Education Outlook for Andhra Pradesh 2011

As per the ASER report 2010, only 3.5% children between the ages of 6 to 14 are out of school. However, out of the children that are in Std. V, only 53.4% of them are able to read Std. II level text. Where Arithmetic is concerned, 34% of children in Std. I cannot recognize numbers from 1 to 9. There is a great demand for private schools in the state with almost 36% of children between the ages of 6 to 14 being enrolled in private schools.
 

Pratham in Andhra Pradesh this Year

• The Read India program is running in 12 districts in AP through 1 DRC and 11 BEPs. While Pratham covers children between the ages of 6 to 14, the focus is on the weaker children who need extra support. In AP, there is no formal government partnership and therefore the program is largely community based and is implemented by village level volunteers.
• Pratham enjoys strong Panchayat (village level Government) partnerships in most districts. Volunteers have been given permission to teach inside school premises before and/or after school hours.
• In the coastal regions of Vishakhapatnam, Vijaynagram and Srikakulum, almost 50% of volunteers are Vidya Volunteers (contract teachers) implementing the Read India program in government schools.
• In Medak district, the Pratham team has forged a partnership with the District Government, through which Government teachers are being trained to teach English using Pratham’s CAMaL methodology. The program is now being implemented as part of the school curriculum.
• The Urban Program is running in 2 cities; Hyderabad and Vishakhapatnam. In Vishakhapatnam, Pratham is working through a ULC model where children are tutored and are given help where required. These programs operate out of Pratham’s own centers, located in Vishakhapatnam urban slums. Pratham pays teachers, often young women, a nominal sum for both programs.
• In Hyderabad, Pratham works with the government through various programs such as the School Management Committee (SMC) program which deals strengthening SMCs. Given the vital role of SMCs as laid out by the recently passed Right to Education law, it is crucial that SMCs are made aware of their roles and capacities to influence school operations. In Hyderabad, Pratham also runs the Early Childhood Care and Education Program, as well as the English and Madarsa (Muslim schools) programs in partnership with the local Government.

Geographical Coverage: 1867 villages across 11 BEPs & 1 DRC
Children Reached: 73,594
Volunteers Mobilized: 2,882

Future Plans

Pratham is currently in the process of rolling out its Education for Education (EFE) program in Andhra Pradesh.

A training cum science center is being constructed that is scheduled to start by mid 2011. The center will be located in the Balpatla block of Guntur district. Apart from conducting Pratham state trainings there, the center will also be used to promote science in the block through various workshops and fairs.

A partnership between the State Government and Pratham is in the pipeline, as part of which Pratham will strengthen SMCs (School Management Committees) across the 12 districts of Andhra Pradesh.