Alternative Schooling Programs

This program intends to provide temporary centers for flexible schooling of 18 hours (per week) for 3 years, providing regular five years of schooling in 3 years condensed curriculum in flexible hours. But the intention in not to transfer these students to regular primary schools, but to prepare them directly for primary school final examinations. The government believes that a model for flexible school hours for working children (8-10 years) is required in the present situation to address the opportunity cost of children, specially girls household or farm work allow girls to combine schooling with chores.

The present OSP program has not been able to cover all out of school children. So this alternative flexible schooling has been implemented. It helps to make access to primary education

This program offers regular grade 1 to 3 primary education curriculum in pockets of areas where children (6-8 years) do not have easy access to regular schools by opening temporary 'centers' and providing facilitators. This model is based on the assumption that all students in satellite centers will be prepared for integration into grade 4 in regular schools, The satellite schools use local teachers with intensive training before they start teaching, The head teacher from the parent school is made responsible for the successful implementation of the program and providing guidance to the teachers.

One of the reasons for providing outreach program is that many children from the very disadvantaged communities are not welcomed to regular schools due to socio-cultural reasons. The class is conducted 4 hours a day and 960 hrs a year.

The program is conceived as more than literacy training for adolescent population who missed their basic education. In order to provide functional literacy, the learning is designed to take place in a broader context of life sills.

This program has been designed for illiterate children, who have never been to school or drop out the school. Absence of a school in the community, not suitable ages to join the school or the household work or some other reasons are responsible for the situation. The course is of 450 hours to be completed in 9 months. The graduates of this course can get admission in the formal primary school in grade four.

Out of school children, second level program is conducted for those children who are not able to get admission in the formal primary school even after completion of OSP I (basic literacy level)

EMP/SKILLS - Skills and Employability Department