. 

Further, the toilets have been built but students aren't allowed to use them. The mid-day meal gets cooked only on some days when the provisions reach the school on time. On other days, students go without lunch. 

The teachers here are a dedicated lot of women. They understand that their students face several difficulties at school and want to make sure the time spent in school is happy for everyone. They themselves find it difficult to manage the number of students they have. 

"There are more students than teachers so sometimes one teacher has to look after two classes at the same time... it becomes difficult and we can't teach the way we want to", says the Principal of the School.

Neeru is now going to take this video to the District Officer in charge of making sure that the school gets the facilities. You can also ask him to do this.

Call to Action: Please call the District Education Officer, GD Kanani on 09909970219 and ask him to ensure that this school gets all the facilities that it needs to be RTE compliant.