Mayurbhanj district has earned accolades for launching the Mu Bi Padhibi (I will read too) scheme by successfully bringing all children to school.
launched in April 1, 2013, the scheme was first of its kind in the State whose core aims were addressing the issues of drop out children and increase retention levels in schools besides ensuring effective implementation of RTE for supportimg the under privileged children. The district was declared as ‘Free from Out of School Children’ on September 5, 2014.
Mayurbhanj, the largest district in eastern India, had the third-lowest retention rate of 68.38 per cent in State, while its dropout rate for Upper Primary was 8.33 per cent vis-a-vis 7.57 per cent in State. Besides, imparting education in Odia was a barrier as the tribals who have a dominating presence in the district spoke in different dialects.
The district sharing border with Jharkhand and West Bengal was also prone to distress migration which affected the retention of the children in schools. It too was a challenge to provide education to the children in absence of Hindi/Bengali text books and teachers.
The existing capacity in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) in selected blocks like Kaptipada, Bangriposi and Jashipur was not sufficient to contain dropout of girl children. The tribals too skipped school during the festive occasion of Makar and Kali Puja.
In the face of these difficulties, the RTE-SSA, Mayurbhanj implemented the scheme in convergence with the SC/ST Development, WC D, labour, Panchayati Raj and Health and Family Welfare departments.
The major initiatives were holding Sub-Divisional level headmasters’ meeting, identification of target group through house to house survey by teachers and Anganwadi Workers, rescue of child labourers working at hotels, dhabas, garage, household and other hazardous places and conduct of special survey of out of school and migrant children.
The key steps taken included mobilising the parents through ‘Siksha Rath’ in interior pockets, functioning of Education Cell at DPO,SSA for tracking of out of school children, creation of public awareness through media, hoardings, leaflet, poster, announcement etc, counselling of parents /guardians of vulnerable children for their admission, block level convergence for admission of all identified children in appropriate school (Formal schools/ RST/ KGBV/Special Rescue center/Residential schools under SSD).
In order to maintain retention in schools, focus was laid on child friendly activities at school after MDM, physical verification of attendance at all elementary schools, cross monitoring of the students attendance through CRCC and Panchayat level functionaries, provision of escort facilities in 105 access less/scattered habitations, organising block level headmaster and SMC chairperson meeting, introducing Sikhya Panchayat and tracking attendance on first day of each month at panchayat level, engaging 176 tribal youths as Sikhya Sathi in interior and inaccessible pockets, organising Sarpanch and CRC meeting at district level, felicitating selected Sarpanchs, counselling of long absentee children, including parents / guardians of vulnerable children in different social security schemes, making provision of Antadwaya Card for orphan children reading in KGBV and RST centers, opening of special school for lodha community students in
Suliapada block, preparing holidays list as per the socio-cultural context of the district to check absenteeism.
Also various measures were taken to improve teaching standards like capacity building programme of field functionaries, teachers orientation programme, distribution of competency chart to all schools, special award to best 20 teachers of Rasgobindpur block among others.
The result was eye-catching. 126 boys and 16 girls working as child labourers and rag pickers were brought to the ambit at Bisoi Rescue Center and MTK UPS. There was a marked increase in enrolment and retention rate in elementary schools.
Total 2,871 never enrolled and 2,654 dropout children were admitted to different schools. The State School and Mass Education Department lauded the effort and instructed other districts to follow suit.
The steps were nominated as the best innovative practices for presentation at Collectors’ Conference held at Bigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The OPEPA documented the “Mu Bi Padhibi” programme and broadcast in Doordarsan .