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What better place to wake up in at the crack of dawn, the
first day of a field visit, than the roof of a buffalo barn!
Just a few hours ago, almost at the stroke of midnight, our
group had reached Dharampur, a village in Mathura district.
We were here to recheck ASER 2007 data, disseminate
information that emerged from the survey amongst the
villagers, and learn about survey methodology. The village
field visit was part of a training course held for ASER
Associates; as part of their one year fellowship: associates
from every state in the country were learning how to conduct
and complete an annual status of education evaluation in
their own states. The training includes subject in
Statistics, Survey Methodology, English, Communication,
Computer Literacy, and Education Policy. In addition to the
classroom component there is field work like this trip to
Mathura.
The sun rose slowly as we descended the stairs into the
family compound, to be greeted by all the members of the
household: the mothers, the fathers, the children and …the
buffaloes! Still rubbing the sleep from our eyes, we grew
aware of the unique environment around us. With no bathroom
or toilet in sight, morning ablutions had to be performed al
fresco. Hot cups of buffalo milk tea were thrust into our
hands and soon we were surrounded by young women and
children, agog with a mixture of curiosity and excitement.
The womenfolk confided in us the hope of their children
being educated and succeeding in life, and how they
themselves wanted to be educated. We listened, and ventured
ideas or threads of hope, but had to leave soon after for we
were in Mathura on a mission.
A group of eight ASER Associates and I, from the ASER Centre
HQ, set off – with the temperature 45° in the shade and the
sun beating down - to survey the village of Dharampur.
Dharampur is a sleepy village surrounded by wheat farms, and
filled with narrow, winding pathways leading to warm yellow
and blue painted homes. Curious mothers peered through
doorways and children followed us, as we went from home to
home trying to locate the very children who were surveyed
earlier. Parents warmly welcomed us into their homes,
offered us glasses of water, and gladly urged us to evaluate
their children; we were inundated by varied questions, "how
much does he know?", "how good are our schools?", "are the
teachers teaching well in our school?"
The field trip to Dharampur was quite an eye opener; we were
touched by the humility and generosity of the villagers.
More than that we were greatly moved by their passion for
education. As for the learning aspect of the field trip,
each group member came away with a clear understanding of
the importance of accurate data and evaluation. Experiences
such as these contribute to creating a stronger and more
effective ASER 2008 and help place a human face and story
behind ASER's numbers.
Aqeela Jogee
Research Associate, ASER Centre
Masters in Social Work
Washington University In St. Louis
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