 By
the government estimate, out of 200 million children in
the age group of 6 to 14 in India, around 59 million do
not attend school. Of the rest, who are currently in school,
four out of every 10 children beginning to attend school
will drop out before completing their primary school education.
In addition, various studies of children's learning achievement
indicates that the situation is actually grim. Recent community
based surveys done in 28 cities and eight rural districts
in the country find that not more than 30 per cent of school
children in the age group 6 to 14, in an educationally advanced
state like Maharashtra, can read simple text fluently or
do basic arithmetic sums.
The aim of education imparted should be
to bring changes not only in the amount of knowledge gained
but also in the abilities to do so, to think and to acquire
habits, skills and attitude which characterize an individual
who is socially accepted and adjusted.
Education is a means to an end, Smile believes
in the “empowering” effect of education and
its ability to enable people to develop a critical questioning
attitude towards society, government, existing gender and
cultural stereo types.
The term universalisation must include
universal enrolment, universal retention and universal achievement
of an acceptable level of reading; writing and arithmetic.
We at Smile believe that quality education is key to overcoming
poverty in a single generation. And the same is fundamental
in creating a future for human security, community development
and progress of the nation. It is an enormous challenge.
It is also an immense opportunity.
Smile works for providing an enabling environment
with its partner organisations (NGOs), to kindle the light
of education in each child. Towards this end, training teachers
in sound and creative pedagogy, providing appropriate teaching
aids, improving infrastructure facilities, starting libraries,
community mobilization and literacy promotion are our priority.
We cannot ignore the limitations imposed
by the realities of our systems nor do we aim to. Instead
of creating parallel structures, Smile supplements and works
in synergy with existing Government and other initiatives
in providing education to all.
In our endeavour to improve the
quality of education imparted through the non formal sector
we aim and work for:
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Click here to read how Education has transformed lives of ordinary children in short time. The section contains a select case studies.
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Achieving 100% School enrolment and retention
- Promoting girl child education
- Capacitating teachers to be effective as facilitators
of learning
- Promoting the culture of reading
- Equipping children with skills for life
- Providing conducive learning environment
- Community participation that supports learning
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