Programme de bourses "Echanges Universitaires"

Education as a tool to rehabilitate street children - Cases from urban slums in Ahmedabad, India

The project in brief

Division
Development Cooperation

Country / Region
India / Gujarat

Partner
Rajesh and Sandhya Bhat, Matrusmruti Trust, Ahmedabad, India and associated NGOs, local communities, government authorities; principal investigators: Marisa Fricker and Sophia Völksen.

Abstract
Education is a major tool of empowerment and contributes to the well being of individuals, as well as to that of entire nations. Its positive impact on economic growth and socio- demographic factors is broadly accepted scientific knowledge, and many development agencies have incorporated this knowledge into their agendas. Although significant progress has been made towards universalizing primary education in India, there are still millions who are likely to miss proper education. Problems such as low school completion and attendance rates, high incidences of drop-outs and child labour are currently still unresolved. Among the most affected are Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Muslims, and people living in extreme poverty.

The focus of this study is on school drop-outs. The study holds the notion that the phenomenon of dropping out of school is related to family and biography related factors (internal factors) and social and societal conditions (external factors). Among the internal factors are, for example: motivation and interest of the children/school performance, household structure (size, income etc.), educational background of parents/members of the family, decision maker structure in the household, appreciation of elementary education, perceptions of future perspectives, health and nutrition status, migration background/language problems, need for child labour. Among the external factors are, for example, infrastructure/schooling facilities, distance to school and danger of school journey, governmental expenditure on education on elementary school level, quality of education, teacher attendance and training, support through local institutions/NGOs/availability of scholarships, cultural values and caste membership (Scheduled Castes - SCs, Scheduled Tribes - STs, Other Backward Castes - OBCs), degree of social exclusion, living environment/social milieu. We assume that school drop-out rates relating to family conditions can to some extent be influenced by working with the families, whereas societal conditions are a matter of state level policies and can to a lesser extent be influenced by NGOs and poor families.

As these factors require different actions and strategies, they deserve further study. If dropping-out of school is caused by internal factors (family and biography related factors) appropriate actions could be awareness campaigns related to the value of elementary education, addressing the target persons (school children) as decision makers, and providing scholarships and basic health care for needy children. If dropping out of schools is related to external factors (social and societal conditions) the following approaches might be appropriate: improvement of existing infrastructure (school facilities, additional school buildings), elimination of sources of danger along school journey, better teacher training, improvement of the quality of elementary education through better textbooks, attractive curricula, smaller classes/more teachers etc., special policies for disadvantaged/vulnerable groups and awareness campaigns.
One aspect of the study is to find out whether school leaving was caused by family related structural factors or sudden shocks (loss of employment of family head, illness), and/or whether dropping out could be attributed to societal conditions beyond the control of the family. The empirical survey of 255 pupils attending school and school drop outs in slum communities of the City of Ahmedabad carried out in the summer of 2009 sheds light on these issues. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used. The target groups were distinguished by gender, religion (Muslim/Hindu), caste (SC, ST, OBC), age groups: 1. school drop-outs, 2. pupils attending school, 3. scholarship recipients (narrative/retrospective perspective).

Project target
The aim of the study is to examine the determinants of dropping out of schools in urban slums. This topic has been chosen in cooperation with and corresponding to the needs of Matrusmruti Trust (MST), a local NGO providing scholarship for needy children. Specific needs and problems of vulnerable children with regard to their schooling are analysed and factors determining school drop-out rates are identified. The results of the study will thus be incorporated into the developmental agenda of MST and other NGOs and give impulses for planning and politics.

Duration
March 2009 – December 2010

Contact
Department of Geography/Urban and Regional Studies, University of Basel Prof. Dr. Rita Schneider-Sliwa, Claudia Saalfrank, M.A. Rita.Schneider-Sliwa@unibas.ch, Claudia.Saalfrank@unibas.ch

Rajesh and Sandhya Bhat, Matrusmruti Trust, Ahmedabad, India
mst_edu@hotmail.com