Pudami- Neighborhood Schools
“School on Social call”

An alarming and disconcerting situation in education field where majority of children are denied of education and those who could make their way to school are served with a semblance of ‘education’ lackadaisically had prompted us to react and go for instituting neighborhood schools.

Nation that is reified in to innumerable, sectarian divisions cannot grow into modern developing entity if it’s schools just are as divided , a common school that houses children from all walks of life and ensures equity in imparting quality education is the simple agenda we took up in starting neighborhood schools. From here we continue to endeavor to explore what best we can do to stand by the rights of children.

DRF which had intervened in education scene is experienced in mobilizing out of school children and prepare communities in sending their children to school, also carries the experience of joining the schools in the quest of understanding what constitutes quality education, thinks rightly that it is rightly positioned in this given context to come out with neighborhood schools. Informed by energy and insight that dedicated organizations had generated in the field of education and child rights, a turn for clear thinking and sensibility to appreciate the challenges involved in mobilizing first generation learners, brave enough to involve community in school process, confident of ensuring quality learning to all children equally no matter what the social context they come from, are what prompted us to present neighborhood schools.

We address the demand of the community to have a decent school for their children and we moved our best foot forward towards it. Neighborhood schools have both primary and high school sections from class 1 to 10, each class room has an upper limit of forty pupils and additional sections will be served to extra strength. Schools fallow state syllabus, however acknowledging both necessity and the overwhelming demand for English we have decided to introduce it as medium of instruction. As we are fully aware of the social, literacy and cultural diversity of the children coming to the school hence medium of instruction will be introduced through a progressive transition from Telugu to English in five year period of primary sections.

Schools will focus as much on non scholastic development of the children as it will on their scholastic competencies. These schools intend to provide children options of both artistic and physical athletic skills to grow into. Neighborhood Schools are recognized by Government of Andhra Pradesh, abides by all the statutes related to the schools. The schools adopt National Curriculum Framework in designing the syllabus and study material. Schools are governed by a governing council guided by Neighborhood School Constitution developed for the purpose. Governing councils will have representatives from the community

Neighborhood schools are here to provide a bit of space, for children from all walks of life,
“Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls”

Educational Resourse Centre (ERC)

DRF felt it necessary to address the issue of every child’s right to quality education, which requires simultaneous interventions into both mobilizing children to school and ensuring quality education to children. An independent institute and dedicated exclusively to issues of schooling and class room practices can make a good resource center and support the schools in improving the quality of schooling processes. It by definition should explore, equip itself to offer quality services to schools and undertake direct programmes to strengthen schools.

Education Resource Centre set up by Dr. Reddy’s Foundation is basically mandated to look after the academic, pedagogical requirements of neighborhood schools besides supporting them in developing systems, processes and mechanisms of schooling. Since ERC is instituted as an independent agency it under takes among others, studies in education, social aspects of schooling and on pedagogical issues. It works towards partnering with agencies- both government and civil society and individuals working in the field of education and rights of children, it also endeavors to net work with the same so as to generate and share the resources among partners and strengthen schooling. Education Resource Centre undertakes studies that explore schooling of children, social contexts that encourages or discourages education, Academic delivery systems that schools have and should have, both pedagogical and non pedagogical aspects of education. Besides studies it also gets engaged in learning and exposures to the best practices that are available, and constantly works to strengthen schools.

Core activities of Education Resource Centre, As

· Resource Centre · Publishing Agency
· Training agency · Networking
· Hub of studies · Systems support

As resource centre ERC is keen in promoting the processes of schooling that are necessarily compatible with child rights, it firmly believes in the universal values of education that don’t discriminate children in ensuring their rights, it holds the strong conviction that children no matter what class or social context they come from have a right and capacity to education.