The project provided for the following budgetary items:

SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE:

The school infrastructure consists of providing additional classrooms in the existing premises of the Upper Primary School, Kakanoor village. Building plan for the proposed construction is prepared by an engineer. This will provide two classrooms and one varandah giving a total plinth area of 700 sq. ft. The structure will be on the existing building as first floor with staircase. The estimated cost of this structure is Rs. 1,10,000/ of which Rs. 10,000 will be the contribution from the village. The Education Committee and the Gram Panchayat have already initiated the process of &ollecting funds for this structure.

CLASS-ROOM FURNITURE:

Presently the children squat on the floor in the classrooms. Classroom furniture with a bench and desk will provide good seating, facility for writing, keeping books properly. It also gives better visibility of the teacher, blackboard etc. as the children will be seated about one ft. above the floor. Each bench will accommodate about 3 children and costs Rs. 1,000/ each (bench and desk)

SUPPORT FOR 4 TEACHERS:

Presently the school has 7 classes with one section each. In classes 1 and 2 there is a need for two sections each. Even at the present seven sections in seven classes the approved or sanctioned strength of teachers is 10. But this is never filled and efforts are made constantly for the last five years which brought the strength of teachers from 4 to the present 6 leaving a gap of 4 more teachers (two regular teachers and two para-teachers). The restrictions on recruiting teachers in government, allotment to the mandal, transfers, willingness of teachers to come to this,school are the factors that affect the strength of the teachers in the school. We consider that for 9 sections at least 12 teachers will be required. Even if all the posts are filled by the government and the school has the full contingent of teachers the school will still be falling short of teachers as there are more sections. The present project provides for supporting 4 additional teachers.

Educated unemployed youth having aptitude and communication skills in Kakanoor and nearby villages will be selected under the project for teaching in the school. They will be provided training both initially and during their work. VASORD has the capabilities and contacts with institutions like State Council for Educational Research & Training (SCERT) for imparting necessary training.

TEACHING & OTHER AIDS:

This will consist of:

Library- books and furniture

Laboratory

Sports equipment

Charts, working models in science, geography etc.

Audio visual aids

Computer with educational CDs.

SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS:

This is what goes as a direct benefit to students which consists of:

Two pairs of clothing - school dress

Notebooks, pen, pencil, compass box, school bag etc.

SUPPORT FOR ORGANISING EVENTS:

In addition to classroom teaching, several events are organised that will enhance the student participation and improve his/her creativity. The events proposed are:

Sports day

School Annual Function

Independence Da~~ ~ 5~ August

Republic Day 26 January

Competitions - Debate, essay writing, singing, music, etc.

Science exhibitions

Health Camps

Excurssions, educational tours

ThACHER TRAINING:

Teachers' aptitude, knowledge, communication skills, love and concern for the child determine the quality of teaching. The infrastructure, the facilities like library, laboratory and other teaching aids will provide confidence in the teachers that they can do something better. Proper training and capacity building of the teachers is essential. VASORD has considerable experience in organising teachers' training in collaboration with State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT), District Institute of Educational Training (DIET) Mahaboobnagar, Vidyaranya High School, a school in Hyderabad functioning for the past 4 decades with excellence etc. They will also be trained under VASORD's Child Sponsorship Programme (CSP) which is covering 4 schools at present. The training broadly consist of:

1. Subject knowledge (science, mathematics, civics, languages)

2. Communication abilities

3. Child psychology

4. Personality Development of students

5. Crafts, sports, creative abilities

6. Role of the School in the overall development of the village social responsibility of teachers

PEOPOLE' S PARTICIPATION

VASORD inculcated in the village people's participation and responsible citizenship. People's organisations are made active and responsible for the development of the village in all spheres. The Gram Panchayat, Village Education Committee, Watershed Committee, Endowments Committee actively participate in various activities. The budgetary provisions made for each component under the project is to support people's effort for improving the quality of education in the village school. There will be people's contribution in the form of services, kind and cash.

