It’s been said that when it comes to Capitalism, the Poor often have much to teach the Rich. And if there’s one place where the Poor are a veritable petri dish of experimentation, it’s India. Marginal Revolution has an interesting series of posts on the emergence of private education in this sector of da homeland. They quote a Washington Post column by Sebastian Mallaby who cites a growth story of nearly Google-esque proportions –
Vellore is a small town in southern India, poor enough for some of its buildings to have thatched roofs rather than the rain-proof metal sort. Until a few years ago Vellore was notable only for its large Christian medical center, erected with the help of foreign money. But now it has sprouted this 9,000-student technical college, complete with a sports stadium, an incubator for start-up high-tech businesses and a bio-separation lab.
…The college started out in 1984 with just 180 students…In 2005 India produced 200,000 engineering graduates, about three times as many as the United States and twice as many as all of Europe. But the really astonishing statistic is this: In 2005 India enrolled fully 450,000 students in four-year engineering courses, meaning that its output of engineers will more than double by 2009.
The lesson for other developing nations? The role of private education –
What’s made this engineering takeoff possible is not an increase in the supply of universities financed by taxpayers or foreign donors; it’s an increase in demand for education from fee-paying students — a demand to which entrepreneurs naturally respond. More than four out of five Indian engineering students attend private colleges, whose potential growth seems limitless. In 2003 the Vellore Institute of Technology received 7,000 applications. In 2005 it received 44,000.
This sea change isn’t just confined to higher ed but can be witnessed in primary and secondary education as well –
Something similar is happening to the Indian school system…Since the early 1990s the percentage of 6-to-14-year-olds attending private school has jumped from less than a tenth to roughly a quarter of the total in that cohort, according to India’s National Council of Applied Economic Research. And this number may be on the low side. James Tooley of the University of Newcastle in Britain has found that in some Indian slums about two-thirds of the children attend private schools, many of which are not officially recognized and so may escape the attention of nationwide surveys.
The good folks at Marginal Revolution dutifully note how here at least, India’s poor appear to be aping their formal colonial masters –
A description of a public and private school next door to one another explains why a farmer earning $22 a month will spend nearly a fifth of his income ($4) sending his child to a private school…the private schools of India have much in common with the private schools of nineteenth century England, Wales and America. Contrary to common belief, attendance and literacy rates in England and Wales, for example, were 90 percent or above before any major state involvement in schools. James Mill (father of John Stuart) illustrated the parallel with modern India when he wrote in 1813, “We have met with families in which, for weeks together, not an article of sustenance but potatoes had been used; yet for every child the hard-earned sum was provided to send them to school.”
Mallaby’s takeway – while education can lead to growth, past some point, the causality is actually reverse – growth, then education. It might be a shock to some, but individuals acting in their own and particularly their Children’s best interest, when presented with choices seem to be achieving an ends far better than meddling Educrats –
Since India embraced the market in the early 1990s, parents have acquired a reason to invest in education; they have seen the salaries in the go-go private sector, and they want their children to have a shot at earning them…Once parents understand that education buys their kids into the new India, they demand it so avidly that public money for schoolrooms becomes almost superfluous.…Apparently unconnected development policies — cuts in tariffs and oppressive business regulation, or projects to build roads and power grids — can sometimes stimulate new educational enrollment at least as much as direct investments in colleges or schools.
None of this is to say that India’s private sector ed system is producing a uniformly high quality product on par with IIT. For one thing, they start with a decidedly non-uniform, mass market set of inputs far removed from the frothy elites at IIT. There’s no doubt that buy-a-degree scams are probably as plentiful in India as they are in my Spam email bucket. Today’s Cambrian explosion in educational service providers will eventually be followed by an extinction of the ill performers (and perhaps an Enron-esque scandal or two). And the critics will seize all of these examples. BUT, focusing on these “ill trees” and growing pains obscure the forest – demand for education has hit a proverbial knee in the curve since the 90s and the private sector is filling the gap far better than any of the alternatives.
vinod,
i am a fan of private education – only if it is done broadly like USA with external, strict oversight. People might hate me for saying this private education in India is a sham right now. it might change. i think IITs should be pushed to endowment and asked to even partially self-sustain – that is far a better model.
there are exceptions like BITS (Birla Institute of Technology), Pliani is private. BITS is as good as it gets – can give any IIT run for their money. Economist had an article where Bill Gates and Intel people are not even finding people to hire in India. Hiring needs are in thousands a week. TIFR (Tata Institute for Fundamental Research) is perhaps another idea. But people like Tatas, Birlas will not comprmise their brand name.
