Saturday, December 29, 2007
Here are Child Reporters from Koraput.
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Snapfish and the Snapfish logo are trademarks of the Hewlett-Packard Company. All rights reserved. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
If the 'view my photos' button above does not work, copy and paste the link below into your browser http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=213291198926926500/l=338253642/g=116640910/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB ‘We are poor because we don’t want to come out of the tag of being poor. Begging in the name of poverty has become a regular practice ‘ argued Binod Kumar Nayak , a child reporter from Ekkamba UP school in Jeypore block of Koraput district . He was responding to a question from Biswajit Kuldeep , a fellow child reporter from Adamanda UP School in Dasmantpur block to find out the reason of poverty in the region and more particularly among the rural masses, while participating in the district level ‘Child reporters’ Congress’ organized in the premises of tribal Museum of Koraput today . More than 80 child reporters from all the 14 blocks of the district and the ULB of Koraput had come together to discuss on various issues that was affecting them and their community . While talking about provisions of toilets in the school , Evan Kandapan from Borigumma UP School narrated the stories of schools where the school toilets were locked and banned for use by children . Prasant Kumar Das , DPC of DPEP/SSA , taking a note of it from the children had assured that the schools will be directed to keep the toilets open for the children . While highlighting the need of consuming Iodised salt in the diet , Dr.Pitambar Sahu , a retired doctor from Koraput said that the schools should have iodised salt in their mid day meal, Kavita Hantal a child reporter alleged that schools , despite of strict guidelines were using non iodised salt and urged the authorities to ensure the use of iodised salt in schools so that the children could lead a healthy life . Further expressing concern over the poor sanitation in villages , Sankuli Biswal , Project Coordinator of DWSM had asked the children to see that individual household toilets become a reality in each of their villages so as to ensure a healthy living for the children . Despite of several interventions and rules and regulations children were seen punished by many teachers in the schools , Amit Kumar Jena , a child reporter from Ramgiri said . While responding to his concern , Narasingh Das , CRCC of Koraput said that there were many ways to teach the children rather than punishing them for their mistakes and corporal punishment should be dealt with all its seriousness . Responding to a question from a child on the poor quality of rice being supplied to the schools causing ill health , Biranchi Narayan Rath , Sub-Collector of Koraput said that while measures were taken to see that proper rice and food stuff was supplied to the schools , the possibilities of poor quality rice as mentioned by the child could not be ruled out . he also ad assured the children that the district administration would look into the matter . Festive occasions like Annual Function and Annual Sports brought new reasons to attend schools , Raimati Kandili , a tribal child from Boipariguda said . While appreciating the conduct of such functions in some schools in the district , children from many other schools were denied to celebrate , Subhasree Mandangi , from Forest Colony UP School in Koraput said . While there was no particular provision of funding to the schools the school management could take the support of the community to organize such events , Ashok Kumar Pangi , President , Zilla Parishad , Koraput said . However he also had urged the district education authorities to find out the ways if the schools could be given financial support to organize by themselves . While appreciating the growing confidence in the children after getting involved in child reporters process , Sunil Verma , Programme Communication Officer from UNICEF said that this process which was born in the hills of Koraput had spread its wings to the shores of Andhra Pradesh , Bihar , Maharastra and many other states in the country . He had assured to take the fruits of the process further for it had ensured more child participation in the school and community , and had also created more opportunities for the children . Sharing their views on the development of the child reporters Santosh Mishra and Pramaod Pattnaik, senior journalists from Koraput advised that the children should look towards more positive aspects of life than looking at only the darker sides of the society. Social workers like Pravakar Adhikari , U.Daniel, Advocate Ajit Patro and District Coordinator of Ankur , Saushant Nayak also had joined the children . The annual issue of Ankurodgam , the bulletin of child reporters was inaugurated on the occasion . (EOM) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Child Reporters Arrive at Koraput to attend District Level Children's Congress
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| you're invited to view Santakar's photos! plus, get 20 FREE prints when you upload your photos to Snapfish | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Snapfish and the Snapfish logo are trademarks of the Hewlett-Packard Company. All rights reserved. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
If the 'view my photos' button above does not work, copy and paste the link below into your browser http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=671281198866837088/l=338232859/g=116640910/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Child Reporters Offer Recomendations to the District Administration
School is not just a building with some walls and class room s . It has to have a perfect communication between the teachers and their pupil . It should have space to play , a garden to feel happy , said, Rasmita Majhi , a student from a vernacular school in Koraput . She was one of the 60 selected children , regarded as child reporters from six schools from Koraput urban area were exposed to an altogether different learning experience by attending the school that was not theirs by DPEP/SSA in association of People’s Group fro Children’s Development (PGCD) , UNICEF & KFA, Koraput .
The prayer class in Forest Colony UP School was near to perfection while its garden filled with good number of flowers was a joyful experience l , Abhipsa Behera , a child reporter added . For Sibani Khora , meeting with new children in JELC UP School and making friendship with them was enough for the day to remember for long . Loving gesture of the teachers towards the children in E.Co.Rly UP School was impressive and seeing that the children were learning by using the Teaching Learning Materials(TLM) supplied by the government gave more food for thought for Elina, Kamalini , Kamini , Kalpana and other children who had spent more than six hours in the school .
While the well managed school premises of Mali Street UP School had sufficient reasons to cheer for the children like Sushanti, Bikash, Madhusmita , Padmabati and others, absence of toilets for the children made them worried . Apart from the construction of a toilet in the school there was an urgent need to do something about the foul smell rising out of the huge drain carrying dirty water , flowing near the school , Amrita Kuldip said .
The UP School of Rangabali Kumbha needed additional classroom as the students of Std.V were sitting in the veranda for the lack of sufficient number of classrooms , Debanjana Bastia a child reporter who had visited the school along with another nine children added. While the teachers were nice to the children there was also the need of a fair weather road up to the school , they felt .
Proper presentation of information like the time schedule of immunization for the children , details of funding received for the development of the school, on the walls of the school building along with many other vital statistics had reinforced the confidence among the children that adults were there with the children at all level , another child , Debasmita Sahu said . While the school had the provision of toilets , boundary and garden , the students of StdVI were unfortunate for the positioning of their classroom which was adjacent to the dry fish market . They need to be shifted to other place , felt Najarana Begum , a child reporter .
While the use of TLM , made classrooms vibrant and interactive, children , after making interaction with other children and teachers had come out with a suggestion for the district administration asking it to construct toilets in all the schools in the urban areas like the schools in the rural areas , to take steps to protect the children by building boundaries around the school buildings , construct additional classrooms , provide drinking water facilities and equip the schools with adequate number of teachers for ensuring quality education .
This exercise of enabling children to visit other schools in the neighbourhood would go a long way in enhancing their horizon of learning through interaction and also would build a sense of brotherhood among the children of different schools by understanding each other’s problems , challenges and possibilities , said, Prasant Kumar Das , DPC , DPEP at Koraput.
