CSR: Tata Steel Foundation – Mainstreaming out-of-school children into learning

Noamundi, The journey of Bagun Kunkal from a child labourer at a restaurant to one of the brightest students of his schools has been inspiring.

Haling from a very poor family, he had to quit studies and do menial jobs for survival until he was brought into the mainstream education under the 1000 Schools Programme run by the Tata Steel Foundation, CSR arm of Tata Steel.

Presently, he has been enrolled in M.S. Noamundi Bazar in class 6th after completion of residential bridge course provided for nine months. Recently, Bagun along with his team received runners-up prize in peasantry on Republic Day observation

The Thousand Schools Programme was launched in, with the goal of creating a replicable and scalable model of universalisation of elementary education within the Right to Education Framework. The programme has demonstrated success by bringing more than 8000 children from two tribal blocks, Noamundi and Jagannathpur, of Jharkhand back to school. 

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With this the universalisation of elementary education has been achieved in these blocks as per the RTE Act, and the government schools are functioning well with active support of School Management Committees and panchayats.

The bridging programme that takes children out of labour and puts them back in school presents the best stories of transformation. Girls and boys whose lives were once broken, have regained their dignity, health, and education, and this has sparked in each one of them a fierce aspiration to build a brighter future.

The process starts with a household survey to identify out-of-school children, and then through a three-way process they are linked back to school-children of 6-7 years are enrolled directly, and those older go through a special course before they join school. A Residential Bridge Course (RBC) is meant for those children who never went to school or are long drop outs.

“These children come from the toughest circumstances, comprising orphans, homeless, victims of abuse and trafficking, and entrenched in the worst forms of child labour such as begging, rag picking, worker at construction sites, dhabas, garages, etc. The goal is to bring them back to schools and ensure that they complete their basic education. And, despite poverty and multiple obstacles, they are showing determination to continue studies till college level,” said Smita Agarwal, Head (Education), Corporate Social Responsibility, Tata Steel.

So far 794 children have been mainstreamed through five RBCs functioning in these blocks.

Story of change

Shruti Laguri, a 12-year old child, from Noamundi, was a dropout from class three due to lack of financial support following the sudden demise of her father. Irrespective of her great zeal in going to school and continue her studies, she had to give up for the sake of helping her widow mother to earn her leaving.

Since, there were five members in her family, her mother had to work in others’ house and hotels to earn their living but, the amount earned was not sufficient to feed all of them. Therefore, she was brought to her uncle’s house to live along with them.

During her stay in uncle’s house, she was identified during a survey and presently, she has been enrolled in RBC so that, she can be connected to school as per her age. Her learning level was also very low which was evaluated during the baseline taken, in which she scored 0 (zero) out of 50 in Hindi and 3 out of 50 in Maths. She was unable to read, write and speak in Hindi.

But, after living in RBC for one month a lot of changes were seen within her. She became very friendly with other children in RBC centre, there was change in her living lifestyle gaining interest in studies.

Also, the hard work of the RBC staffs gave a fruitful result in increasing her progress. Compared to baseline marks, in midline she scored 19 out of 50 in Hindi and 37 out of 50 in Maths. She can write simple sentences in Hindi, can read story books, say poems and in Maths she can do addition, subtraction.

She loves to help other children in studies as well.

Nowadays, she carries a smile on her face she says, “My aim is to become a station master after I complete my studies and I love painting,” she says.

Keywords: Tata Steel Foundation, CSR arm of Tata Steel, CSR of Tata Steel, CSR in Jharkhand, CSR in Noamundi, CSR and Education, 1000 Schools Programme, CSR in Rural India, CSR in Rural Schools, CSR of Tata