Bhoomiheen Seva Samiti- QA

What is the criteria for selecting children who are enrolled in such  a school? Would you accept a poor kid even if he/she is not a dalit? Would you accept a poor kid even if he/she is not a child from a land less family?
The main criteria are poverty and social backwardness. Poverty is caste neutral and covers all castes; social backwardness places special emphasis on Dalit children and girls. There is another consideration too. The intention is to bring up the children of the most deprived in such a way that they acquire confidence in a real world where upper-caste children also exist. For this reason we accept upper caste children, even some children of the landlords. But the school is dominated by the deprived. The landlords are keen to send their children because of the superior quality of educationbeing provided. This also answers your question whether we would accept a poor kid who is not a dalit or who is not from a landless family.
 
How do you plan on spending this money -- meaning a prioritise the list of things you need money for?
We must be able to afford quality manpower. This is our first priority. Once quality manpower is in place, it can itself begin to deal with every other problem and work out rational solutions.
The manpower we need is of three kinds:
i. teachers, or academic staff
ii. trainers for skill-development activities, as indicated in the project
iii. at least one music teacher
This is also the order of priority in which the manpower is required. We need all the rest of the things listed in our project but manpower is the thing without which we can do nothing.

 
What are the three years, five years and long term plans for the project?
For three and five years we would have the same plans: get quality manpower and train, expose and upgrade that manpower. Our long-term plan is to expand our skill-development activities and start a Basic Training Workshop where useful trades like plumbing, fitting, woodwork, electricity repair, electronic, etc would be taught.

Are you actively pursuing other avenues for financing?
Other avenues are also being pursued, for the simple reason that the full amount is unlikely to be obtained from a single source.

What are the primary goals that you would gage the success or failure by?
The primary goals by which success or failure would be judged may very roughly be classified into two. Goals relating to entry into school, and goals relating to exit from school. As to the first, we would like to see the following happen:
  i. year after year more and more children should be seeking admission (we would of course continue to admit only according to our own norms and limitations of space);
  ii. the composition of those seeking entry should be shifting in favour of the more deprived groups, and girls, thereby reflecting their growingconfidence in us;
  iii. children even from other blocks should be seeking entry, as also the children of teachers;
  iv. there should be a continuous growth in the reputation of the school among villagers and the teaching community in Atarra.
  As to the second, we would like to see the following happen:
  i. the child should have the desire to study further;
  ii. he/she should acquire capacity and desire to improve and possess a higher quality of life. This means seeking to read newspapers/books;
  possessing a different orientation and value system; also learning useful productive skills;
  iii. children passing out from our institution should be preferred and easily obtain admission in district schools for further education.

 
Who would teach?
Young but trained and qualified teachers from within district.

How much would you be paying to the teachers?
As near as possible to government grades for teachers of equivalent qualification. Which means Rs.3,500 per month for a teacher and s.4,000 per month for the Headmaster. Even more, if possible. Trainers for skill-development activities will be paid according to the skill in question, Rs.4,000 per month for sheet metal work and Rs.2,500 per month for tailoring. Music teacher may be paid Rs.2,500 per month.
 
Are the kids (or will the kids) be given any food (eg: lunch),uniforms, slates, stationary etc? And their estimated cost?
This is not our priority for the present. Despite the widespread impression that extreme poverty comes in the way of parents sending their children to school, we have found that it is the "deadness" of the school environment that drives children away. Once the school is made an interesting place, both parents and children are keen to avail of it. Food, uniforms, etc should only be provided when the child has stabilised in the school system. We have not yet made an estimate of this but it can be done.

What would attract students to the school, and what would make the parents send the kids to the school rather than having them work in the fields or at other odd jobs so that they can earn money? A joyful environment in the school and effective and meaningful teaching which opens a future to them. In our experience even the poorest parents want a better future for their child, and will willingly make necessary sacrifices for this purpose. But they are not willing to be cheated into sending their children into "dead" schools, which deprive them of present earnings without opening up a future.
  
How many months in a year will the school run?
The school will run approximately 10 months.
  
How many students are there?
There will be roughly 175 children in the primary school at one time, and about 120 in the junior high school (classes 6, 7 and 8).
 

Do you maintain a record for the child's progress?
We keep a record of each child's progress. His performance in each subject, his general conduct, interest in extra-curricular activities, how he fares in skill-development and how in handling computers. We also try to maintain records of health, especially weight, height, etc; but there is considerable irregularity in this.
 
What is the break-up of the one time costs?

  14. The amounts useful for one-time expenses are as follows:
  i. Equipment for play                        33,200
  ii. Library                                     1,90,450
  iii. Musical Instruments                   12,000
  iv. Furniture                                  1,07,196
 
  v. Medical & 1st Aid Equipment                        19,889
  vi. Science Club Equipment                          &n