SCHEME OF ASSISTANCE TO VOLUNTARY AGENCIES FOR
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FOR 3-6 AGE GROUP CHILDREN UNDER THE PROGRAMME OF
UNIVERSALISATION OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION (REVISED, EFFECTIVE FROM FEBRUARY,
1983)
The
Need
Objectives of Early Childhood Education
Objectives of the Scheme
Eligibility
Nature of Assistance
The Procedure
Conditions of the Grant
Norms for Financial Assistance to Voluntary Agencies for
Early Childhood Education Centres
Central Scheme of Assistance to Voluntary agencies for
Early Childhood Education for Children of 3-6 Age Groups
Format for submission of Basic sInformation on Early
Childhood Education Centres for Children of 3-6 Age Group as per Application
Proforma for Submission of Quarterly Progress Report on
ECE Centres for 3-6 Years Age Group Children
That Early Childhood
Education is of crucial significance for the optimum development of the child is
admitted On all hands in this country and abroad, Studies have proved
conclusively that foundation for later development is laid in the early years
and improverishment suffered at this stage damages severly the subsequent
development of the child.
The importance of Early
Childhood Education in the Indian context where 48% of the population live
below the poverty line 63.83% are illiterate and one-fifth of the population is
the age- group 0-6 years hardly needs any emphasis. Early Childhood Education
has assumed added importance in the context of the programme of
Universalisation of Elementary Education.
One of the main objectives
of educational development according to sixth Five Year Plan 1980-85,is
-"to ensure essential minimum education to all children up to the age of
14 years within the next 10 years.
This is by way of realising
the Constitutional goal in the Directive Principle enshrined in Article 45 of
the Constitution. The main tasks during the Sixth Plan for Elementary Education
are two- fold.
(i) to achieve additional
enrolment of 180 lakhs of children in classes I-VIII, and
(ii) to ensure drastic
reduction in the drop-out rates.
To realise the above two
minimum objectives, extensive and intensive programmes by way of removing the
infrastructural deficiencies and adopting various measures for quality
improvements of elementary education have been undertaken.
Objectives
of Early Childhood Education
The Sixth Plan has for the
first time during the planned development and of the country, accorded due
emphasis on Early Childhood(Pre-school)Education, particularly for the first
generation learning families as a distinct strategy for the programme of
Universalisation of Elementary Education. Early childhood Education (ECE) hits
assumed dual importance.
First, its direct influence
on child development.
Second, its potential
contribution to Universalisation of Elementary Education.
The latter has two
functional aspects. One is that the Pre- School Child receives care in the ECE
Centre and his Young caretaker, usually a girl, is free to) Join and attend
school, thus removing one basic cause of drop-outs particularly in the first
2-3 years of the primary stage. The former enables the child to become familiar
with the ideas of constructive play and develop desirable behavioural patterns,
so badly needed in the case of children of poor and illiterate parents
constituting the first generation learning families.
It envisages that under the
Sixth Plan a significant start will be made for the development of early
childhood education for the first generation learning families in back-ward
areas. First programmes of training of ECE teachers and early childhood
education centres as adjuncts of primary/middle schools will be started under
the State Sector of Plan. Secondly, UNICEF has agreed to extent assistance for
the development of ECE programmes in 11 states during the 1981-83 period of
Master Plan of Operation. Significant inputs have been offered by UNICEF on
workshop/seminars for developing & producing training materials, orienting
administrative & supervisory personnel, providing short -term training of
early childhood educators and supplying play materials and equipment of a
selected number of ECE centres in each of the 11 States.
In the field of ECE in the
country the role of the voluntary agencies has been dominant so far. In
extending early childhood education as indicated earlier, it has therefore been
considered necessary to Support the voluntary agencies in this task. Hence the
present schemes under the Central Sector of the Sixth Plan. Financial assistance
Would be provided to the voluntary agencies to run early childhood
(pre-schools) education centres as adjuncts of primary/middle school run either
by Government, local body or private management, particularly for the
disadvantaged sections in rural/tribal/backward areas, in nine educationally
backward States namely, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir,
Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajashthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. To avoid any
duplication of efforts in an area the ECE centres run with central assistance
under this schemes should be in blocks and villages that do not have similar
centres run by ICDS/Social Welfare Sector or any other schemes of Government or
non-Government body.
5.(a)Registered Voluntary
societies, public trusts & non -profit -making companies would be eligible
for assistance under this scheme. Ordinarily, agencies which are no legal
entities would not be eligible. However, even agencies which are no legal
entities may be considered for assistance provided the Collector/ Deputy
Commissioner certifies the practical difficulties Owing to which they Could not
be registered and the bonafides of such organisations.