Education in India is really hit and miss.
IITs actually want to be self-sustaining and they could easily do it – however the government would not let them, since that would mean relinquishing control. A 2-3 years back when the IITs asked for endowments from alumni, money came poring in and then the government stepped in and said – no the alumni cannot give money to their respective IITs – all that money would have to go a central government administered fund and would be disbursed by the government. Since the alumni have a clear idea of how efficient the Indian government is, they quickly backtracked and sent their checks to top tier US schools like MIT.
On another note the government is also hell-bent on killing the IIT brand name by designating 7 other colleges IIT, if the move to designate Roorkee wasn’t bad enough. The glory days of IIT are finally coming to an end.
“if the move to designate Roorkee wasn’t bad enough”
I fully agree IIT brand should not diluted. Dude, I am a Roorkee graduate. Roorkee was designated to be first IIT but then Chief Minister of UP, GB Pant would not let Roorkee go. In his words, it was the crown jewel of UP. Nehru and Pant had to-and-fro for a while. I grew up in IIT Kanpur (so I have sample points) – in some fields (Civil Engineering, Hydrology) Roorkee was even better than any IIT even before it was incorporated.
Roorkee is the oldest Engineering college in Asia.
I thought IIT (Kharagpur) has Vision 2020 for giant endowments.
My point was not to comare Roorkee to IIT – if the Roorkee brand is strong enough it will stand on it’s own and not require a IIT brand to be slapped on it. Slapping brands willy nilly only dilutes it.
Yes IIT Kharagpur (I spent my whole life in the campus starting from kindergarten to finally graduating from IIT Kgp) had vision 2020 plans, but it was pretty much torpedoed by the previous government. Other IITs (particularly Bombay) had similar plans
Dude i dont think private education is a sham. Yep its not run by reasearch universities and their quality is variable. There are 2 issues here, the first one being Some education is better than none. Private schools have an analog in US to something between devry,chubb to some 2nd/3rd tier schools like NJIT. Also they offer courses so that an accounting major can learn computer programming etc.
Fully self sustain is my viewpoint. They should charge RS100000/yr. There is a demand for higher education that will be self sustaining, however look at MP,jharkhand, parts of himachal, half of up, three quarters of bihar, and dont forget tribals. there is a dire need for priamary education there. The money that goes from IIT/REC etc should be directed there. There have been detailed discussions on this on Indian economy blog.
Also RC had mentioned this previously that folks with poor english fluency get killed in colleges so they dont bother with any education at all. That has to be addressed too.
Vellore in da hizzouse ! (and in the WaPo)
for piqxxx, “if the Roorkee brand is strong enough it will stand on it’s own and not require a IIT brand to be slapped on it. Slapping brands willy nilly only dilutes it.”
It only happened because after the break-up of UP, the new state UA (Uttranchal) could not afford University of Roorkee. The UA (Uttranchal) Government asked Central/ Federal Governemt to take over lest mire themselves in financial crisis. You got to remember when I said Roorkee is the oldest college in Asia, I did not mean South Asia, I meant entire Asia. The irrigation of entire India in British Raj, military sappars in all wars from British India to independent India pretty much are Roorkee trained (part of it due to proximity to a canal). However, I must agree adding Roorkee to IIT has benefitted Roorkee a lot – so it has been mutually benefial marriage. IIT is the crown jewel of India and should not be “diluted” at all.
I was also told that IIT (Kharagpur) is getting into some special understanding with Cornell – things you would not hear few years ago.
for everyone else, Some western Universities want to open their branches in India – you like Cornell U. has in Dubai, like American University in Lebanon. However, regional parties and Communist Party MPs (member of parliament) killed the idea – reasoning – India will be culturally curropted.
