A Proposal note for Asha:
Navsarjan had set up three primary schools a decade ago. It never had the intension to start schools as an activity of education but rather they were intended to be community schools to serve the platform where the literacy could synergize with environment free of caste prejudices.
Lately, we have seen that the number of students have been constantly dropping as we attempted to make it less free and more towards financial sustainability. Navsarjan annually has to provide for 1.8 million INR to run three schools just for about 100 children. This does not make any sense.
Also, the private schools which neither offer quality nor the conducive environment have been able to sell themselves as the model attracting all including the poor.
Dalit Shakti Kendra (DSK) gets students for its vocational programs ranging from those who have not been to school to graduates. The frustration among the youth is mounting due to low paid unskilled employment of temporary nature. The recent incident at Una where Dalit youth were flogged in public on false charges of cow slaughter represents a tip of the iceberg of the living conditions of people on the brink of marginalization.
In the above context DSK has made a visible impact in society. It has trained over 8700 youth in last 14 years and currently gets students from nine States of India. DSK is equipped with the experience, pedagogy of imparting training and trained staff. Navsarjan has asked DSK to transform all the three primary schools into Satellite vocational schools, an extended hand of DSK. The proposed centers would train young men and married women with children who are unable to stay at DSK as residents.
By transforming schools as vocational centers we will be able to retain the present schoolteachers. The centers are expected to start their activities from October 1, 2016. To begin with we will start only three vocational courses at each center.
We request Asha to consider its support for the vocational centers. The budget line proposed would be the following:
Sr. / Ledger / Cost(INR) / Trainee contribution (INR) / Asha contribution requested
1 / Teacher Salary: 3 centers x 3 instructors x Rs. 9000 x 12 / 972000
2 / Non-teaching staff: 2 x 3 centers x Rs. 7500 x 12 / 540000
3 / Training cost including lodging and boarding:
150 trainees(100 x Rs. 2500 and 50 x 1000 / 300000
4 / Equipment (Tailoring machine, computers, and material for police training: 3 centers x 3,00,000 / 600000[1]
Total / 2412000
5 / Administration: @ 5% / 120600
Grand total / 2532600
Revenues
Student contribution: [2]
(A)Residents: 100 x Rs. 4500
(B)Day scholars: 50 x Rs. 2500 / 450000
125000
5,75,000 / 10,00,000
DSK/Navsarjan contribution / 9,57,600
2532600 / 25,32,600
[1] One time capital cost
[2] As the number of students will gradually increase, the expenditure shall reduce.