(b) In order to be eligible
for financial assistance under the scheme an agency should:-
(i)Have a proper
constitution or articles of association;
(ii)Have a properly
constituted managing body with its powers and duties clearly defined in the
constitution;
(iii)Be in a position to
secure the involvement of Voluntary basis, of knowledgeable person for
furthering its programmes;
(iv) Not to run to the
profit of any individual or body of individuals;
(v) Not discriminate against
any person or group of persons on the ground of sex, religion, caste or creed,
(vi) Not directly function
for the furthering of the interests of any political party;
(vii) Not in any manner
incite communal disharmony;
(viii) Not proselytise; and
(ix) Echew violence.
Preference will given to
such voluntary organisations as
(i) have experience of
running early children education centres for children of age-group 0-3 and 3-6,
(ii) have the necessary
personnel for administering and supervising the centres; and
(iii) have no objection to
subject themselves to the guidance and overseeing by the Central/State
Government Officers/agencies, including both academic and administrative
components.
Eligible organisations will
be given grants for early child hood education centres both as adjuncts of
primary and middle schools and independent units. Grants will cover the
following items for running ECE centres.
Recurring
i.
Salaries
of staff consisting of minimum of one teacher and one helper.
ii.
Art,
craft etc.
(iii) Contingencies.
(iv) First aid and medicines
(v) Honorarium to doctors
Non-Recurring
Equipment
The norms of assistance on
the above items and the staffing norms will be as indicated in Annexure-I.
If an agency is already
receiving or its expecting to receive grants from some other official source
for a project for which applications is made under this scheme, the assistance
under this scheme will normally be made after taking into considerat ion the
grant received or likely to be received from such other official source. It
will ordinarily be ensured that an agency already in receipt of a recurring
grant from any other official source., central/or state does not transfer any
part of that liability to a grant to be sanctioned under this scheme.
8. (a) Application : A
voluntary agency eligible to receive assistance under this scheme can make an
application shall be received through the State Government together their views
about the agency eligibility, suitability of the activity to be undertaken,
capacity of the agency to implement the proposed programme etc.
(b) Grant-in-aid
Committee: the applications for grant-in-aid will ordinarily be examined by
a grant-in-aid committee to be appointed by the Dept. of Women & Child
Development. Wherever it is considered necessary representative of the agency
making the application may be invited to discuss the proposal with the
committee.
(c) Duration :
Assistance may be sought for such duration as the applicant agency may consider
appropriate. Ordinarily such assistance will not be approved for a period
beyond the financial year 1985-86. Indication in regard to the period for which
grant has been approved will normally be given in the letter of sanction. The
grantee agency will have to run the centre at least for one year;
(d) Release of Grants
: On approval of the project the grant shall be released to the agency on an
annual basis in two instalments - the first one shall be released immediately
after the issue of the sanction. After the agency concerned has utilised 75% of
the instalment, it may make a request for release of the subsequent instalment.
The agency will be expected to attach a progress report & a statement of
expenditure and the subsequent instalment will then be released to it provided,
(i)that before the release
of the third instalment the agency must furnish utilisation certificate in
respect of the first instalment;
(ii) that before release of
the second instalment in a particular financial year the Utilisation
certificate and audited statement in respect of the grants released till the
end of the preceding year shall be furnished; and
(iii) the agency shall
ensure submission of timely returns in respect of its activities.
(e) Disbursement :
grants payable to a voluntary agency will be remitted to it by demand draft/cheque
drawn in its favour by Deptt. of Women and Child Development. The disbursement
of the demand draft/cheque will be made by the Collector or the Chief Executive
Officer, as may be recommended by the State Government of the district where
the voluntary agency has its registered office/and quarters, provided.
(i) that the State
Government may design any other officer for such disbursement;
(ii) that if a State
Government so desires, the Ministry would make direct disbursement of the
demand draft/cheque to the voluntary agencies of the State concerned; and
(iii) Disbursement to all
India Voluntary agencies would be made directly by the Ministry
9. (i) The grant receiving
agency will be required to execute a bond on the prescribed form (Annexure V).
The bond shall be supported by the sureties if the agency is not a legal
entity.
(ii) An agency in receipt of
financial assistance shall be open to inspection by an officer of the Dept. of
Women and Child Development and the Dept. of Education and/or National Council
of Education Research & Training of the State Education Department or any
of its agency like State Institute of Education (SIE), State Council of
Educational Research and Training (SCERT).
(iii) The accounts of the
project shall be maintained properly and separately and submitted as and when
required. They shall always be open to check by an officer deputed by the
Government of India or the State Government. They shall also be open to a test
check by the Comptroller and Auditor General of
(iv) The audited accounts
together with the utilisation certificate in the prescribed form duty
countersigned by the Chartered Accountant are required to be furnish within six
months in respect of a preceding year or after expiry of the duration for which
grant is approved.
