RTE: Empowering Girls through Education in Bihar

PVCHR Vanarasi and Caritas India joined hands to organise a state-level interface on ‘Reality of Implementation of Right to Education (RTE) Act in Bihar’. The students of Musahar community staged a play. Here’s a report.

PVCHR Vanarasi and Caritas India jointly organised a state level interface on ‘Reality of Implementation of Right to Education Act in Bihar’, on Friday (March 11), in the hall of Hotel Ashoka.

Altogether 57 peoples, from several organistations, participated in the programme. At the beginning of the program Fr. Jolly, administrator of Caritas India, welcomed the participants. He shared some key works of Caritas in the education sector.

Second session of the program was the stage drama of the students of Musahar community Roshni ki Toli (A Bunch of Light), which was about the importance of girl’s education. After the drama, Giris Peter, zonal manager of Caritas highlighted the salient points of the programme.

In his speech, he focused on the major works of Caritas in the five districts on Bihar. They were trying to minimise the illiteracy rate of Bihar, especially among the girls. So, Caritas has worked to build up the access in the education of Musahar community. In this work, PVCHR played an important role in the implementation of Caritas program. PVCHR conducted schools survey and collected information of overall situations of the schools in Bihar.

Thereafter, Dr. Lenin Raghuvasni, CEO of PVCHR shared brief report of implementation of Right to Education (RTE) survey, which was conducted by PVCHR in the 26 schools of Bihar. In the survey there were 121 questions and all questions were about conditions of infrastructure, number of teachers, and condition of library and science lab. After sharing findings of the survey report, all participants gave feedbacks. They shared their perspectives on the findings of survey report.

Dr. Lenin then facilitated discussions and key recommendations. At the end of the programme, The Lights of Hope and Dignity, a video documentary made by PVCHR was screened.

The Major Findings of Programme

This programme brings out the reality of the implementation of Right to Education Act in Bihar.
In the schools of Bihar there were no proper infrastructures and no well-trained teachers for ensuring quality education of students.
In the schools of Bihar there was no child participation and no implementation of child helpline.
There was no proper school management committee as well as development plan.
There was no IT education in the school level.
There was proper rule in the paper but lack of implementation on the grassroots level.
After the implementation of the Project by Caritas India there were some changes in field level, children were admitted in schools and started enactment of RTE.
One of the projects of Caritas called Roshni campaign played an important role in the enrolment of the Mushar children in the local government. They formed the group of father and mother to aware the various issues of education.
After Caritas project the girls were much more empowered. They performed a play on the stage regarding on their rights.
Bihar government is trying to implement RTE but they don’t have access in the grassroots level.