We have adopted Child Parliament as a model to encourage child participation, leadership and strengthens life skills like self awareness, empathy, critical thinking, problem solving, creative thinking, effective communication, interpersonal relationship &
coping with stress, coping with emotions and rights.
With the support from Fogla Foundation, Equidiversity Foundation has worked with almost 900 children (78% of whom are from the marginalized communities) of 6 Primary Schools in rural South 24 Parganas, Pathar Protima Block till October 2019. While the work has been accepted by the community and the schools readily, the impact of the work has also started unfurling.
The Education Minister is especially in charge of monitoring absenteeism and takes steps through home visits to contact the absenting child and parents and bring the child back to school.
The Food & Health Minister and team are in charge of looking into Health & Hygiene Education by monitoring the mid day meal cooking process, checking hygiene condition of children, feeding children iron tablets, ensuring that each child performs the 10 steps of washing hands before eating.
The Gender Justice & Sports Minsiters ensure that gender discrimination does not take place during any activity and particularly during sports and play time. 4 schools (out of 6) have introduced football for girls and encourage playing kho kho, kabaddi together
The Prime Minister leads all activities including rallys & campaigns, coordinates with all & holds weekly meetings. The PM also oversees the Moner Katha Baksho
Children acting as agents of change and social entrepreneurs
88% children were involved in rallys and campaigns on health, hygiene, environment protection. More than 14% CP members played an organising role in these campaigns
The Cabinet members made 45 home visits to monitor absenteeism
“Our PM was be absent regularly. We
informed the head teacher that we want to
change her. After this, her regularity has
increased. Previously she would not want to
call meetings and fight with us. Now, She
calls meetings”. Education Minister, Bhajna
Halderpara PS
Leadership, Participation, Accountability
86% schools reported an improvement in attendance and enrolment. The Cabinet members made 45 home visits to monitor absenteeism
Parent‐Teacher meetings have become a
regular affair in 66% schools
98% children actively participated in electing 30 CP Ministers and 114 nominated members of the Ministries
Advocacy with Pathar Protima Panchayat Samity has lead to its active involvement in activating the Village Level Child Protection Committee (VLCPCs) in GPs
The GP Annual Action Development Plan has included vat for garbage collection and composting in 3 Primary schools in Birbhum
1 GP is considering preparing a list of names of families reported by children and women in the community for toilet construction
Exposure visit with CP ministers & selected CP member with SI and Panchayat Samity Sabhapatiin SI office. The objective was to provide an opportunity for children and the authorities to interact with each other and and give the childrena a voice to share their experience in education and raise issues that concern them. Very important issues have been raised fromthe CPs of every school and also presented a charter of demands to the authority. It also provided an opportunity to the teachers to raise some critical issues in the schools that needed resolution. The SI also raised important questions of accountability from the teachers.
The second phase began from January 2020
Programme Location
13 schools in Pathar Protima, Kulpi and Falta in South 24 Parganas and 13 schools in Nanoor & Labpur in Birbhum were identified for the programme.