Centre for Youth and Social Development
Improving the way schools are managed and governed
High quality education depends heavily on effective management and governance. In 2012, we worked with the Centre for Youth and Social Development on a project to help schools run more effectively in Sambalpur in the State of Odisha.
Training leaders, improving infrastructure
The programme aimed to address some of the obstacles standing in the way of quality education. For example, while many schools had School Management and Development Committees they often lacked the necessary skills and resources to make a difference.
Key components of the Centre for Youth and Social Development project included: training and support materials for School Management and Development Committees; and resources to help schools track enrolment, student performance and transition to secondary education.
School cabinets were also set up. These student-led groups aimed to mobilise parents to send their children to school regularly and support other students through peer counselling.
The programme also lobbied Government to make sure schools had the necessary infrastructure, such as separate toilets for boys and girls, learning materials, science laboratories, playgrounds and libraries.
We funded another project to strengthen School Management and Development Committees in Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, in partnership with the Vigyan Foundation.
- We gave a grant of £70,757 to the Centre for Youth and Social Development to fund a project to improve the quality of secondary education in Sambalpur, Odisha.
- 25 schools, 396 School Management and Development Committee members, 175 school cabinet members and 4,228 secondary school students benefitted from the programme.
Centre for Youth and Social Development project’s key achievements
- Out of 390 School Management and Development Committee members, 380 were trained on their role and responsibilities and 364 attended the refresher training.
- Out of 73 ‘out of school’ children identified, 58 were enrolled in school.
- Students’ attendance rate increased to 94% against the base line of 52%.
- Students’ retention percentage increased to 97% against the base line of 40-45%.
- Pass percentage increased to 69.48% against the base line of 40%.
“By establishing links with the local community, School Management and Development Committees can encourage parents in the village to send their children to school and highlight the importance of education for their families’ future.”
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