“the first one being Some education is better than none”
I fully agree.
Agree with Kush about requirement of oversight, on private education. The quality of engineering education in India (mainly in private sector) is shockingly bad. Infact AICTE (All India Council on Technical Education) is recommending to reduce number of engineering seats in India. I am a big proponent of open market, but the quality of engineering education imparted by is shocking, and will change any free-marketer’s view on this subject.
Does anyone know of any solid charities to which one can donate money to put the poorer children in India through school? I’ve found some that seem shoddy, and when I send money through family it always ends up going to the ‘poor’ people in our family, who are by no means poor on a relative Indian standard.
One possibility : http://www.ashanet.org/
This and other SM posts have more on what people think of it. You decide.
How about for starters
a) CRY* (http://www.america.cry.org/index.asp) b) ASHA Education (Please be aware they is some debate about the political leanings of ASHA. However, it is largely campus based through American Universities and self-autonomous and governed).
There are quite a few other NGOs too with people like Sameer Bhatia involved. Take your pick.
“piqxxx” KGP – campusite?
Nice to see another KGPite. As you would probably know best how the government control has wreaked havoc on the quality of the ‘insti’.
btw, what batch/hall/dep?
Try this too: http://ccsindia.org/index.asp
Lol.. Ironic! since when did the communists start caring about “culture”? communism in itself is so “foreign”… More than anything, communist opposition is because the foreign universities are from imperialist US.
Guys,
A large number of immigrants come to US as students. American Universities are teeming with foreigners. In India, international students are only handful – African students in Roorkee through World Bank, Nepali students through Colombo Plan, and some at JNU.
There was a proposal to open JEE (Joint Entrance Exam) to some Asian countries – I think it got killed. I think it could help India – cross-polination of ideas, generate cash, business etc. Even for education to reach corners of Bihar, the system has to become more open and vibrant.
I have given them money in the past 2 years, but i am not giving them any money. My issues with asha are two folds. I had enquited about mr pandeys political leanings. None of the 3 volunteers that had in the past solicited me for money gave me a followup response on that or ASHAs political involvement. That is not how to run a charity. Even if its volunteers, why dont they have the info on hand. Second issue being, asha only raises money, then they give it to other organizaions which run the schools. This is confusing and its tough to measure educational result. I dont know how effective they are. Then there was the minor issue, i’m not sure when sponser a runner in a marathon type fundraiser….But if it raises more money than other alternates its good. The only option left is the hard way. Ie start to visit boondocks in india and see for yourself what is needed and what org is doing what.
Also try Room To Read. It was started by an employee of Vinod’s former employer. 🙂
try http://www.parivaar.org
I know this organisation on a first hand basis because it was started by a batchmate of mine from IIM Calcutta. In parivaar’s own words,
“Parivaar ( http://www.parivaar.org ) is a grassroots implementing organisation, based in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, working for total rehabilitation of homeless children from categories like orphans, children of women in prostitution, street children, abandoned children, and other such highly vulnerable children.”
Let me add Palestine and Mauritius to this list. I had a Palestanian guy with me in undergrad when I was in engineering college in India. I was freinds with him too. I wonder what he might be doing now.
“Let me add Palestine and Mauritius to this list”
Yes, I knew some Afghanis, Iraqis, Iranians. I think India sell some of their education positives to people who cannot afford US/ UK/ Australia or want to use India as stop-over (prep) for higher degrees else where.
I had a Palestanian guy with me in undergrad when I was in engineering college in India. I was freinds with him too. I wonder what he might be doing now.
