Education

Education is the most vital key to ending extreme poverty. Free primary education is constitutionally mandated in India. This may be true in the narrow sense that public schools do not charge for tuition. But the real cost of schooling for parents turns out to be quite high. These “hidden” costs include, for instance, school Fees, Fees for cloths, textbooks, snacks, sports equipment and so on. In India education is still a distant dream for millions of children. Poverty, family illiteracy, lack of resources and social backwardness are the major contributing factors. So SAWED implementing the following projects to overcome these factors.

Early Childhood Care and Development Centres (ECCD):

SAWED ECCD’s care for young children below 6 yrs (whose day labour parents must work every day), attending to their health, nutrition, education, social development and preparing them for primary school  in a friendly encouraging environment where going to school is a desirable and  normal activity. Importantly also, now their older siblings do not have to drop out  of their own school to look after them.

The goals of the Early Childhood Care and Development Centres are to develop the child’s social skills and personality, equip her with necessary subject skills and instill the habit of going to school, learning, reading which she will not pick up from home. Because the children are so young, 1-6 yrs, teachers stand almost in place of mothers.

• SAWED provides all necessary books, supplies, backpacks, and uniforms for the children.
• The children play, learn the alphabet and numbers and basic reading and arithmetic skills in both Tamil and English. They learn poems, paint, draw, do crafts & theatre.
• SAWED teachers follow SAWED’s “Joyful Learning” model where song, dance, role play are the primary methods of teaching along with a friendly, encouraging environment.
• Each child takes regular tests to ensure progress and pupils who need extra help are provided it.
• Milk and buiscuits provided to all the children twice in the classrooms.

Non-Formal Education Centres (NFE’s):

SAWED NFE’s prepare school drop-outs for mainstreaming by proactively tracking them down, motivating them to go back to school, helping them catch up on the studies they missed and getting them admission to schools. Convincing the parents who are themselves illiterate (day labour, farm workers) and therefore unaware of the value of education, while daughters are needed to help at home and sons to supplement family income, is a complex task.
The high drop-out rate at schools is due to a number of factors.

• Boys drop out to work and supplement the family income.
• Girls drop out to help at home.
• A lack of toilets at school is also a big factor why girls stop attending.
• Both girls and boys drop out to take care of younger siblings because the parents work every day to keep the family’s head above water.
• Pupils who may be having trouble keeping up with the syllabus drop out because they have no one to ask for extra help.

SAWED providing necessary educational supplies and keeps track of its NFE students till they clear/complete secondary school, regularly assessing their progress and helping them with extra classes, motivation as needed.

Girls Education Project:

SAWED Girls Education Project supports girls financially and academically ensuring they graduate and have all the skills necessary to make life decisions successfully. We understand it takes a village to raise a child and therefore, as with our other programs, we work on three fronts to ensure success: first, with the girls, second, with their schools and teachers, and third, their families and communities.

We make sure they have the funding to continue school including for books, clothes etc. We make sure they get extra educational coaching after school to help them excel in studies. So they have the ability to stand on their own feet if they wish. Education in subjects is not sufficient. We provide them coaching in navigating circumstances they will encounter in life. For example, these are vulnerable girls from needy families. The parents being mostly at work, they are left without protection. There is high probability they will encounter a dangerous situation. We teach young girls to recognize situations where they are not comfortable and where they can get help if needed.

Activities:

• Life Skills sessions (in and outside schools).
• Academic and material support.
• Mentoring.
• Exposure visits to places like museums and book fairs to broaden their horizons.
• Distributing goat and cow to their families to empower them economically.

Leadership Training:

SAWED leadership programme provides Leadership & Life Skills Lessons and Activities, Small Group Planning & Events, Readings and Exercises in Human Rights, Discussions on Global & Local Issues, Professional/Academic Planning, Local Speakers, Discussions/Critical Thinking & Current Events, Cultural Exchange Sessions, Special Lessons on Environment, Health, etc.; Sports, Dance, Art, Yoga; Field Trip & Service Visit; and more to the underprivileged rural children.

Educational Supplies & Scholarships:

SAWED distributing educational supplies to the school going underprivileged/tribal/dalit children in the rural areas, flood affected coastal areas, drought affected areas and slums. SAWED also provides educational scholarships to poor students who are all studying professional courses in the government colleges.

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