SSA schemes a gift for rural students

The various programmes kicked off under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan project proves to be immensely helpful to the students, especially belonging to lower economic strata to experience innovative things in their course of studies.

Under the newly initiated project of Chinnara Krishi Vritthi Darshana, as many as 7,610 girls from across the district are chosen. A sum of Rs 11.14 lakhs are released for the programme for the year 2012-13 and Rs 150 will be given as expenses for each girl. This is the programme that helps the girl students to equip with the knowledge of agricultural related activities. The girls are selected from 6th and 7th standard and sometimes from 8th standard if 8th standard is attached to higher primary schools. The girls from minorities’ communities and also urban deprived categories are also considered under the programme.

SSA Project Deputy Coordinator Nagraj told Deccan Herald that as many as 800 girls belonging to minority community and also 97 girls from urban deprived category besides 6,754 girls from other categories belonging to SC/ST and other communities are selected for the programme. Out of the total 6,754 number of students, the proportion for SC is 50 per cent, for ST is 25 per cent and 25 per cent for others should be maintained, he added.

The programme intends to educate girls over the various agricultural activities. They are educated on organic farming, jasmine cultivation, nursery, fishing, Emu farming, cashew cultivation, horticultural activities, paddy cultivation, animal husbandry, poultry farming, sericulture, honey bee framing, dairy farming, rain harvesting and so on. The programme extends from the month of August to December.

There is one teacher, one guide and one Cluster Resource Person for a group of 50 girls.
The other important project taken up for the kids under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is “Chinnara Kreeda Abhiyan” under which students are trained for various sport activities.
“Ten days of intense training is given to selected children by expert coaches. About Rs 5 lakhs is released under the programme. About Rs 4.5 lakh is invested on the training of the children and remaining Rs 50,000 is utilised for conducting district and state level sport tournaments,” said Nagraj. The sports activities include table tennis, football volleyball, hockey, long jump, high jump, athletics and other indoor activities.

Nagraj said as many as 150 girls are selected under the programme. About 50 per cent girls belong to minority categories and 25 per cent are urban deprived. “We have a provision to choose 45 students from each block,” he added.

‘Zilla Darshana’

In Chinnara Zilla Darshana programme, about 2,250 children are taken for two day educational tour. The students belong to 7th or 8th standard. As many as 1,500 children belong to SC/ST categories and about 750 are from minority communities. About Rs 10.8 lakhs have been earmarked for the purpose. About 450 students’ are selected from each block. The places include Pajaka Kshethra, Kaup Light House, Sri Krishna temple,
Brahmavara Krishi Kendra, Sandoor Hydro Power Project, Neelavara Mahishamardhini temple, Saligrama Karantha memorial and Suralu palace among other places.

Adventure camps

Adventure and Nature Study camp taken up under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan is another innovative programme that enables the growth of adventurous skills among kids. The three day camp offers all support to the children to try out bold and bravery. Each batch will have 50 students, of which 38 girls are selected under the programme. In Udupi district, as many as 192 students are selected. As many as Rs 5 lakhs are earmarked for the purpose.

The adventurous sports include trekking, swimming, climbing boulders, jumping and so on.

The programme is taken up in association with General Thimayya Rastriya Sahasa Academy.  The programme will commence in the month of November and December.