Case Study of the Day: Educational Initiatives in Dantewada

Context: The Dantewada district has achieved Education right for its children, by highlighting the role of local policy leadership in India’s multi-level institutional framework of policy and governance.

About Educational Initiatives in Dantewada

• The citizens in Dantewada district face following constraints and difficulties:
  • The district is at fore-front of the armed struggle between state security forces and Left Wing Extremists – Naxalites.
  • They practice primitive farming, and their livelihood is dependent mostly on forests.
  • District fares poorly in achievements on human development indicators.
  • District is Poorly Served by Modern Development.
• Educational Interventions which were introduced include:
  • Setting 53 residential schools at ‘fringe‘ locations in the district with free boarding and lodging facilities
  • Teacher training and modern teaching inputs were provided
  • Most of the related activities were coordinated with NGO’s for better implementation.
  • To provide exposure to students, they were taken to district headquarters to make them aware of their rights and duties.
  • Creation of residential facilities, for utilizing the provision of 25% reservation in private schools under Right to Education Act.
  • Clusters of important junctions in the district were chosen and ‘Educational Clusters’ were created. This helped in increasing and sustaining the enrolment ratio.
  • Post class room special tutorials for entrance exam were provided by teachers from reputed private institutions, to prepare students for professional courses like engineering, medical, polytechnic, nursing etc
  • Livelihood college for the unemployed youth, who have missed formal education were set up, and admissions were kept open to all regardless of educational qualification, any income or caste criteria.
• The implementation process:
  • Finding support from the state‘s political leadership, and managing the local political leadership.
  • Prudent use of discretionary resources from Integrated Action Plan (IAP), managing contract and expenditure procedures.
  • Thinking strategically on school sites and reform team.
• Impacts of the initiative:
  • Nearly 50,000 students have availed of the new opportunities, of which 91% are scheduled tribes.
  • Improved enrolment, retention and pass percentages.
  • Residential facilities have helped in improving the nutritional level of children.
  • Empowered local people and has given a voice to marginalized tribal populations.
  • It has re-imposed faith of the poor people in the public system.
• Thus, the tangible outcomes of the case study should be replicated in other remote districts, to ensure citizens of their basic rights.

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