Projects Portfolio
Vidya Chaitanyam
Vidya Chaitanyam or Self Help Group Partnership in Education Project (SHG PEP) is a project for the period of 2008-2012 funded by the Department for International Development (DfID) UK under the Civil Society Challenge Fund. It aims to support the Government of Andhra Pradesh in facilitating access to and enabling monitoring of high-quality education service delivery using a rights-based marketing strategy. The objectives of the project are:
- To raise the level of awareness among the SHGs regarding their educational rights, particularly with regard to the quality of education;
- To participate in school improvement activities through involvement in the Academic Monitoring Committees(AMCs) set up by the Department of Education; and
- To set up Mandal Education Resource Centres (MERCs) to improve the quality of education provided by the government schools. The ultimate objective of the project is to raise the level of awareness regarding basic educational rights among the rural communities and empowering them to demand, monitor and improve the delivery of basic education provision in government schools.
CfBTES, through Vidya Chaitanyam and Vidya Jyothi executes Child Rights and Educational Rights Awareness Programmes to create awareness about educational rights among women self help groups and children through street plays, badges, poster campaigns, student competitions and Mandal Education Resource Centres (MERCs). These campaigns relate to the following Child Rights:
- Right to access free education
- Right to minimum quality in education
- Right to participation of parents and children in educational programmes
- Right to make schools and the government accountable for lack of quality in education
Mandal Education Resource Centres (MERCs) provides academic resources and technical support to teachers and students in the rural schools.
Rights of the Child Quality in Education Early Childhood Education Vocational Guidance
MERC Brochure Photos Videos
Vidya Jyothi
CfBTES has worked with the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), an autonomous body set up by the Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Mandal Mahila Samakhyas (MMS) in rural Andhra Pradesh. The major element of the project is capacity building of Self Help Group (SHG) women in monitoring schools through participation in Academic Monitoring Committees (AMCs) and the use of a school score card. CfBTES has deployed almost 60 field staff to assist with this project. The focus of this project is on four areas:
- Creating awareness about the importance of education;
- Setting up early childhood centres for children between 3 and 5 years;
- Improving the quality of education in government schools through leadership training, teacher orientation, workshops for students and parents, school self review and accreditation; and
- Developing an Education Management Information System (EMIS) for monitoring and sustaining gains from the project.
Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) is an autonomous society of the Department of Rural Development, Government of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is registered under the Societies (Telangana) Act, chaired by the Chief Minister.
SQIP
CfBTES provided technical support to 17 government schools from the period of 2006 - 2009 through the School-based Quality Improvement Programme (SQIP). These schools are located in Ananthapur, Kurnool and Chittoor Districts of AP. About 2000 students were covered under this joint programme of Child Fund India, CfBTES and the Department of Education, Government of AP. The unique feature of this project was that it tracked the all round development of the child through a Child Profile format over an 18 months’ period.
Child Fund India is a partnership-based child development organization striving to improve the well being of vulnerable children by empowering the community to undertake and manage holistic child development programs and by networking with other stakeholders. Formerly known as Christian Children's Fund-India (CCF), Child Fund India has been transforming the lives of millions of children in India through child sponsorship since 1951.
Best Practices in SQIP School - Mallaiahgari Palli
Best Practices in SQIP School - Sunnapugutta Thanda
Best Practices in SQIP School - Varigireddy Palli
EQUIP
Enabling Quality Improvement Programme (EQUIP) was a pilot project from 2004 - 2008 in which CfBTES assisted HSBC in the creation of a financing mechanism for small education enterprises that supplies schools for the very poor. The benefits of such a financing mechanism included:
- Access to financing for non-government education organizations that otherwise would have no source of reasonable, medium-term funding;
- A demonstration that this can be a viable business proposition which has the wherewithal for rollout to other regions with similar shortfalls in financing; and
- The mobilization of donor and investor resources into a key developmental area.