Dodging bullets from snipers who honed their skills in the sniper school funded by Abramoff 😉
A good charity to donate. They dont have a big operation like Asha but run several small schools for kids in Delhi. Check out blog of the lady who runs it http://projectwhy.blogspot.com/ AND the here is the site of Project Why http://www.projectwhy.org/
Moving IITs towards endowment is going to be a long and laborious process but baby steps are being taken. You can now begin to see endowed chair professorships but the Indian concept of payscale regularization in the public-sector is really hampering the Institute’s growth towards research. While you can find some instances of good research being done at each of the IITs, it is by no means on the sheer scale that you can find in an American university. And the reason behind that is simply economic — faculty researchers who build giant research labs in the US need funding to support graduate students, academic travel (a very heavy expense for researchers in India) and more importantly for themselves. The only way Israel, China and Korea get back their PhD students from American universities is that there is so much funding available….and they dont mind paying the smarter people more money. IITs are still run with a Socialist mindview and that needs to be tweaked.
my first reaction is to say screw the system that benefits a privileged few – to explain – the system is elitist because it is skewed in favor of those who have received consistent support in education from childhood through adolescence – i would gauge 80% of the children never even got a chance to aim for this (estimated as a function of parental literacy, access to food, utilities, books, tuition, … ) – would the $’s spent on these ultra-modern facilities not be best spent on early child education and in putting in polytechnics and trade schools – but then there is general apathy to the same – because tradesmen are generally looked down on – and i suspect this is implicit casteism/fatalism which believes in deifying the chosen few and grinding the rest- Here’s another commentary on the same although the focus is on the myth of a skilled workforce in india.
I hope you see the anger is borne of frustration – because for every one person who seems to make it in india – there are many many more who never even get on the bus. Is that not gut wrenching ,l;d
IITs are actually tremendously egalitarian – more than any other educational institution in India. I count among my batchmates slum-dewellers, sons of farmers, and sons of millionaires
RoomToRead and PlanetRead. PR even got some funding from Google Grants program. Mr. Vinayak Lohani from Parivaar is also a good one. Moving a bit offtrack, beyond basic education, you might want to consider the Tehelka Foundation. AFAIK no other foundation has setup this kind of (hopefully) sustainable model from the grassroots with school/college students as volunteers in the fields of HIV/AIDS awareness, ecoConcerns, corruption, RTI act, wildlife preservation etc.. I’ll be glad if you guys can point me out if there are any. Personally, I have made an initial donation to TF recently when they started but haven’t really kept track of their activities (my bad). Their website is still in amateur stages though.
As for political leanings of ASHA or any other organization, in my limited experience I’ve always felt it’s very very dificult to separate the organization and their ideologies if any. There’s always this thin line after which you have to let go..(sort of)…because if you want to do any more legwork beyond that, you’d be better off starting your own charity. This is not to say that you shouldn’t enquire..just that try your best efforts on the ground and then go for it. Sometimes these ideologies might not be directly flowing from the founders of the orgzn, like in the case of ASHA as mentioned by GGK, but at an individual level. If you are not comfortable with the ideology, stop donating to it. Also spread your donations across three or four charities, like yr neighbour Hitesh Bhai invests in stocks, so that even if you later come to know about some political leanings in one of them, atleast you’d have protected remaining 3/4th of yr donations.
Coming back to the main point, I agree 200% with Kush #1. I can’t say much for towns and far-flung villages but atleast the metros Bbay/Pune/Bglore where I’ve stayed I must say pvt education at the primary level is downright exhorbitant even for a well-to-do family. In the name of “computer classes”(still stuck at DOS, Office)..schools have been squeezing thousands and I literally mean, thousands, as fees. Some so-called modern schools will emphasise “sports” as a buzzword on each and every pamphlet distributed and all it would mean is school has a football/cricket team(so passse). Not to mention thousands(even lakhs) being asked as donations even in moderate (upper/)middle class localities for nursery/kindergarten levels. And I-dont-want-my-child-to-be-left-behind-moms-dads are creating a craze which frankly leaves me surprised. Atleast that’s the story of my cousins/friend’s kid back home. And education standards are deteriorating by leaps and bounds. Pvt coaching – with same school teachers as pvt tutors – is in the air. If you don’t attend these….you know..hinthint*. Don’t even get me started on the new trend of International schools(splly in Bglore) where they advertise cafeteria as a plus point(“..our bakery provides superb bread and sweets..”) and run fees in a lakhs. But I guess, those who have the money have the right to spend any which way. I feel it’s a waste though.
