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Team,
Smt.B.S.Latha Devi pre -school program Head
Smt.,K.Vaijayanti, Head of R&E
Sri. J.V. Shankar narayan, Head of Operation
Smt. K.C.Latha , pre-school Resource team.
Translation: Sri Kanteshwara Swamy.

HANDBOOK FOR BALVIKAS

SAMITHI MEMBERS
2009

Introduction - Akshara Foundation

Akshara Foundation is an autonomous service organization, started in 2000, with the goal that Every
child in school and learning This organization is instrumental in organizing many programmes in
popularizing quality education at pre-primary and primary levels.
This organization, active in Bangalore and many districts of northern Karnataka, has impacted over 7
to 8 lakh students in Karnataka through its various programmes. Some of the important programmes
are pre-primary programme, library programme, akshara maths programme, English learning
programme, Oduve nanu programme and Karnataka learning participation programme.

Karnataka learning participation programme

Provides a platform for participation of the government and similar thinking groups
This platform collects information and data related to pre-primary and primary schools
This also provides opportunity for accessing and sharing information to many organizations and
similar thinking groups.

Pre-school education programme of Akshara

Working in this field since last 10 years, with the cooperation of Women and Children Welfare
Department for the last 6 years, this organization is involved in strengthening pre-primary
education
It has supplied, distributed and trained learning aids to 1778 anganawadi centres and has also
evaluated them
All anganawadi centres have been reviewed
It has trained members of balavikasa samithi (child development committee)

Training manual for members of balavikasa samithi

Forward
Knowledge is Power and Education for Living these two statements are complimentary to
contented living. Quality education is necessary for quality living. Quality education is necessary for
development of individual personality and healthy society. It is very necessary to create an
atmosphere complementing this. In creating such an atmosphere, parents, guardians, educational
institutions, environment and community as a whole play a very important role.
Nowadays, importance of education is increasing. Parents and guardians are thinking of providing
them good education, thereby, converting them an asset. In these days of fierce global competition,
the government and other institutions are working hard to provide quality education.
Pre-primary education is the first goal among six primary goals of the programme - Education for
All, organized under UNESCO. It is necessary to provide pre-primary education to all children in
the age group of 0-6 years.

Women and Child Welfare Development Department, having long term goal that Childrens future
is Indias Future, is stressing to formulate policy for Child and Women Development and to
implement programmes to related them. This effort will be a great investment for the social and
economic development of the country.
Comprehensive Child Development Plan is a flagship programme of the Central Government. In
this plan, the government is providing services such as nutritious food supplements, vaccination,
health check-up information service, healthy and nutritious food for mothers, pre-school education
for children in the age group of 3 to 6 years.
Children coming to anganawadis will only get admitted to primary school and continue their
education. Whatever children learn and practice in their first six years will play a very important role
in providing a strong foundation for further education. So it is necessary to stress the need for preschool education. In anganawadi centres pre-school education is very important.
Balavikasa samithi should work the way School Development and Management Committees (SDMC)
work in primary school system. So it is very important to strengthen Child Development
Committees. Before going further, let us learn how anganawadis work.

Service supports provided by the Government to anganawadis:

Anganawadi center - Kishori shakti yojane, bhagyalakshmi yojane, inoculation to children, udyogini
yojane, wages to widows, streeshakti sangha, nutritious food, pre-school education, medical help,
service and assistance, support for physical and mental development to children

How should a model anganawadi be?

A good building, white-washing for the building, windows and doors, drinking water facility, toilet
facility, play ground, cleanliness, systematic pre-school education
Proper arrangement for seating of children, infrastructure for preparation of food, a separate
warehousing facility for storage of food grains and other materials, electricity facility, availability of
learning facilities / aids, system of wall writing facility relating to learning

Objectives of pre-school education:

Acclimatize children to new environment

Prepare children for further education
Teach new skills
Creative thinking
Create inquisitiveness in children

Strategy for strengthening pre-school education:

Provide learning aids complementary to pre-school education

Provide training to teachers (women)
Evaluate children

Role and Importance of community in developing a model anganawadi

It is required to make community and guardians aware of importance of pre-school education and
also their active participation is necessary. To convert an anaganawadi to model anganawadi, the role
of community is very important and also it is necessary to have balavikasa samithis. Considering this
aspect, balavikasa samithis have been created.

Path treaded by balavikasa samithi

It is necessary to strengthen community participation in Comprehensive Child Development Plan.
As per government order no. 308 ICD 05, Bangalore, dated 16.10.06, of Women and Child Welfare
Department, balavikasa samithis were established and further, as per government order no. 308 ICD
07, Bangalore, dated 03.11.07, of Women and Child Welfare Department, balavikasa samithis were
reestablished and strengthened by providing financial powers.
In 1980, the concept of consultancy committee came into existence. Its main objective is to
complement the work of anaganawadi centers and women workers in respective areas and to make
departmental services reach proper beneficiaries.
With time, after many changes in original committee, consultancy committee is working under a new
name balavikasa samithi. The role of consultancy committee is very important in providing quality
pre-school education for every child in anganawadi centers.