The key parameters for the financing mechanism are that it be commercially viable and that it serves education initiatives that improve the quality of education for the poor. 41 schools have availed themselves of the loan from HSBC and the Whole School Improvement Programme from CfBTES.
HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations. HSBC believes that "Education is key to every success". Educational initiatives at HSBC provides opportunities to underprivileged children to explore their untapped potential and equip them with the necessary skills and qualifications.
The EQUIP impact study was conducted to assess whether EQUIP, a combined effort of HSBC and CfBTES, has made an impact on the schools concerned.
The study, among other things, indicated the following:
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Whole school improvement as a concept was well received in EQUIP Schools
- EQUIP Schools are opening up to the idea of comprehensive school improvement
- Teachers from EQUIP schools are satisfied with the training programmes organized by CfBTES
- The schools have benefited from the loan and are able to improve their infrastructure
Equip Impact Report Video
Our Charitable Projects
Andhra Pradesh Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (APSWREIS): CfBTES delivered an orientation programme for Principals of the PROJECT schools managed by the Society over a two-year period. These schools typically cater to the children drawn from child labour who are put through a six months’ bridge school before being admitted into a mainstream residential school.
Andhra Pradesh Residential Educational Institutions Society (APREIS): A leadership programme (Management Development Programme) was conducted for the Principals of the Society. The training included team building, managing and monitoring staff, motivating students, nurturing creativity and effective leadership.
Rotary Club of Hyderabad (RCH): Recognizing that education is the key to development both personal and societal, the RCH has always been giving a special thrust to education. Continued career guidance seminars, donation of equipment to needy schools, introduction of a mid-day meal scheme and continuance of the provision of scholarships to needy but merited students are some of the activities envisaged by the RCH. The Xth standard forms a kind of threshold and many students dropout at this stage due to economic reasons. If one can see a student through this stage, one is helping them to cross one more threshold and then the motivation to pursue further studies becomes strong. Further, more avenues open up to students who complete 12 years of education as compared to those who only complete secondary school. From the past ten years, the RCH has been providing a few Merit-cum-Means Scholarships at this stage.
CfBTES Education Services supports the Rotary Club of Hyderabad in organizing the career fairs for students and distribution of their scholarship funds.
Prajwala: Prajwala is an NGO actively involved in anti-trafficking and second generation prevention, rescue, rehabilitation, restoration, and social integration of victims of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation.
CfBTES has successfully built capacities of the staff involved in rehabilitation of the children of sex workers studying at Prajwala Transition Centres in Hyderabad by empowering its teachers with good teaching learning practices. We also contributed in setting up their libraries, science labs and providing teaching learning materials. A significant improvement was brought about in the communication skills of the teachers and students through the Programme for Enhancement of English Language Skills (PEELS). This project was funded by CfBT Education Trust, UK. The impact of the project was assessed by an independent expert.
The independent impact study revealed the following:
- An improvement in the competency and confidence of the teachers
- Students’ interest to attend school increased considerably
- Improvement in the infrastructure of the school
Prajwala The Final Assessment Report
Confederation of Voluntary Associations (COVA): COVA is a dedicated civil society group working towards peace initiatives, economic empowerment programmes for women, and children’s programmes for the youth in the Old City of Hyderabad.
CfBTES undertook a 14 months’ project targeted at building the capacity of teachers and students in their five transition centres. These transition centres function like bridge schools for school dropouts as well as those who have never been to formal schools in the age group of 9-14 years with a special focus on the girl child.
Pratham: Pratham is an NGO that works to provide quality education to the underprivileged children in India by building the capacity of its volunteer teachers, who have little or no academic and professional background, by training them in basic English proficiency.
CfBTES provided support in improving the communication skills of their teachers and helped them in designing English language material for children.
Chance for a Child (CfC): A charity scheme supported by the staff of CfBT Education Trust, UK provides financial assistance to high school students who hail from low-income families and face difficulties in paying their school fees. This scheme helps in lowering the dropout rate in high schools.
These scholarships are provided to students on the basis of merit-cum-means.
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