IES

Ideal Education Society

Recently after my graduation from the University of Texas at Austin, I visited my hometown and happen to visit a society called Ideal Education Society (IES) in Bareilly, UP, India. I was impressed to see the kind of work these people have been doing for last 6 years. They run a school in a poor village where tuition fees are encouraged but are not mandatory. Everyone involved in this work has a separate job for living. They run this school from Nursery to 10th grade. They have run it successfully for last 6 years, however in recent times they have been facing much crisis which is due to the rampant inflation, unemployment, and volatile state governance. When I visited them they were in desperate need of immediate help to run the school which I provided but I realized that this is kind of work many of us would like see being done at many more places. I suggested them to become an NGO (i.e., registration etc.) and get the FCRA clearance so that I could write a project report for them get it funded from organizations like AID, ASHA, or Vibha etc. I learned that these volunteers are highly motivated and skilled people, however, they don't even know about the word NGO, foreign funding, donations, and possibility of replicating their effort in other villages etc.). I ordered few books for them (written in Hindi) to learn about NGOs in general but most literature is available only in English.

In addition to the above mentioned school, IES also runs a computer center for the kids enrolled in the school where they could learn computers. I was appalled to see the effort they are putting to run their computer center, their computer center, however looked like a ramshackle laboratory but it has a great potential in it to teach its students. Although, I gave them my laptop; but it could be developed into a much better lab if we could give them some computers. After I came back to USA I decided to arrange 50 computers for them, it easy here to collect old computer but their shipping cost kills all the effort. Now I am looking to buy/collect 50 computers in India so that I can ship and donate easily.


Organization Profile

Name of the organization: Ideal Education Society (established in 2000)

Contact: Lalit Kumar Agarwal 54 Macnair Road, Bareilly, UP 243003 +91 9897904414

1) Brief description of the long-term objectives of the organization:

The society was formed to provide free education to kids in poor and backward villages in outskirts of Bareilly City in Uttar Pradesh. The society wants to run its schools in minimum resources and running expenses (in long term) while providing quality education.

2) Brief description of last three relevant projects and how they were funded:

Although overall work was not done in a project specific manner but can be broken down in three major components.

Project 1: Founding the school (2000-01): School was first founded in 2000 with a generous support for the land and building from Smt. Ramlata Agarwal (widowed in 1998) and Smt. Usha Garg. The furniture and other necessary stuff were also donated by the other school in city which had it in excess or the one they wanted to retire.

Project 2: Running the School (2001-02): Getting initial enrollment and finding motivating teachers who are willing to teach at almost no salary was a challenge but with the donations and personal funds founders did start the school. Founders went each and every door personally and asked the parents to send their kids to school. Later on with the help of Mr. Latafat Ali Khan they secure the registration and the school was recognized by the government. It was necessary step in the overall development since UP government gives scholarship to all those poor kids who are enrolled in a state-recognized school. For most parents the scholarship money was the initial motivation (catalyst) to send their kids to school (who otherwise will work on tea stall or in households and earn some money). Although most stuff was bought with the seed money of donation, they also ran a drive to collect old books and teaching material just to get started.

Project 3: Scaling up (2002-2006): Slowly over the last 5 years school has done lots of its own development in parallel; like: more space, better rooms, electricity, furniture, fans, lights, bathroom, reading room, small library, a few computers etc. The school recently started offering 10th grade education with the help of another school in city where from the students can write State-run exams.

The school mostly runs on the tuition money they get from those kids who get scholarship from the government. Tuition and fees are not enforced but encouraged since that is the only sources of income to run the school. Most parents in the village realize this and offer anything they can from time to time, but this remains an uncertain and unreliable source.

3) Brief description of the socio-economic conditions prevailing in the area

Extremely backward and poor area most families are laborers or farmers without land. A typical family earn less than Rs. 60 a day (which is a daily wage for a laborer but they don’t get work everyday).

4) Target population in terms of age, sex, number

The project is directed towards the next generation that will come out of village: The kids. Girls are in majority when compared to boys and the village will have around 450 - 500 kids in the age group of 5-15 years.

11) Criteria for:
a) Selection of students for admission.
The only criteria is the commitment from the parents that they will not discontinue kids education for the year under consideration.

b) Graduation from the school.
Standard criteria in line with official requirements government puts for recognition.


12) Scope for further education/vocation of students after graduation:

The school provides TCs (Transfer certificates) and recommendation letters for further education. If the interest for further education is shown either from students or their parents, in most cases teachers or principal are able to find admissions to higher education providing schools in city.