Minutes of the 10th October 2009 meeting

• Dr. BV Parameswara Rao mentioned that a meeting for the sarpanches of villages in Yellamanchili at BCT tomorrow (11 October 2009). The meeting will be attended by the sarpanches, mahila mandal members, grama aikya sangham members and teachers.
• In a school that Dr. BV Parameswara Rao visited a few days ago, there were 105 children in the school and only 1 teacher. A Vidya Volunteer who was supposed to be present was a no show. The school was surrounded by a gutter from which unbearable stink was emanating. It turns out that the people living in that village were oblivious of the situation. Once apprised of it, they offered to immediately look into it. Incidentally that village spent Rs. 60,000/- to celebrate Vinayaka Chavithi!
• Sri Ram Murty has reported that over 10,000 cards have already been sent from the villages. Another 7500 cards are planned for this week. He also aptly reminded everyone that the postcard campaign is ONLY a first step in our attempts to make primary education effective.
• Two new versions of letters to Prime Minister (PM) and Chief Minister (CM) were circulated (one in English for PM and the other in Telugu for CM).
• On a Telugu news channel, TV9, during their ‘Dial your CM’ program, the anchor asked the new AP CM about the thousands of letters they have been receiving from Visakhapatnam district, on the sorry state of affairs in primary education. The CM is reported to have said that the concerned department is taking care of primary education and that they will look into the matter.
• Students from Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering for Women, with active interest taken by Madhulika, Srujana, Hari, Prasanna and Siva Kesava Kumar, have reported that about 450 cards have been written by students so far. They are planning to send more.
• Prof. Somaraju mooted the idea of starting a group called “Students for Effective Education (SEE)” along the lines of NCC and NSS programs as new students need to be enlisted towards improving education in India. As primary education is the foundation, the students could start working on it and later get into the issues of secondary and higher education.
• Prof. Somaraju will also provide, as a first step of volunteer recruitment in all colleges of GVP, a laptop and a LCD projector in every campus for the students to show the Primary Education video and enlist new volunteers. He also said he would provide a desk and some space for the group for their meetings.
• Prof. Somaraju also mentioned that in two weeks i.e., after Deepavali, Gayatri Vidya Parishad will be releasing a newsletter called Gayatri. At first a thousand copies will be made for distribution to all the colleges and schools in Visakhapatnam city. Students have been asked to constantly contribute their ideas, thoughts and actions towards effective primary education.
• Shri Markandeya Sarma added that the force behind this campaign is and should be students only. All the elders in the group are only supporters and guides. He reminded the group that the agenda for SEE should remain the same while the members might keep changing (as the current students finish their studies and move on while new students join in).
• Saranya has been nominated to take the lead on the media advertisement idea (to generate 30 seconds video for ads as well as a short 10-12 min for dissemination). She will collect ideas from all interested people and plan with them on taking the best ideas forward.
• Senior advocate, Ms. Jaganmohini, suggested that SEE members should be visiting primary schools to make themselves aware of the prevailing situation first hand rather than relaying someone else’s observations and experiences.