Profile of balavikasa samithi

1. What is balavikasa samithi?
This is a local committee consisting of 13 members.

2. Why should balavikasa samithi be created?

This balavikasa samithi is created to monitor efficiency of anganawadi centres, management,
impact and quality of complementary food programme, inspection of quality and quantity in
respect of supply of food materials, under Comprehensive child development plan, and also to
help and cooperate with anganawadi workers (women) in carrying out activities of anganawadi
centres.

(Note: This training manual is prepared based on procedures for creating balavikasa samithis of
Women and Child Welfare Department)
3. Who will create balavikasa samithi and where?
Balavikasa samithi is created with the help of supervisors of each anganawadi centre.

4. Who are all there in balavikasa samithi and how they are selected?

5. What are the prior preparations in selection process of members for balavikasa samithi?

To decide whose selection to samithi will be most appropriate

To convince people / others about the expectations with which selection of samithi
members is done
To prepare them to participate in training programmes, by providing prior information
To inform them about the role of samithi members

6. Report of president, vice-president and other members

A member who selects from grama panchayiti samithi (respective ward member)
A member who is selected from corporation, municipality, municipal council and town
pachayiti (respective ward member)

Selected samithi members should elect one of the members as President of samithi. Anganawadi
worker will become member-secretary of the samithi. The samithi will be valid for a period of 3
years only and members are not eligible for any kind of remuneration. The samithi should open a
bank account and deposit all amounts received by way of public contribution and government
grants to balavikasa samithi. These deposits will be in the joint name of the president and
anganawadi worker (member-secretary).
Samithi members have to serve as complementary towards development of anganawadi and also
to pre-school education. In the event of member not attending committee meetings or not
executing his/her duties or not providing solution to any of the problems of the centre, the
worker of the centre, with the approval of the samithi, has the right to remove the particular
member from the samithi.
7. How to conduct the meeting of balavikasa samithi?
The samithi should conduct atleast 4 meetings in an year.
Routine meeting: The samithi should meet once in 3 months and discuss the current affairs of
the centre and also should try to solve any problems faced by the centre, worker and co-workers.

Emergency meeting: This meeting can be conducted by giving one-day advance notice to all the
members of the samithi.
8. Role of balavikasa samithi in anganawadis

To provide suitable building for the working of anganawadi

To provide suitable place (land) for building of anganawadi
To supervise during the construction so that a quality building is built and to ensure a
ramp is compulsorily provided for the use of physically challenged children
To do minor repair works of the building and white washing time-to-time, ensure
provision of toilets in the building and to provide any other facility, keeping in mind
some special requirements of physically challenged children. Also to provide water for
sanitary purposes and supervise that they are properly utilized.
Balavikasa samithi should make a work-plan of anganawadi centre atleast twice a year
and should cooperate in implementing the same
To conduct meeting of mothers of children registered in the centre, to arrange
exhibition of lessons and games learnt by children (as per work-plan) and to get
opinions / feedback from guardians regarding the same
To supervise that the anaganawadi workers review the work undertaken by the centre
every year
To supervise that the anganawadi works satisfactorily between 9.30 am and 4.30 pm.
To supervise that the anganawadi worker visits homes during 2.30 pm and 4.30 pm and
organsises meeting of stree-shakti groups
Two members should be personally present at the time of supply of food materials to
the centre to ensure quality and quantity of the same
To supervise that complementary nutritious food distribution programme works
satisfactorily in anganawadi centre, try to get locally available food, such as vegetables,
leafy vegetables, fruits etc, free of cost
To see that health service programmes, such as inoculation, medical checkup, health and
nutrition etc, are organized systematically
To see that national festivals and childrens festivals are organized with pomp and gaiety
To be a communication channel between anaganawadi worker, supervisory staff of child
development plan and gram panchayiti
To organize meeting of balavikasa samithi every month without fail, to discuss about
shortfalls and take necessary action
To plan various other activities necessary for development of anganawadi centres

9. What all members can do to help children learn?

To pay more attention to pre-school education

To bring all children outside the ambit of anganawadi to the mainstream
To take extra care on utility and use of learning aids
To provide good drinking water facility
To create awareness about health and hygiene among children

10. Role of members in development of anganawadis

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To make parents / guardians understand that the children, in age group of 3-6 years and
covered under the anganawadi centre, be present in the centre everyday without fail
To manage and safeguard properties of the anganawadi centre
To make available facilities provided by the government in time
To participate in all the programme of the centre without fail
To present in all the meetings of samithi without fail
To strengthen the friends group of anganawadi
To honour the workers on their efficiency
To make local organizations and institutions cooperate to strengthen workers

11. Isnt it nice if the members of samithi are like this (have these qualities)?

Should know the greatness and need of education

Should have good foresight
Should have service attitude
Should possess high value
Should possess social sensitivity
Should be a good planner
Should have the honesty to manage the business with transparency

Supporting information

Child and its rights

Childrens rights mean to have necessary things required for all round development of child
things just necessary, things absolutely necessary, things which should have been available, things
they should get in any case, things elders should provide them, things which children should
experience and enjoy.

Guardians responsibility

It is the responsibility of the parents to provide all the necessary care for their growth.
This also applies for legal guardians

If all the rights, as mentioned in the act (rules), are to be made available to children, the
government should provide, through its own arrangements or service organizations,
these facilities to their parents or guardians, if necessary.

Working (employed) guardians have right to take care of their children, So wherever
there are working guardians, the government should make arrangements for child care
centres or similar service facilities

Right to have civil and also autonomy

Right to free elementary education

Right to have education which can lead to overall development of childs personality,
talent, mental and intellectual capabilities
Education which enables child to have complete adult life in open society

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Right to education which enables child to learn a language that can identify respect for
family and culture and also which develops qualities to protect environment
Right to education which develops qualities of mutual adjustment and tolerance, peace,
equality
Right to spend free time in culture, art and sport related activities
Child has right to participate in its cultural and religious activities and also to use its
language

Success stories
Here are some examples of some centres which have shown good improvement after meetings of
balavikasa samithi:

Bangalore Centre and Bapujinagara Centre which comes under Vishveshvaraiah Circle of
state plan): In these centres, there were no arrangements for proper building. It used to get
filled (flooded) with water during rainy seasons. It was impossible for providing pre-school
education. It used to be difficult even to sit in these centres. In order to find a solution to
this problem, the samithi members, along with centres worker, supervisor and parents of
children, met local leaders and assembly members who participated in balavikasa samithi and
informed of the problem faced by the centre and also gave a written request was submitted
to provide some solution to the problem. Having understood the problem, they arranged,
for use of children, to build a new building for this centre. Assembly members and
Councilors of this area inaugurated the building, distributed sweets to children and wished
for good education for children. This has brought happiness to parents of children of this
centre.

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Shamanna Garden anganawadi centre, coming under Vishveshvaraiah Circle of

Bangalore centre plan, was working under a banyan tree. It used to be difficult to
provide pre-school education to the children of the centre. After BVS training, all the
members together met local leaders. With the help of local assembly members, they
made arrangements for a new building. Now this has helped children to get pre-school
education in a better place.

Arfatnagar anganawadi centre was woking in madrasa for sometime. The centre was told
to shift after sometime. When the worker, with the help of local area coordinator, met

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the headmaster of government college, a room was arranged for the centre. However,
this was also not successful. Later, with the cooperation of members of balavikas
samithi, the workers met assembly members of local area and informed them about the
problem. The assembly members, having understood the problem faced by the children,
took the responsibility of arranging a new building. Now, in the newly constructed
building, the children are getting pre-school education in a better way.

These are just three examples. Thus, after training of balavikas samithi and many regular meetings,
workers have been successful in finding solutions for scores of such small problems.

Before concluding .
The state and central governments have played major role in overall development of pre-school
education. If all intended objectives have to be met with complete success, the government, society,
private institutions and organizations should join hands and work together. Then only it will be
possible to provide expected quality of pre-school education.
If the government and society, under democratic principles, move with good foresight, they can
successfully provide quality education for quality life. Normally children coming to anganawadis are
children mainly from lower middle and middle and working class. When their day-to-day life itself

is difficult, they may not take care about childrens education at the expected level. Despite
this, they expect a better education for their children. Considering this, it is necessary for
administrators of anganawadi centres to have skills and responsibility to make use of the community.
Using human, economic, physical resources available around, by organizing activities related to preschool education and implementing them, it is possible to achieve educational goals. We have to
think how we respond to community rather than how community responds to us.

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Yatha drushtihi, tatha srushtihi.

TIME TABLE:
10.00 10.15
10.15 10.30
10.30 11.00

Invocation, registration of participants

Introductions of participants (by participants)
To know what is expected of this programme; what is balavikasa samithi?
Who are its members? By its creation, what use is it for anganawadi?
to know about all these (by discussion)
Resource person supervisor
11.00 11.30 Inform anganawadi workers to discuss about changes
that have taken place in their respective centres (mentioning their name) and
share the same with balavikasa samithi members and guardians
Resource person supervisor
11.30 12.00 Group activities; resource person Akshra staff
12.00 1.30
Divide them into 3 groups and inform each group to discuss
on any one of the following subjects:
12. Use of anganawadi as anganawadi is created in your village / town
13. Problems in anganawadi
14. Role of balavikasa samithi
After the discussion, each group should is allowed to exhibit the same in front of other groups;
resource person supervisor
1.30 2.30
2.30 2.30

Lunch break
Requirements that must be necessary for creating a model anganawadi discussion
/ opinions; resource person supervisor
2.30 3.00
Explaining the service facilities available at anganawadi; resource person
supervisor
3.00 3.30
Group activity (demonstrating, with the help of making models using sticks, as to
how community can be used); resource person Akshara staff
3.30 4.00
Role play
15. About celebrating national festivals
16. About increasing attendance of children in anganawadis
Resource person supervisor
4.00 4.30
To develop a plan anganawadi activities
(Each balavikasa samithi member should sit in a group and
develop acivity plan for next three months)
17. To decide the date for next meeting of samithi
18. To decide the subject for discussion
19. To get the feedback from participants about training and
conclude the training thereafter
Resource person supervisor

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