(v) The agency shall
maintain a record of all assets acquired wholly or substantially out of
Government grant and maintain a register of such assets in the prescribed
proforma. Such assets shall not be disposed of, encumbered or utilised for
purposes other than those for which the grant was given without prior sanction
of the Government of India. Should the agency cease to exit at any time, such
properties shall revert to the Government of India.
(vi) When the State
Government/Government of
(vii) The institution must
exercise reasonable economy in the working of the approved project.
(viii) The grantee agency
shall furnish to the Ministry of Human Resource Development, (Department of
Women and Child Development) reports as may be prescribed.
(ix) The decision of the
Secretary to the Government of India in the Dept. of Women & Child
Development on the question Whether there has been breach or violation or any
of the terms and conditions mentioned in the sanction letter shall be final and
binding on the grantee.
NORMS FOR FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE TO VOLUNTARY AGENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CENTRES
The Central Early Childhood
Education Centre is meant for the age group 3-4 years, to be attached to a
primary/middle school having primary section or in its near vicinity; run
either by Government/Local Body/private agency and working either by its administrative
control or in close cooperation with. The expenditure will be in as follows
Recurring
Staff one teacher for every
30 children, the second teacher to be the if the number exceeds 40.
One helper to every 50
children, the second helper to be added if the number exceeds 50.
Minimum staff 1 teacher and
1 helper
Teacher @ Rs. 175/- p.m,
Upto
Helper @ Rs. 50/- p.m.
31.3.1985
Teacher (non-matriculate)@
Rs. 200/- p.m.
Teacher (Matriculate)@ Rs.
250/- p.m. From 1.4.85
Helper Rs. 90/- p.m.
Teacher (Non-matriculate)
From 15.1.1993 @ Rs. 250/- p.m.
Teacher (Matriculates)@ Rs.
300/- p.m.
Helper Rs. 125/- p.m.
Provision for art, craft
etc. Rs.1 per month per child for 12 months
Contingencies including
Rs.50 per month per centre repair and replacement for 12 months
First aid and medicine Rs.2
per child per month per centre for 12 months
Honorarium to doctors Rs.100
per month per centre for 4 visits for 12 months
Supervisory expenses Rs.
150/- p.m. for 12 months to the organisation running 10 to 30 centres.
Non-Recurring Equipment
(Play equipment, furniture,
kitchen equipment, etc. Rs. 300/- per centre)
The above would work out to
Rs. 10980/10380/- per year per centre of 30 children. (Additional amount Rs.
1,800/- per year will be given as supervision costs to the Organisation running
10 to 30 centres). Land and building will have to be provided by the State
Government/Local Body/voluntary agency.
Note : (i) The teacher
should at least have passed middle standard. Voluntary organisations appointing
the teacher should ensure that the candidate has some institutional training in
handling children.
(ii) Costs of feeding for
supplementary nutrition are provided for all such programmes Under the state
sector by the States. It is expected that food materials or food costs according
to approved norms shall be provided by the states for these ECE Centres.
CENTRAL SCHEME OF
ASSISTANCE TO VOLUNTARY AGENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN OF
3-6 AGE-GROUP
(to be submitted in duplicate)
APPLICATION FORM
Part I
(To be rifled by the applicant)
1. Name of the Agency
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2. Brief history of the
agency, its objects and activities
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3 Whether registered Under
Indian Societies Registration Act, 1980 (Act XXI of 1860), Public trust or
non-profit-making company? Give number and attach copy of the relavent
document.
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4. Whether the organisation
has any experience in early childhood education for children. If so, a brief
mention may be made indicating the years, size and type and location of
programmes organised.
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5 Whether the office of the
organisation is located in its own or rented building?
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6. (a) The number of early
childhood education centres for which the grant is applied for the area to be
covered.
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(b) Area to be covered Rural/Urban
(c) Name of the village,
block or district in which ECE centres will be set up.
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7. Duration of the project
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8. Whether any part of the
expenditure on the project is being or is likely to be provided by some other
official, non-official or foreign source? If so, indicate the extent and the
name of the agency.
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9. Total estimated
expenditure on the project:
(i) Non-recurring Rs
.............
(ii) Recurring Rs
.............
10. Amount of grant
requested
(i) Non-recurring Rs
.............
(ii) Recurring Rs
.............
11. Whether the institution
is in a position to meet its share of the expenditure? If so, indicate the
probable Source.
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12. Whether the institution
has adequate personnel to look after the administrative arrangements for
running ECE centres, if so, indicate their details.
13. List of papers/statements
to be attached.
(a) Constitution of the
Agency.
(b) Constitution of the
Board of Management with particulars of each member.
(c) Latest available annual
report.
(d) Audited accounts for the
last three years along with a copy of the certified balance sheet for the
previous year.
