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| What
is Fund-a-school? |
Evaluation of Community Based Primary Schooling Initiatives in Madhya Pradesh The study focuses on the districts of Bilaspur and Dhar. The sample consisted of 29 schools in Bilaspur district and 9 schools in Dhar district. The study concludes that "the State and the Districts have succeeded in providing the critical immediate inputs that contribute to universal primary schooling ". The study goes on to focus on the social groups that have gained from this initiative and states, "evidently the weaker and the deprived sections have gained large number of children who were hitherto denied primary education, for want of a schooling facility within a reasonable distance have now availed of this opportunity. The enrolment pattern revealed that mire than 98% of the children enrolled belong to the SC, ST and the other backward communities". It found that the retention was as high as between 75% to 95%. The study goes on to discussing pedagogical reforms of school effectiveness and feels that this model seems to emerge as a culturally suited model of school effectiveness in teaching -learning methodologies, teacher preparation and classroom processes. The scheme has a well-designed system for provision of training and other academic support. "…There is evidence of effective change in classroom practices and outcome as compared to formal schools". In summary, the author notes that the scheme has succeeded in reaching out the disadvantaged segments in dispersed locations".
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