A Balwadi centre in Govindpur. Telegraph picture

Jamshedpur, Oct. 19: The literacy rate in India is hovering around 67 per cent and that among underprivileged children is alarming.

Many of the under- privileged children have not been to school or dropped out of the institution due to poverty. Some were forced to stop education to earn a living whereas others were unable to continue due to lack of money.

To create awareness among these poor children about the importance of education, New Education and Environment Visions and Samekit Jan Vikas Manch have started Balwadis, an institute like Montessori. The Balwadis are being funded by German agency, DK Projects.

Although the project has already started in rural patches of Seraikela-Kharsawan, Dhanbad, East and West Singhbhum, the concept is new in urban area.

Through various activities interest for school and education is developed among these kids. Teachers, known as animators, use charts, poetry and songs to educate them about the importance of education.

Children of three to five years are the ones who attend these two-hour classes everyday in the evening till they get admissions at the government schools.

“So many children drop out of school or do not attend them in their lifetime. If we force them to attend school, then it will cease to be a place of fun. The purpose is to make them used to the environment and let them know the importance of being literate,” said Anurag Jain, the chairman of New Education and Environment Visions.

Three balwadis in Ghorabanda panchayat, one in Khakripur and another in Ram Basti, Burmamines have been started recently. The teachers are the people of the area who are trained by Samekit Jan Vikas Manch to teach the kids. Apart from education, cleanliness and nutrition is also taught at Balwadis.

The notebooks, pencils and eraser are provided by the NGOs. Parent-teacher meetings are held regularly in order to take feedback from the guardian and also to motivate them to send their wards to school.

“About 30 children are there in one session. Along with students it is also necessary to convince the parents as it is they who send their children to schools. What is encouraging is that primitive tribes like Sabars are sending their children to Balwadis at Lupundi in Ghorabanda,” said Jain.

The NGOs also plan to set up libraries and encourage students to take part in various cultural programmes so that apart from education they can also develop talents.