(e) Details of the project
which should include a statement giving item-wise and yearwise details of
estimated, recurring and non-recurring expenditure on the project.
14. List of additional
papers, if any.
15. Additional information,
if any.
Signature of the authorised
person
Designation and stamp
PART II
RECOMMENDATION OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT
(a) The application has been
examined and it is certified that the organisation is eligible for assistance
and has the capability of taking tip a programme of.................... ECE
centre (............................)
(b) It is also certified
that the centres will be Set up In the areas other than ICDS blocks.
Signature..........
Designation........
Office Stamp.......
The officer signing this
should not be below the rank of Under Secretary.
1. The number of early
childhood education centres to be set up, with central assistance year wise.
2. Name of the block/urban
mohalla preferable with a map attached in which the project is to be taken up
(if the project will cover a part of the block, please give names of villages).
3. In the area selected for
the project, does any other agency, Governmental of non governmental run
pre-school education centres of any type? If so, details thereof may be given.
4. (i) Number of children to
be covered.
(ii) Estimated number of
children in the age group 3-6 in the catchment area.
5. Content of the ECE
education programme, etc. Briefly describe the objectives and strategy of the
project to be taken LIP.
6. Procedure for selection
of teachers.
7. Teaching materials to be
used (please give a list of the Such items).
8. Arrangements regarding
training of teachers.
9. Arrangements for
coordination and cooperation with various development agencies.
Financial estimates.
Proforma
for Submission of Quarterly Progress Report on ECE Centres for 3-6 years Age
Group Children
1. GENERAL
(1.1) Name of the Voluntary
Agency -------------------
(1.2) Year of Establishment
-------------------
(1.3) Name of State
-------------------
(1.4) Name of the District
-------------------
(1.5) Name of the organiser
Responsible
for Administering the
Centres -------------------
(1.6) Complete Postal
Address of the
Voluntary Agency
-------------------
(1.7) Quarter Under Report
1st April - June
2nd July - September
3rd October - December
4th January - March
2. COVERAGE
(2.1) No. of Centres sanctioned
-------------------
(2.2) No. of Centres
Functioning
(Detailed list with full
Addresses of ECE Centres)
-------------------
(2.3) No. of Centres closed
down -------------------
(2.4) No. of Centres
re-opened -------------------
(2.5) Give area wise
distribution
of the Centres
No. of Centres
(i) Urban
(ii) Rural
(iii) Tribal Total
(2.6) Date from which centre
(s) are functioning.
Date Months Years
(2.7) Time of functioning of
the centres
(2.8) Furnish details on the
following:
|
S.No. |
Category |
Girls |
Boys |
Total |
|
1. |
SC |
|
|
|
|
2. |
ST |
|
|
|
|
3. |
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
|
(2.9) Percentage of average
attendance in the centres:
|
Below 40 |
|
1 |
|
40 - |
60 |
2 |
|
61 - |
80 |
3 |
|
Above 80 |
|
4 |
3. TEACHERS
(3.1) No. of posts
sanctioned -------------------
(3.2) No. of teachers in
position -------------------
(3.3) No. of teachers
trained -------------------
(3.4) Educational
Qualification -------------------
(3.5) Type of training Course
attended
by the teachers (against
appropriate category)
Certificate Course
-------------------
Job Training Course
-------------------
Orientation Course
-------------------
Refresher Course
-------------------
Total -------------------
4. SUPERVISION
(4.1) Number of Supervisor,
appointed
Please mention the number
_________________________________
(4.2) How many centres are
attached to one Supervisor.
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(4.3) What is the mode of
supervision i.e. how many times in a month is a centre visited by State
Government Officers.
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(4.4) Do the supervisors
organise regular meetings for the teachers.
Yes/No
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(i) If yes, how many
meetings have been conducted during the reporting time.
5. MONITORING AND
EVALUATION
(5.1) Mention the mechanisms
adopted for monitoring the centres.
(5.2) Who does the
Evaluation of centres of your organisation please furnish the details
6. ENROLMENT IN PRIMARY
SCHOOL
(6.1) How many children have
been enroled in primary schools who attended ECE Centres (Furnish exact
number).
7. DETAILS OF HEALTH
COVERAGE BY STATE GOVERNMENT
Name of Programme Organiser
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Signature
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Date
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Full Address
---------------------------------------------
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S.No. Places where ECE
Centre Name of teacher Qualification
is located mentioning
Helper working of teacher
|
S.No. |
Village |
Block |
District |
Name of T/H |
Qualifi. Of T/H |
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
Number of children at the
ECE Centre Date from which Remarks
|
SC |
ST |
Others |
Total |
Boys |
Girls |
Total |
ECE Centre |
Functi-oning |
|
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |