Strengthening Governance for Quality Education Improving school management and accountability

Our mission is to facilitate and increase access to education and other life opportunities for children and young people

Transforming lives through education May 2016

The training provides SMDC members with the opportunity to develop techniques to assess their schools and identify areas for improvement. They receive guidance on creating a ‘vision for a good school’ and develop annual plans for school improvement. SMDC members review their plans regularly during the year and highlight successes and areas that require attention. Key areas for development identified include raising student attendance levels, ensuring teacher availability, improving facilities and greater engagement with parents and the community. Jogendra Majhi, member of the SMDC from Sumati Behera Chaurpur in Sambalpur took part in the training and describes the impact that the training had on him:

“Following the training my understanding of my role as an SMDC member has improved a great

deal. I am a more active and confident participant in our school SMDC and I helped the

Head teacher obtain funding from the India Oil Corporation for clean drinking water in the

school. Now our focus is to improve the learning levels of students through better teaching, more

books and greater support for students with before and after school tuition.

It is a very exciting time for my school.”

In 2016, Kusuma continues to work with the State government to enable an additional 613 government secondary schools to participate in SMDC training throughout the State of Uttar Pradesh. This partnership will support more than 23,000 SMDC members from all 1,584 secondary schools to take part in the training and improve the quality of education in their schools. 1. http://12thplan.gov.in 2. School Management and Development Committees (SMDCs) consist of teachers and community members who are responsible for the governance and management of schools. 3. Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) is India’s national scheme for improving the quality of secondary education.

The Government of India’s twelfth five-year plan (2012-2017)1 recognises the important role of education in national development. The plan focuses on the expansion of education, improving the quality of education and ensuring that educational opportunities are available to all. It encourages local communities to play an active role in the leadership and management of schools in order to hold teachers and schools accountable and improve outcomes for students. Kusuma encourages community participation through the establishment and development of School Management and Development Committees (SMDCs)2 in Uttar Pradesh and Odisha. With Kusuma’s support SMDCs ensure that schools deliver the best quality of education for their students. SMDC members participate in regular training sessions to understand their roles and responsibilities, how to use student feedback and data to influence decision making in the school, and how to work with Head teachers to secure resources and increase community involvement. In 2015, Kusuma partnered with Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA)3 in Uttar Pradesh to launch a State wide training initiative aimed at strengthening governance and management in 971 Government secondary schools. The partnership aims to grow the capacity of over 14,500 SMDC members and encourage local communities to become more involved in improving education standards across the State.

An SMDC meeting at the Government Higher Secondary School Raura in Hardoi. Photo: Kusuma Foundation

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SMDCs taking action With ongoing support and training from Kusuma, SMDCs in Sambalpur and Hardoi are developing the required skills, knowledge and confidence to improve their schools and provide their students with the best possible learning environment. They are improving the quality of teaching resources, accessing funds from local communities and public and private companies to improve facilities, and advocating with government to fill teacher vacancies. SMDC members are beginning to make a difference in their schools. The SMDC members of Mura High School, Maneswar in Sambalpur raised funds from the community to pay the wages of two new teachers in their school. The school has 174 students and only 2 teachers. The two new teachers will join the school in July 2016 to teach Social Sciences and English. SMDC members in Golukananda High School, Batemura in Sambalpur realised that a shortage of classrooms was leading to student absenteeism. SMDC members helped the school raise INR 70,00,000 from their alumni. These funds were used to construct an additional classroom. The Head teacher, Mr. Binod Bihari Patel said,

“I am very thankful for the SMDC’s support and I am proud of their achievements. Since we have built the new

classroom, more students are coming to school and enjoying the classes.”

The Government Higher Secondary School, Bharkhani in Hardoi lacked a working pump for drinking water. Students had to travel over a kilometre during the lunch break for clean water and raised the issue with the SMDC who made this a priority. SMDC members decided that applying for financial support would take too long so they personally funded the repairs and carried out the work. Each SMDC member made an equal financial contribution and the following day the pump was fixed, ensuring students had safe and clean water and the safety of staying in school during their lunch break. Roundtable on school governance On 11 April 2016, Kusuma hosted a round table seminar in Delhi to share good practice and key findings from research on school governance. Participants included the Global Campaign for Education, Educate Girls Globally, CfBT Education Services and the National Coalition for Education. Topics discussed included innovative ways for SMDC members to monitor school improvement, how best to empower SMDC members and how to encourage more links with the community. Kusuma plans to hold annual round table seminars to encourage collaboration between organisations working in secondary education.

Developing Head Teachers Ms. Swati Srivastava has been the Head teacher of Government High School Gopamau in Hardoi since 2013. When Ms. Swati started, the school was in poor condition, with no drinking water, dirty toilets and under-resourced classrooms. There were only 46 students enrolled in the school with only 9 girls as it is located in an area where awareness of the importance of education is low.

Ms. Swati Srivastava, Head teacher of Government High School Gopamau Photo: Kusuma Foundation

Ms. Swati attended school leadership training organised by Kusuma and was inspired to turn the school around. With the support of Kusuma she worked closely with the community to form an active SMDC and identified local women to join to encourage more girls to attend school. In the last three years since the number of girls enrolled in the school has increased to 25, all her teachers have attended Kusuma training sessions to learn new ways of teaching, and she has created a new library full of books with brightly painted wall displays. The SMDC has secured funds to stock a new science laboratory and build separate toilets for boys and girls. Student enrollment is increasing each year. Nazneen, a student who was at the school before Ms Swati started says:

“Before Ms Swati came here, I did not come to school much as I did not see the importance of learning. I also felt uncomfortable having to share the one toilet we had with

the boys. Now I come regularly. The school is so different, I enjoy learning, reading books from the library and the after

school clubs we have. I now realise how important education is to me and my family.”