If I were a dad today(note to self:get married), I would seriously consider homeschooling as an option even if I had that kind of money to shell out. There are better things to spend on. Homeschool your child, see if he has any artistic traits and nurture if any..and watch him grow to be another M.F.Husain. All this IT/medical is a waste. (That last sentence was a joke, or an attempt at a joke…atleast I thought so..whatever. bleh)
pigxxx – thanks for sharing your personal exp.
dont mind me – it’s the occasional outburst when i think of the yawning gap between the haves and the have nots – and the relative indifference of the former towards the rest – the present episode was triggered by the glowing references ot iit’s when really guys… what are we talking about… like 3000 graduates a year since 1960… what would that be – 3000×45 = 135,000 students. On the average – these guys created a net worth of $250K per person over this period – > 135K x $1M / 4 = $135 B/4 ~ $34B since inception.
Now contrast this with a system in which there was an infrastructure to ensure every kid in the country had the capacity to at least attain quality high-school education. Not everyone will get into an IIT – but now we’re talking about a base that is well prepared for manufacturing jobs, grey collar trades etc – we’re talking about a human capital of say 10M people generating $25K per person ~ $250B. instead of having someone with low skills operating a corner shop – the same person with a bit of accounting knowledge can operate the equivalent of a Home Depot
I’m pulling the numbers out of my ass – but i hope you see my point… there was something that triggered this -I have a biz trip to blore next week – i’m talking with my contact – and he laughably tells me not to worry abotu logistics – there will be someone to pick me up at the airport, another someone to receive me at the guest house – and another someone to take me to the company -haha – in india we can do that -… i dont know what to say – these guys are doing their job but this is getting three people to do something where none are needed – it is a waste of human capital presumably because these guys were never in the loop of the IIT’s or whatever and will never have the means to move beyond basic servile jobs.
“All this IT/medical is a waste. (That last sentence was a joke, or an attempt at a joke…atleast I thought so..whatever. bleh)”
I agree.
I think improving education has to be multi-pronged. IIT/ IIM are not “as dhavak puts it” within the reach of majority of people – just because they will never reach to the point where they can even compete to such entrance exams (JEE, CAT). Maybe, Infosys will (or is already) investing in basic, primary education. Private schools, especially run Christian missionaries have always been in India. I got educated in one of them. Quite often, Kendriya Vidhyalas are pretty decent – if the local community keeps a close eye on the quality.
These days, every room, evey space is a private institute in India. In 2004, I saw MIT (Meerut Institute of Technology) on a car ride from Delhi to Roorkee. I bet there are more MITs on that car route.
“All this IT/medical is a waste. (That last sentence was a joke, or an attempt at a joke…atleast I thought so..whatever. bleh)”
The market dictates what people study. Tamil Brahmins took to the IITs becuase it was a way out of the agraharam and the deep restrictions placed on their entrance into any other field of learning. They were the new vedapathasalas, the marker of educational prestige. Now I’ve noticed that Telegu-speaking people are eyeing IITs with great fervor as well.
During the British period and thereafter, when there was little private sector, the best and the brightest took the IAS exam, again, as a way up and out–a bungalow fit for a petty rajah at every posting, a driver and other benefits, and a district as large as a small US state–that was the ticket. Law was once a prestigious occupation, but no more. When my cousins in India see my cousins here aspiring to law school, they politely question whether they were any good at school 🙂
Who knows what tomorrow holds.
Madras Institute of Technology…not on that car route perhaps. But just as intriguing.
Ummm…Maharashtra Institute of Technology – MIT.
Actually, the Madras MIT is supposed to be pretty good. One of its illustrious alums is none other than India’s beloved President, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam himself.
You forgot the granddaddy of them all: Manipal Institute of Technology
For a change how about an entire institution..yes, I am talking abt the uber-great super-duper Oxford Educational Institutions. For an additional dose of sweet irony, their dental college is located right in the middle of the highway leading towards Bay Area, Bangalore.
ps: btw, in my previous comment I mentioned IT, not IIT. Doesn’t change the context in this case, though.
Are government schools local langauge based and private schools English based? That could be one reason why private schools are more attractive.
