Within Reach: The Story of PROPEL, a Non-Formal Education Project for Rural Children in India. Education for All: Making it Work. Innovation Series, 3.

Overview & Synopsis

In 1979, the Indian Institute of Education launched the country's first comprehensive project in part-time, non-formal primary education. Now in its third phase, PROPEL (Promoting Primary and Elementary Education Project) is training the inhabitants of 137 villages to take responsibility for the quality of education in the non-formal stream. This booklet describes the PROPEL project, illustrating how a decentralized model of primary education can succeed. The introductory chapter describes the development of the project as a holistic model of rural development embracing early childhood care, women's groups, adult literacy, post-literacy learning, and teacher training. The first chapter discusses India's educational challenge and the barriers to universal primary education among children from disadvantaged groups. Various features related to the project are discussed in the remaining chapters. They are as follows: (1) the action-research approach; (2) understanding the needs of the local community; (3) formation of non-formal education centers; (4) developing learning and teaching strategies in the classrooms; (5) developing a locally relevant curriculum; (6) compiling class materials with a rural orientation; (7) recruiting teachers from the villages; (8) evaluating progress; and (9) sources of funding. In addition, the booklet documents PROPEL's use of support programs such as women's development groups and village education committees to mobilize the community in favor of schooling; its success in influencing the formal primary education system; and its efforts to fight the two obstacles of poverty and early marriage. The booklet concludes by noting that the project's strength lies in reaching children, especially girls, and in training people at the grassroots level to take responsibility for education. Demographic details about India and the PROPEL project are included. (BAC)