Education gives us a basic understanding of the worlds we all live in, and equips us with tools to expand our ability to improve life. Education is a basic human right, and for many of us education has become an integrated part of life, which we take for granted. However nearly a billion people worldwide have entered this millennium without being able to read a book or sign their name, much less to use a computer.
The responsibility of changing this scenario cannot vest only with the government despite the fact that we are a welfare state. No sustainable change can ever be brought without the empowered involvement of the communities. Community partnerships are no longer cliché words but are essential pre-requisites for development and change to occur.
Posted here is an article of mine that seeks to understand how Education affects Community Development, and also the role of the community in the provision of schooling. Most of what is written is from the experience gained over the last few years of working with the community in the field of integrated development with special focus on education.
Read: Making Education a People’s Movement
– Balu