Private education and some public can be pretty good in India. Most Indians/Pakis who have made it in the west came out of these schools, their first degree was from there rather than American schools. The govt is reluctant to privatize some schools for fear of making them businesses as has happened to many US schools: tons of money, too many unrelated ‘required’ courses to jack up fees. Yes, agreed, some good education. I have just done some courses at NYU which were basically making money for the institution, just called ‘required’ so everyone had to do them. Some universities here are major money making machines.
Re home schooling, I taught my child for several years while traveling across Africa, UK, Lebanon etc BUT it does require a full time, committed, at home parent. Most men have proved again and again that they are not willing to support a woman who looks after a home and children. So it is risky business.
If every space in India is a private class, I think it is something to gloat over: people literally begging for education, willing to pay, coaxing tutors to teach. Indians colleges are full and yes still some space is saved for foreigners.
Re a good nonprofit: Pratham (Literacy) is good and so is Akanksha for street children. Rather than wasting time in finding the perfect nonprofit, give to a reasonably good one,like Jews and Christians here do. Many of their instituions spend over 70% on ‘admin’.
But perhaps the basic sport is India and Indian bashing!! Never come across any other nationality that hates itself so much and God knows most others have been through far worse. Improvement, intelligent solution seeking yes, constant, mindless criticism? Well, I feel tired.
Re language based and English based: the best schools emphasize Sanskrit and Hindi like Sardar Vidyalaya in Delhi, which is in Hindi ’til the fifth standard, the Mother’s school in Pondicherry,etc. Elite Indians know that to succeed in modern India, you had better be fluent in local languages and then later get a ‘foreign’ degree. Pakistanis too routinely send their kids ‘home’ for few years.
I was educated in India, Illinois and then Ivy L. I consider my high school very useful, the basis of my education, in all ways.
Dear Dhavak Dont know your age. When I was child in India, all food was rationed,the fields devastated by colonial greed, admin destroyed, schooling available for a very few,phones rare. Today India has a 300 mill. strong middle class, not to mention the rich. This recent statistic is from the NYTimes.
Re Somini’ she seeems to write either about how some RSS types disliked Valentine day or the toilets in Bombay. Pity this American reporter who misses the vitality of what is happening there.
Dhaavak, Exactly my thoughts!! just articulated better 🙂 (then if I had tried) Completely agree with you on your observation about disdain people have towards, trades, and looking down upon it.
In one of the private schools that I attended, I’d be pulled up EVERY DAY for supposedly not having paid my school fees, even though I had all the receipts and documentation showing that I had. I’d go home and complain to my frustrated parents, who finally realized that the nuns (yes, this was a convent) expected a “donation” before they would leave me alone.
How about Mahilya Institute of Technology
That is laughable. I think biology, law, economics etc. should be taught in English or anyone would be lost in the rest of the world including India. Also, ‘Elite Indians’ are not learning in local languages. Obviously they are fluent in it but higher education requires that one knows his subject in English or he will have to relearn much of the vocabulary. I guess that’s not too difficult but I have no experience doing that.
Learn LAW of a country in English, where 95% dont speak the language ??
Japan and S.Korea had no problem learning higher education in their language. May be, thats why most India uses some or other product made in those countries, as opposed to the other way around.
Japan and Korea don’t have regional differences in language and ethnic identities based on language differences like India does.
Tamils, Bengalis, Punjabis, Gujaratis, Muslims (urdu) etc wouldn’t like it if Hindi written in devangari script was taught instead of their languages.
Ironically English is seen as somewhat neutral (hindi is seen as being hegemonic) as far as the regionalist politics go.
dudes,
have you guys been educated in india or been involved in the process there?
i agree with RC is saying in principle 100%. because he was educated there and still remembers the ground realities.
there is somewhat teaching of “non-literature” subjects in non-English languages. there are pretty very decent book for science and engineering in hindi etc., and more should come. you can always find a fairly decent chemistry book in hindi and it helps. sometimes, a rural student will start in schools with books in regional languages (before they move to english in 9-10th grade) and then get a shot at IIT/ IIM. i know IIT graduates who practised all their math, physics with hindi books in high school and tell you what – they could beat anyone on any given day – bring anyone on. sure, when they came to uni, they switched to english. some of them are leaders in silicon valley.
