Profile

NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR EDUCATION OF GIRLS AT ELEMENTARY LEVEL (NPEGEL)

National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL), is a focused intervention of Government of India, to reach the “Hardest to Reach” girls, especially those who are not in school. The scheme was launched in July’ 2003, it is an important component of SSA, which provides additional support for enhancing girl’s education over and above the investments for girls education for through normal SSA interventions. The programme provides for development of “model School” in every cluster with more intense community mobilization and supervision of girls enrolment in schools. Gender sensitisation of teachers, development of gender-sensitive learning materials, and provision of need-based incentives like escorts, stationery, workbooks and uniforms are some of the endeavours under the programme.

The Scheme is being implemented in educationally backward blocks (EBBs) where the level of rural female literacy is less than the national average and the gender gap is above the national average; in blocks of districts which are not covered under EBBs but are having at lease 5% SC/ST population and where SC/ST female literacy is below 10%; and also in select urban slums.

While The scheme provides an excellent opportunity to develop context specific strategies to address learning needs of girls and to focused community mobilization and gender sensitization of teachers in an innovative and effective manner.

NPEGEL programme is implemented in 62 EBBs of 18 Districts of the state during 2009-10. The total number of clusters covered under NPEGEL during 2008-09 is 921 including 4 urban slums. Of 921, 108 Model cluster schools are being managed by Mahila Samakhya, Karnataka.

The details of Model Clusters sanctioned since from 2004-05

Preparatory Activities:

Cluster resource persons and Block Resource Co-ordinators of every block identified a school in each cluster that had pronounced enrolment of girls or alternatively a Girl’s Higher Primary school that was accessible to the other schools/villages of that cluster. A cluster committee for NPEGEL has been constituted in each of these clusters with the members from the surrounding school SDMCs and with more priority to women members. This committee is empowered to identify the local problems and address them through NPEGEL. Cluster Co-ordinator, one of the members of this committee assists in providing inputs based on the guidelines of the programme.

Mahila Samakhya Karnataka has appointed Cluster Co-ordinators to take stock of the situation in the particular cluster related to education of girls. They mobilize the community, particularly mothers and women groups to identify the out of school girls and enroll them to school. Grama Sabhas have been conducted by Mahila Samakhya at the village level under NPEGEL to create awareness among the public with regard to the girls education and the programmes like NPEGEL

Community Involvement

SDMC is the implementing agency for all the activities of SSA at the school level. A necessary fund for the construction of Additional Infrastructure is also credited to SDMC bank account. SDMC participates in the implementation of the programme and monitors all the gender related activities carried out at the cluster level. The members also participate in the Grama Sabhas held to discuss the gender related concepts. SDMC is involved in the community awareness programmes like Melas and Jathas held at the village level. At least 3 women members are represented in every SDMC.

Local NGOs are being involved in providing the local skills and vocational training to the girls of NPEGEL-MCS schools.

Experts in the field of girls’ education have been involved in drawing the strategies to conduct adolescent camps. State Resource Group and District Resource groups also enlist the help of such experts to address the issues related with girls’ education.

Field level functionaries

Gender sensitization programme for teachers, Head Teachers, CRCs, BRCs and Educational Administrators have been conducted regularly at different levels. Larger groups were also covered in the telemode trainings in which gender concepts have also been discussed. SWAYAMEVA SURABHI– a gender focused teacher training module is developed under DEP-SSA. Bimba-1 and Bimba-2 are the training modules prepared to train teachers on the concepts related to gender sensitisation. These training programmes are regular training programmes of teacher training.

Infrastructure and TLM procurement

The additional infrastructure gives space for promoting activities of girls and also as a gender resource centre to empower the women of the cluster. 921 Model Cluster Schools have been set up in a phased manner from 2004-05 and have been provided with additional infrastructure like Additional rooms, toilets, drinking water, electricity and CFS. With the cost of Rs.2.00 lakhs, SDMCs of the Model Cluster Schools have taken up the responsibility of construction of these structures.

Gender coordinators:

Towards facilitation of NPEGEL Activities, Gender Co-ordinators at District, Block and Cluster level are appointed.
The role of gender co-ordinators is crucial in carrying out the NPEGEL activities. The below table shows the position of Gender Co-ordinators as on Jan’2010.

Details of Positions of Gender Co-ordinators functioning in different districts

Source: District Reports