REPORT OF THE WORKSHOP CONDUCTED FOR THE MEMBERS OF CLUSTER RESOURCE CENTERS (CRC) AT CHAMARAJANAGAR DISTRICT: The CRC is a concept implemented about 5 years ago along with District Primary Education Program or DPEP program. There are 42 CRC in the District working for the development of over 900 hundred primary schools. Each Cluster Resource Center is located at a lead village within the premises of government primary school. Even after the 5 years a separate building for Cluster Resource Center is still in the process of construction. Fortunately in 15 or 20 places Cluster Resource Center buildings are completely constructed and being used to conduct teacher’s meetings or lecturer classes for teachers. In other places CRC members share Head Master’s chamber (if it exists). PURPOSE OF CRC: The concept of Cluster Resource Center is very good. Each Cluster Resource Center has either a high school teacher deputed for this purpose or will have a senior primary school teacher. He is supposed to be the resource person who would train teachers of this area. Each Cluster Resource Center works for the 10 to 15 schools and all these teachers periodically have meetings with resource person of Cluster Resource Center. During the workshop all Cluster Resource Center members explained that they are concentrating on quality of education to children from 1st standard to 4th standard. Because, this is the instruction they have got from their higher officers. Cluster Resource Center members were asked to list out the positive effects of their interventions and evaluate their effects by giving marks. They listed the following positive effects: 1. Community participation 60% 2. Reduction in dropout 85% 3. Girl child education 60% 4. Schools in every village 98% 5. Quality of teaching by teachers 60% 6. Schools are made attractive 60% 7. Text books are made attractive 90% 8. Production of low cost teaching aids 80% 9. Extra curricular activities 50% Though the above positive points are evaluated the actual achievement has not been anywhere near their assessment. They have made it up just to justify their placement with CRC. This fact is proved by our own field observation and also by the discussion that followed. I conducted the whole discussion with lot of cross question and cross reference to our own experience in the field. They agreed that such higher assessments pertain to very few schools and not for the whole of 900 schools. Moreover positive influence recognized do not bear a direct correlation for CRC effort. We found that CRC members are less promising than primary school teachers who showed lot of enthusiasm for learning newer techniques and were prepared to open up for newer dimensions of teaching. For example we asked CRC members about science experiments in the class room level. They started arguing that science experiments can not be conducted in primary school level in classrooms because: ? There is not enough time for teacher to conduct and demonstrate any experiments. ? The science kit given to schools is spoiled and chemicals dried up and equipment rusted and hence none of them work. ? There are too many children in one section and hence demonstration of experiment is not possible. This was very disheartening response by CRC members and there was a long argument about demonstration of science experiments in the class rooms. We suggested the following as future action plan to make the CRC more meaningful. ? To develop science park in CRC ? CRC to train teachers so that at least ten experiment are conduct in an year. CRC to make demonstration of science experiments mandatory with all its schools. ? CRC to take lead role in arranging science exhibition in their respective schools. ? CRC to attend workshops conducted by Vivekananda Foundation. CRC members and their officers agreed for the above suggestions. Th Chief of DPED also told us that each CRC will get a good RCC building by April or May 2002. Therefore he suggested that CRC can work in the way have suggested. He also said that CRC members will continue to work during the next 3 to 4 years with a modified program. He said that this new program almost similar to program undertaken by Vivek Asha project and therefore he felt that the proposed consortium is well within the lines of modified government program to be launched during 2002 June. ADVANTAGES OF TRAINING CRC: No doubt it is difficult to train CRC members. Because they do not represent the actual implementing end of the program. They in turn train teachers falling within their centers. But the advantage is, once the CRC members are trained they would reach out to the primary school teachers of 900 or more schools present thorough out the District. Our social workers suggested that in spite of the reasons they quote science teaching with experiments should be possible. Finally they agreed that some experiments are possible. We gave them a list of 52 experiments which can be conducted in class room. Finally they said that they are concentrating only on the class 1st to 4th therefore they are unable to guide the teachers with regard to experiments of 5th 6th and 7th standards. However the chief of the DPEP informed us that the modified programme scheduled to be launched in the next year will give lot of scope for improving the teaching in 5th to 7th classes and in that case positive intervention by Viveka Asha project will have a beneficial effect on the whole programme. SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPELEMENTATIONS OF THE CRC BY THE VIVEKANANDA FOUNDATION; Following suggestions are given to CRC members and to their top officers, they agreed that they will incorporate these suggested changes: 1. In each CRC building lot of innovative teaching aids can be developed with the help of teachers and with available indigiouse materials. 2. DPEP project to allot separate budget for purchase of low cost experiment kit to be placed in CRC building which can be shared between all the schools under this CRC. 3. To develop a good reference library at CRC. 4. Foundation will supply one set of charts they have developed for adopted schools. Each CRC can have the charts and encourage teachers to avail these charts by rotation for use in their own schools.