English Medium Public School

SULABH MOVEMENT RESTORING HUMAN RIGHTS

Post independent India has been witness to great strides in the field of education. Education is available to all and is no longer exclusive. It is considered to be the 'prime instrumentality' for improving the condition of the traditionally oppressed and consequently the under-priviledged scheduled communities. The state wedded to the commitment to ameliorate the condition of the lowest in the caste hierarchy has taken special care for promotion of education among these people.

Inspite of these steps, the spread of education is sparse among the scheduled communities. Poverty, absence of tradition of education in the family and pressure to take children out of school and into the labour market are factors attributed to the measly spread of education among these people. There are sections among the sheduled communities whose resource disadvantages tend to remain cumulative on account of little education. the scavengers constitute one such category.

Padma Bhushan Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak talking to school children at Sulabh English-Medium Public School, Palam, New Delhi

Sulabh Public School represents an effective response towards the removal of inherited educational disparity among the scavengers. Premised upon mobility ideology and concern for emancipation of the scavenging community, this English Medium School marks the most important landmark in the history of social transformation of scavengers. It is oriented towards fulfilment of the aspiration of the most deprived socio-economic group the scavengers. This 'Quality School' is a pace-setting institution. It intends to sponsor the traditionally most disadvantaged all the way upto their completion of advanced courses in education. the institution, first of its kind in India, provides the much needed prop to the children of scavengers for over-coming the impediments in their upward mobility. The intention is to enable them to catch up with the rest of the society. To avoid perpetuation of segregation that characterises the special schools for the scheduled castes the school is open to the children of families from non-scavenging communities also.

1. Provision for free education, free supply of books, uniform and free transport facilities for the children of scavengers community.
2. Superior physical amenities and surroundings, better teaching smaller teacher - student ratio, better organised extra-curricular activities.
3. Careful grooming of the sons and daughters of scavengers through their early years and harness them for upward mobility.
4. Dedication to produce superior results and provisions of distinctive grooming.
5. Greater sensitivity on the part of the teachers towards the needs of children from disadvantaged background.
6. Orientation to social integration by functioning as melting pot for elimination of caste differences.
7. Social interaction with high caste peers.
8. Availability of facilities and teaching for children unavailable to the families from this caste group.
9. Socialisation into modern secular values.
10. Assimilation of the children of scavengers to the high caste society.

The initiatives thus made, under the dynamic leadership and inspiring guidance of Padma Bhushan Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak have received widespread response from the families of the scavengers of the area for which the school has been started.

It has also found favour with such families as have no tradition of education. Low in the occupational hierarchy, do not seem lagging in embracing the implications of modernization.

Among the students first generation learners are many. Girl educants exceed boy educants. The students come from such backgrounds that may be considered disadvantageous for education.

Chairman,
Sulabh International Center For Action For Sociology
Sulabh Bhawan, Mahavir Enclave,
New Delhi-110 045, (India)
Tel. : 25032617, 25031518, 25031519, 25032654;
Fax : (091-11) 25036122, 25034014
E-mail : sulabh1@nde.vsnl.net.in, sulabh2@nde.vsnl.net.in, sulabh@ndb.vsnl.net.in

Comments and questions: sulabh1@nde.vsnl.net.in
sulabh2@nde.vsnl.net.in sulabhacademy@vsnl.net
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