Aao Padhyein Sabko Badhayein ( Come let us teach and work for the rise of all); the campaign bring the poor and marginzlized to the classrooms of their choice, in neighbourhood

Bags full of fortune, Bottles full of learning
Poor also deserve Good Schools
Happy to share outcome of the campaign, bringing smiles on the faces of the poor and marginalized all across wherever we reached. needy and have nots are not only unaware about rights but are not being accessed by the official machinery to let them avail of the policy benefits. we could do it by sheer will and network of the patrika group by associating socially concerned citizens. 
Indore, Kota, Karauli, Bhilwara and Doongarpur editions do excellent work for the campaign with different communication approaches and ideas- maximum number of poor children feel the excitement of school bells with bags of fortune in these regions.

though miles to go...and yet to raise more pertinent issues of education for the poor. Some questions still loom large--- how the poor will sustain in private school environment? how they will bear basic minimum recurring expenses on studies? how they will cope up with the high standards of studies? We shall keep the media scanner on...and keep reporting.
Soon to launch a new campaign by the end of July for quality education in government schools with community participation, school management committees needs to be functional and community needs to be watchful....media is already in action mode...

shipra

PATRIKA-MAG campaign

Aao Padhyein Sabko Badhayein ( Come let us teach and work for the rise of all) 

·         Launched on 25^th April,2011

·         Campaign Locus: 3 states, 77 districts; Team: 60 reporters, 63 social organizations, more than 600 MAG volunteers

·         583 + admissions (as of now) through direct intervention, more than 20,000 children in MP, approx 25,000 children in Chhattisgarh government data, still in the process of compilation), and the figure to appear by 31^st July in Rajasthan. CM, Government of Rajasthan flags off the enrolment drive in Rajasthan ( 1^st July,2011)

Core: Massive campaign to focus on the Issue of 25% reservation in private schools of poor and disadvantaged as part of provisions in right to free and compulsory elementary education act

Strategy: through team of Media Action Group (MAG) volunteers and patrika reporters engaged local ngos (with community and media action group) to identify out of school children in the vicinity of the private schools (Child Tracking); sought admissions and fought for their rights and against malpractices; stories in all respective additions of PATRIKA under common campaign name and logo covering the experiences, attitude of the school and authorities, view point and challenges with version of the competent authorities school representatives; making the campaign sustainable with responsibility sharing with community and volunteers ( concept of volunteers build at ward levels named as Patrika Connect); inviting Anupam Kher to mobilize the campaign to Patrika office to interact with concerned citizens and civil society and volunteers.

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Outcome (so far): 583+ admissions ( number soon to go up as we finalize documentation) through direct intervention ( have list of the beneficiaries); as we triggered the agenda more than 25,000 poor children ( officially) admitted in private schools in MP; approx 20,000 in Chhattisgarh; and figure yet to emerge in Rajasthan ( after 31st July); Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan officials offer appreciation, district collectors join hands and ward councilors pledge for the cause, MP and MLAs also join the cause as it helps them earn goodwill of the electorates; Bhilwara launched a massive drive to engage local riches (Bhamashahas) who have been supporting the poor children for education accessories and facilitated opening of a school Stay Home (under the government scheme) for 114 deprived children identified by us; the affluent people and social organizations in the districts come forward for charity and share responsibility of children and adopt them for support; 6 villages adopted ( 5 in Kota division and 1 in Bhopal) for 100% enrollment agenda; Karauli gets the support of Collector who joins Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan with our campaign floating 200 banners in the districts using logo of Patrika campaign as it becomes brand now and district administration under immense pressure to perform as Patrika campaign is generating more results than theirs admits 57children on 1st July; administration now join our team in Karauli to track children in Panchayat Samitis and City wards and the affluent citizens adopts children for education support; Doongarpur identified 54 deprived children and targeting to admit 111 children on 11th July at 11 am and affluent mass come forward to support in kind; In Sikar the campaign earns the attention and district collector deputes bloc level in charges to ensure the implementation and awareness.

Indore has done excellent work on the campaign with maximum number of applications reaching the private schools and getting 60+ children admitted so far and exposing the malpractices in the name of 25% reservation, and the riches encroaching upon the reserved seats on fake documents;

Patrika Connect ( ward level programme for democracy, development and community volunteering in all 3 states with a range of 50-80 ward in each city to have PC offices all across with a huge team of MAG ) has begun taking up the education agenda at ward levels.

On 1^st July, 2011 the CM of Rajasthan flags off the school enrollment campaign in the state….innovations going on in our campaign

The next phase starts in July for government schools (quality education and active volunteering by the community)