Child Right Grama Sabha meetings of Karnataka is decentralized system of Government for Rural areas in India called the Panchayath Raj Institutions is the experiment at a state level in extending the right to children as per the UNCRC agreement i.e. Right to Participation includes, Respect for the views of the child; Freedom of expression; Access to appropriate information; Freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
PADI’s intervention from the beginning for Quality Education, Child Rights and their Protection as model Projects’ strived to advocate that Grama Panchayath has to play the role to bring changes in Government Schools, so it had started its programme in the beginning that Grama Panchayath Education Centre, which is jointly started to work on these in the 8 taluks of Dakshina Kannada & Udupi in the year 2005-08. This Grama Panchayath Education Centre consists of representatives of SDMC, local CBO, Teachers, Anganawadis workers; Primary Health centres workers, Children Representatives. Issues were identified in the general meetings were all the points of Advocacy to the concerned Department including education, school development and the village development aspects are also the highlights of the meetings. The result of this Government too. In 2014-17, very especially with the concept Child-Friendly Schools and Child-Friendly Panchayath. With stakeholders, i.e. children, Parents, Teachers, SDMCs, People representatives, Grama Panchayath, Child related Government line departments, the 3 years Project served to bring changes in the atmosphere of selected schools and Panchayaths of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada.
2017-20 to work on our concept Quality Education in Government Higher Primary Schools; our targets are Members of Grama Panchayath, children, school teachers, School Development Monitoring Committee, Community owned Resource Centres, School Children Clubs, Education Department and Women & Children Development Department and the authorities State child Rights Commission, DCPU, SJPU and CWC.
We have chosen 15 Grama Panchayaths in both districts to work towards the concept as a model in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Districts. Mainly PADI concentrates to build child labour free village and to create a child-friendly environment with full of freedom and Right to participation for the overall development of children without any discrimination, exploitation etc. Project see that no child to be out of school and see that the children under the Panchayath are enrolled in school. It is important to provide social justice through education. Also, stress that child rights to be protected by the civil society and the capacity of understanding of this to be built in everyone.
By keeping mind the children and their rights, PADI oversees the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. … ‘Compulsory education’ casts an obligation on the appropriate Government and local authorities to provide and ensure admission, attendance and completion of elementary education by all children in the 6-14 age groups. The main purpose we opted Panchayath that to
1. Review the structures of Integrated Development Plans for children and their Policies.
2. Encourage them by Giving Awareness on Right to Education Act and Free & Compulsory Education Policy.
3. The different committees which are working for education and Child rights to be served on the concept of Child-Friendly Environment.
4. Encourage local governments to create sub-committees to work for Child Rights, Children Education, non-violent, free of exploitation, health facility and to supplement the entertainment for children.
5. To Make available of Child related documents of reality status data, documents
6. To organize Children Grama Sabha to give recognition to children opinion and voices.
For more photos click Child rights grama sabha Gallery
