The RSS supported Ekal Vidyalaya movement, widely held to be heavily financed by NRIs from the US as it spreads a network of institutions in tribal India, has been on the internet, soliciting funds worldwide. It wants to expand from its current 14,000 schools to one lakh, 100000 schools in the next five years or so.
The movement received wide support from state and central governments during the regime of the BJP led NDA government, which lost power last year.
The Ekal school group (website
According to the web site, the Ekal schools‚ latest statistics are:
Current Schools: 14108
No. Of Students: 437806
(Updated on April, 2005)
The site gives the following answers to FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions), freely admitting its links with the RSS and Seva Bharati.
1) What is your ultimate goal?
Nation building though educational empowerment of the weaker section of society.
2) Who is your source of inspiration?
Swami Vivekananda. He is the first person in last 100 years, who have pleaded very emphatically for the educational empowerment of these forgotten people.
3) Why have you focused on tribal population?
Because our history says that they are the cultural base line of India and our present experience confirms that they are the development fate line of India.
4) Why so much propaganda against you?
Vested interest elements are afraid, as because of the education empowerment of these poor people, they are likely to be questioned.
5) Why do you call it as people's movement?
Because we welcome every body who is interested in this cause and moreover we know that without mass participation, this goal can not be achieved.
6) Have you any activist belonging to other social organisations? Can you mention those organisations?
Yes, we have the list of organisations in very large, but some of them are.
1. Chinmaya Mission
8. Sanatan Dharma Sabha
2. Ram Krishna Mission
9. Agroha Vikas Trust
3. Swadhyaya Pariwar
10. Rashtriya Swayansevak Sangh
4. Vishwa Hindu Organisation
11. Maheshwari Pragati Mandal
5. Swami Narain Organisation
12. Sindhu Sabha
6. Vivekanand Kenda
13. Vidya Bharati
7. Arya Samaj
14. Gayatri Pariwar
7) Do you discriminate on the basis of cast, creed and religion?
No, everybody is welcomed in our schools. When we serve, we serve humanity.
8) Do you have Christian, Muslims in your students, teachers and full timers?
Yes, we have. In states like Kerala, North East percentage is very high as for as Christian students are concerned, over all percentage is 4% which is more than the national percentage of population.
9) Do you have any link with any political party?
No, absolutely not. Rather we are very much specific party must not find any place in our different local committee.
10) Who collects fund?
The enlightened and successful urban families, who are dedicated to this cause.
11) What is your USP(Unique Selling Points)?
1. Definition of functional literacy - 3R- Reading, Writing, Arithmatic.
2. Definition of functional education -
1. Literacy
2. Health
3. Development
4. Empowerment.
3. Vision of 100,000 schools by 2011-12.
4. Concept of overall development of the villagers.
5. Emotional connectivity of urban families with tribal families.
6. Involvement of ladies and youth.
7. Self sufficiency of the school in five years.
8. Absolute transparancy.
9. Low cost model.
10. Administrative cost is around 10 %.
12) How do you maintain transparancy ?
1. Communications of reporting in a year through -
1. Website
2. Email
3. Post
4. Personal contact.
2. Facility to interact with following care families through email/telephone
1. School Care Family
2. Cluster Care Family
3. Project Area Care Family
4. State care family.
3. Regular persuation of school visit.
13) Who does audit the account of Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of India?
14) Do you get government aid ?
Yes, we have, but very little.
15) How do you copensate drop out donors?
Our rate of drop out donors in a year is arround 20%, but rate of new addition in donor list is around 40%.
16) What makes you so confident for achieving the target of 100,000 schools by 2011-12?
Overwhelming enthusiasm of eminent industrialists involved in this movement.
17) How do you expect self-suficiency of school in 5 years?
Our past experience of local involvement.
Through vermi compost activities we would be able to generate required resources.
18) How do you get dedicated workers in remote area ?
With the help of different State Voluntary Organisations having very good service track record for so many years.
19) What is the ratio of female child and teachers in your school ?
Almost more than 48%.
In same states like Kerala, W.Bengal almost all the teachers are ladies.
20) Do you have any plan for futher study of bright students of your school ?
Yes, we have. The planning is in process.
21) What is the dropout rate of student, teachers and fulltimer worker in your school?
Drop out rate for students is - 9%
Drop out rate for teacher is - 15%
Drop out rate for full timers is - 12%
22) What is the further option for students after compliting the syllebus in ekal vidyalaya ?
They get admission in nearby govt. schools in class 3 or 4.
Some of our school become formal primary & middle schools with local help.
For rest of students we conduct weekly coaching classes.
23) What is the ratio of students getting admission in govt. schools?
In the states where we have completed 5 years, the ratio of such students with the pass out students from Ekal Vidyalaya is 72%.
24) What is your future plan for family care of teachers and full time workers getting such a meager honorarium?
There is one full department consisting of separate trusts in different states to take care of the their occasional family need.
Through vermicompost and self help group the families of our workers would be getting sufficient financial support very soon.
25) Are you working against anybody ?
No, absolutely not. Ours approach is very positive.
26) Then how the exploitation of these poor people will be stopped ?
After getting empowered through functional educations, the villagers would be so organised that no body would dare to think of exploiting them.
One of the world's prominent company, Ernst & Young does audit the account of Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of India.
Address:
S. R. BATLIBOI & CO.
Ernst & Young Tower
B-26, Qutab Institutional Area
New Delhi 110 016, India
Tel.: +91 11 2661 1004
Fax : +91 11 2661 1012