Kakanoor is making efforts to up~~rade the present Uppar Primary School which is upto 7th standard to 10 standard and paid to the Government

Rs. 12,400/together with requisite application. They have also collected

Rs. 10,000/ for the building purpose.

SUPPORT TO EXITING SCHOOL FOR IMPROVEMENT

The effort here is to provide support to what is existing to improve the quality of education. The components are the felt needs of the school which are expressed through the Gram Panchayat, Village Education Committee and the Teaching Staff of the School. The curriculum, the timings of the school the procedures will be the same and the question of any trade union problem is so remote to this discussion. This project provides the school, the children, teachers more facilities and support to what they want to do and all of them are so excited about it. They contribute money for the building, upgrading the school etc.

Regarding making the government school system more meaningful the present project precisely is aimed at this issue. The school is a government school, teachers are appointed and paid by the government, school routine, syllabus all directed and monitored by the government. With marginal inputs to the system strengthening the hands of the teachers, village education committee Gram Panchayat, motivating them to take responsibility for better education in school a great deal of success can be achieved. The present school Project has all possibilities for becoming a good model.

PRIVATE FUNDING TO GOVERNMENT:

This question doesnot arise here. Because, the funds are not given to the government. Such a thing happens in a bilateral agreements, normally in government to government transactions. The present model is to support the initiatives of the school teachers, village education committee and Gram Panchayat to improve their school. They raise donations for a table, chair, an almirah, a room etc. from village people or philanthropists. Support will go for additional teachers, organising events, or support needs of children. Gram Panchayat Constructed additional classrooms (with which the school has now 4 classrooms) under the Jawahar Rojgar Yojana (JRY). The fixed assets created under the project will vest with the Village held by the Gram Panchayat which is a legal entity having constitutional status. Thus the project strengthens village infrastructure.

VASORD'S ROLE:

VASORD is proposing the project to ASFIA and will be the Project holder with the responsibility for the implementation of the Project as per the components and budget as approved by ASHA. VASORD will submit to ASHA periodic progress reports, Statements of expenditure and audited

project financial statements (by a Chartered Accountant). The process of implementation of the Project will be documented with photographs, newspaper clippings, video of events etc. that will be provided to ASHA. VASORD will be the contact point for the Project.

VASORD'S INITIATIVES IN THE AREA OF EDUCATION:

1. VASORD strongly believes in the strengthening the educational base of the country particularly the rural areas. VASORD organised 15 non-formal edcuation centres and prepared people for development.

2. A Primary School, VASAVYA VIDYALAYAM was started by VASORD in 1994 at Burujugadda thanda in Rangareddy District. The school catered to the needs of the village children (Mostly tribal children) upto 5th standard. All their parents were illiterate and this was the first generation going to school. In addition to regular teaching the children were trained in sports, cultural events like the puppetry, excurssions to Nagaijuna Sagar, Srisailam, Zoo Park, Birla Science Centre, participation in a children's workshop at Bangalore etc. Our efforts made the government construct a school building and take the school into its fold by appointing a teacher. VASORD provided other infrastructure support.

3. VASORD started Child Sponsorship Programme (CSP) in February,

1997 to support the educational needs of needy children. This programme is implemented through four schools supporting children in primary sections. Two government schools, one in Hyderabad and one in Burujugadda (the one started by VASORD) and two private schools in Hyderabad are under the programme. About one hundred children receive support consisting of school dress, books, event support etc. Support for this programme is raised from individual and institutional sponsors who contribute Rs. 1,000/ per annum. Teachers' training, visits to important places for the sponsored children debate, essay writing, music and other programmes are taken up. A committee of eminent persons provides guidance for the Programme.

4. VASORD started two education centres at Kakanoor on 2^nd October (Gandhi Jayanthi Day). The District Administration provided the books, slates etc. and the instructors' honorarium is raised in the form of donations in the village itself and other concerned citizen. The village took a resolve that it will become a 100 % literate village by the year 2000.