Every morning, a group of children in school uniforms of different colours walk through the mohallas of Jharkand’s Simdega district. What makes this different from others? The fact that the group is blowing hard on an ordinary plastic whistle. Like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, the whistle blowers are followed by their classmates as they march to their respective schools, singing, chatting and dancing.
“These are the children who are otherwise unwilling to go to school; do not enjoy attending classes; are compelled to stay back to help their parents on the farmland,” says Badal Raj, the Sub-Divisional Education Officer of Simdega district. The whistle, he adds, is also a reminder to the parents that schools are open for their children and that it is important to send them there.
This is the Seeti Bajao School Bulao initiative launched in Jharkand’s Tangrain, East Singbhum district in January 2023. In 2022, a survey by the Jharkhand Education Project Council revealed declining attendance in government schools after the pandemic: less than 60% in middle and high school and 68% at primary level from an average of 80-85% in before COVID-19 across 758 state-run schools in 24 districts. Given Jharkhand’s high tribal population, the State also had a high drop-out rate. According to data from 2017-18 from the United District Information System for Education, only 30 out of 100 students finished school in Jharkhand.
Showing the way
Following the launch in Tangrain, the campaign moved to Simdega, one of the most backward and least populated districts, in a few months. Here, it was tweaked to be called Seetee Bajao, Upasthithi Badhao and involved the students in an attempt to boost attendance in schools. The Sikariyatanr Uchch Vidyalaya, a government co-ed higher secondary school with lowest attendance in the district, was chosen for the pilot project in June 2023. With the results being encouraging in the ensuing months, the State Department of School Education and Literacy decided to replicate the model across the state. Simdega had shown the way and the Seeti Bajao project was implemented in 16 government schools, seven Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and two Jharkhand Balia Awasiya Vidyalayas.
Sandra V. And Ananya Iyengar, two students who are part of Transform Rural India’s (TRI) Public Policy in Action (PPIA) initiative, have been documenting the change. While Ananya holds a Master’s degree in Forensic Science from Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur, Sandra holds a Master’s in Social Work from Pondicherry University. Their work entails designing solutions to address challenges faced by the rural communities and their journey in the last 18 months in Simdega is about making significant impacts on local population.
Appointing student representatives and leveraging a collective effort has helped prioritise education and foster a conducive environment. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A simple and strategic tool, the whistle has helped condition both students and parents and improved attendance rates. By appointing student representatives and leveraging a collective effort to prioritise education and foster a conducive environment, the intervention has garnered recognition for its effectiveness, they say.
Benefits
“Earlier, many children would tell their parents that the school was closed,” recalls Ananya. “Now the Seeti Bajao initiative curtails them from doing so.”
“We have identified house captains and class monitors to blow the whistles to motivate and mentor the children in their villages and hamlets to get ready for school, says Sandra. Each ‘mentor’ is required to bring at least 25 children to school and they are excited about their unusual daily task.
“Not only do they find the job fun but have also acquired leadership skills. It is also introducing punctuality and discipline among the students. The majority now show an interest in studying and there is a clamour to become the class leader now,” adds Ananya.
Badal Raj says the young whistle blowers, who are selected from all age groups and classes, have been the harbingers of change in the district. The overall attendance in Simdega schools has increased to 92% in the last 15 months and is now the highest in Jharkhand. Teachers are also now motivated to tweak their teaching skills as they enjoy taking full-house classes. He also points to another change: in 2022-23, after the Class 10 Board results were announced Simdega was in the 23rd position. This year, it moved to ninth with a pass percentage of 91%. In the Class 12 Board results in 2023-24, the district moved to third position in the Commerce stream from the earlier 16th and to first in Humanities.
Not only this but the near-zero-cost best practice has also seen students who had earlier dropped out and gone to the big cities to work as house help returning to school. “The change in attitude to education and developing a sense of responsibility and leadership is a giant leap for us,” he says.