however, these regional books in india are just a droplet in the ocean. there are not enough books in hindi, punjabi etc. to teach sciences and social sciences (except literature). even english books are subsidized through local publishing houses like tata mcgraw hill, eee, etc.
when i was in southern spain, there was a national debate that their researcher should publish in english journals to be competitive and be noticed – this said, all these countries have vibrant selection of books, journals in their native languages too. japan, korea, france, taiwan have journals in their languages with sometimes english translation accompanied.
ps: i am using hindi in generic sense for mother tongue. you could replace hindi with tamil, etc.
K M Munshi, one of the major Gujarati author and poet, was pro Hindi. I think this issue has been debated to death here.
RC:
I thought lawyers had to learn English because laws are written down in English. Obviously you have to speak the local language.
RC:
Even France is using English for atleast its Physics research papers.
You still have to learn english for higher education and the ‘elites’ certainly are not learning science in sanskrit.
no governement schools are good where the parents are higher profile connected folks. Several private schools also get government(& semi-government) subsidies. Private schools are attractive where the government schools suck and parents decide its better for the kids. Even the realy poor have opted for private schools.
Check out acorn on that particular topic.
Meanwhile the Florida State Supreme Court invalidated the state’s first school voucher law as unconstitutional. I doubt there is anything in any state constitution contemplating how schooling should be funded.
A legislative function (whereby the people speak) overturned by our most aristocratic branch of government. India could teach the US about democracy in some areas as well.
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Help a child build his/her futureÂ…Â…..
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Shri Arindam Banerjee,founders of PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION believe that all the programmes should grow under community umbrella and that each programme should have a long-term effect for the purpose to bring changes in the society. The focus is to give a new identity to the disadvantaged children (orphans, children of sex workers, children of convicts, street children and needy rural poor children) and to provide a common platform to introduce them to the society. Non-Formal Education:
The programme was carried by PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION between 2005-2006 with an aim to motivate and encourage the children of the area towards education. The main aim of the programme was to support those needy children who are unable to attend school and continue their education. We extended educational support for cowherd boys and girls to attend school up to IV standard and gradually sent them for vocational education. A total of 165 children were enrolled under this programme.
After School Assistance Program: The local government school has approximately 100 students. PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION has taken approval from the school authorities as well as from the local panchayet to conduct classes in the school building between 5 P.M. – 8 P.M. daily. The idea is to supplement the education provided by the school and to provide the students with a taste of quality teaching, which they do not receive at school. The objective is to raise the standard of the students and to hopefully instill a taste for learning in their minds. The students are also being provided some Tiffin/refreshments by PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION. Currently 2 unpaid volunteers of PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION are conducting the classes but in future it will be essential to recruit at least 10 paid, part-time teachers to carry on the project.
Estimated Expenses for the After School Assistance Program:
Number of Teachers Required- 10 Monthly Salary per Teacher – Rs.1000.00 Total Annual Salary for 10 teachers – Rs.1, 20,000.00……… (a)
Educational material @Rs.500.00 per month= Rs.6, 000.00Â…Â…Â… (b)
Tiffin expenses @ Rs.2.00 per child per day for 240 days per year – 100 childrenRs.2.00240 days = Rs.48, 000.00… … …c)
Total Annual Expense for the program (a)+(b)+(c)= Rs.1, 74,000.00
PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION ChildrenÂ’s and Old age Home:
PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION has opened a ChildrenÂ’s Home for 19 children at PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION Ashram, at Village-Purokonda, P.O.: – Tajpur Purokonda, P.S.-Barjora, Dist- Bankura, Pin- 722208, West Bengal, India.
PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION has started construction of its childrenÂ’s home at Purakanda on the land donated by Gauriya Math. One dormitory/dwelling unit has already been constructed (earthen flooring & walls; tin roof). A tube well has been installed and the toilet/sanitary facilities are under construction. PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION has applied for electrical connection but this is still awaited. The project is being supervised by Mr. Arindam Bannerjee (Founder Secretary). A House Mother has been identified and recruited to look after the inmates. Two local persons will be engaged as watchmen who will also cultivate the land belonging to the ChildrenÂ’s Home, so that the inmates may use the produce for internal consumption.
PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION has initially taken 19 children under its wings (8 girls + 11 boys). These children are in the 3-7 age groups. Nine of these children are children of sex workers while eleven of them are street children from Kolkata and Durgapur. If the project progresses satisfactorily, then PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION hopes to care for up to 50 such orphan/destitute children in future.
Till now, PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION has depended entirely on donations from individuals for its work. However, at this stage a heavy inflow of funds is required to complete the infrastructure of the Home and to secure its running expenses. Talks are on with organizations such as the Rotary Club for sponsorships/donations. PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION appeals to all sympathetic individuals and/or organizations for help. We earnestly request you to come and visit the Home at Purakanda – we are sure that you will empathize with PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION’s mission. We need your help and will appreciate any form of assistance in terms of money or essential material, food, clothing, blankets, utensils, furniture etc. PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION will also be grateful if doctors and teachers spare some of their valuable time and provide voluntary service at the Home for the children’s medical treatment and education.
Estimated expenses for upbringing of orphan/destitute children:
@ Rs.12, 000.00 per annum per child for 19 children = Rs.2,28.000 per annum.(This amount is an approximate estimate of food, clothing and medical expenses required per child annually.)
[In addition to the above, we would be immensely grateful for any donations/assistance/sponsorship towards completion of infrastructure at the Home.]
Sponsorship for School- Going Children: PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION has identified 50 children of school going age primarily from the “Dom” community of Purakanda and nearby areas, who do not attend school and have not received any formal education. “Dom” is a backward caste that was treated as untouchables in the past and has been uneducated and impoverished for generations. PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION has spoken to the parents of these children as well as to the local panchayet. The families are willing to educate their children but lack the financial means to do so. PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION has undertaken a program to admit these children to the local school and bring them within the formal education stream. PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION will take the responsibility for their education till standard XII. In addition, PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION already has the responsibility of educating the 17 inmates of its Children’s Home.
Estimated Expenses for PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION’s Educational Sponsorship Schemes: Number of Children – 60 (17 inmates+43 non- inmates)
Annual expense per child on books And educational accessories – Rs.2, 000.00 Total (Rupees per year for 60 children) = 1, 20,000.00
An Appeal: Till now, PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION is carrying on its activities entirely with donations from well-wishing individuals, and, as expectedly, this would have to continue for the near future as well. While we are making sincere efforts towards receiving some kind of institutional funding, we also appeal to all sympathetic individuals and/or organizations for financial help. We sincerely hope that you will be kind enough to extend a helping hand to our activities by sponsoring one or more of the following activities of PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION (i) Educational sponsorship for one school-going child for one year INR. 2000 or US $ 50
(ii) Sponsoring one child for one year INR12, 000 or US $ 300
(iii) Sponsoring an aged person for one year INR12, 000 or US $ 300
(iv)Sponsoring a pre-primary educational centre INR 6,000 or US $ 150
(v) Sponsoring book –bank for school books INR 3,000 or US $ 75
(vi)Sponsoring an after-school assistance program / Abridged course for drop-outs INR 2,000 or US $ 50
(vii) Sponsoring a vocational training program for A group of 20 women INR 2,000 or US $ 50 How to Send Donations:
All donations are exempted u/s 80G of IT act.
Please send your donation in favor of Purbachal Ananda Foundation U T I Bank LTD, Durgapur (West Bengal), Account No: – 213010100081290 Purbachal Ananda Foundation
You may also directly give a call to Mr. Arindam Banerjee on his mobile no. 91 9233303875.
Philanthropists and kindhearted people are welcome to visit our center to familiarize them selves with the nature of the work PURBACHAL ANANDA FOUNDATION does. Similarly, donors are also welcome to inspect any papers or information related to the above proposal at the Regd. & Secretarial & Communication Office in Durgapur. http://www.pafindia.org