Shankarlal Raikwar belongs to a community that dances at festivals and carnivals for a living; he is also a farmer and a Community Correspondent. Shankarlal is an expert in performing feminine roles especially from mythological texts like the Mahabharata. He is proud of his art but unfortunately it makes him a point of ridicule in society. He is also worried…
Bags on their back, freshly combed hair, a skip in their step, the students at the Jariya Primary School walked into the compound in ones and twos. But to their dismay it was a holiday, again.
Community Correspondent, Shankarlal Raykwar reports from this school that the officially appointed teacher in charge of taking classes here has been absconding for the last few months.
The headmaster who runs the school is also prone to often pulling a disappearing act. Leaving day to day administration in a lurch.
The teaching responsibility of 5 grades has fallen upon a para-teacher, Ms Mamta Gupta. Despite her best efforts, she cannot handle the workload. Chaos reigns supreme.
With schools like this, it is little wonder that Uttar Pradesh has one of the lowest literacy rates in the country—70%.
"The future of these children seems grim unless positive steps are taken to keep a check on such errant teachers", says Shankarlal.
This piece summarizes the key findings from eight research reports recently published by Video Volunteers exploring how community voice works, where it breaks down, and what it actually produces when it is taken seriously.
The article argues that systematically ignoring and silencing the voices of the poor and marginalized worldwide does not serve society or democracy well and must be countered. While new technologies such as AI could provide an opportunity for change, we contend that these technologies need to account more effectively for...
