The LokJumbish (People’s Movement) programme is a joint initiative developed by the Government of Rajasthan in cooperation with local NGOs. This programme has been underway since 1992 and is functioning in 13 districts of Rajasthan. The main aim of this programme is to provide elementary education by mobilising the community and soliciting its involvement in the running of local schools.
OBJECTIVES
The primary objective of the LokJumbish Project (LJP) is to achieve the universalisation of elementary education through mass mobilization and the participation of people. It places special emphasis on the education of girls and disadvantaged sections of society and views education as a tool for empowerment. Some of the main goals of the LJP are as follows:
- Providing access to primary education to all children between five and 14 years of age, striving to enroll children in regular schools, as far as possible and in Sahaj Shiksha centres wherever necessary.
- Ensuring that all enrolled children regularly attend school Sahaj Shiksha centres and complete primary education o Improving quality of education by emphasising active learning, child-centred processes and achievement of at least minimum levels of learning by all children.
- Creating necessary structures and processes to empower women, making education an instrument of women’s equality.
The LJP aims at establishing a decentralised education system, with VECs taking a central role. Each VEC comprises about eight members who are nominated by community assemblies. In addition to these village-level structures, LJP has established block-level committees, including government, NGO and VEC appointees. These committees, covering 100-150 villages, are vested with the power to open and upgrade schools and to appoint new teachers.
