Patrika - Media Action Group (MAG) Education Campaign

This is a news and on-the-ground campaign carried out by a division responsible for the social agenda of a Hindi newspaper with 20 million readers. The strategy involves using news campaigning (of hard and soft stories), action stories, and an actual admission drive with the help of civil society and citizen groups. There was a story of Sania, who was thrown out of school after having free admission; MAG had to intervene to ensure that she could return to her school under free seats.

To elaborate: The MAG uses community mobilisation, awareness, pressure building, editorial campaigning, and exposé in its campaigning in 3 Indian states. MAG volunteers and Patrika reporters:

• engage local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to identify out-of-school children in the vicinity of the private schools (called "Child Tracking");
• seek admissions and fight for their rights and against malpractices; 
• publish stories in all respective publications of Patrika under a common campaign name and logo, including stories covering the experiences, attitude of the school and authorities, viewpoint, and challenges, including versions describing of the competent authorities and school representatives by name; 
• make the campaign sustainable with responsibility sharing among community and volunteers (the concept that volunteers build at ward levels is named "Patrika Connect");  and
• and have engaged a person to mobilise the campaign through the Patrika office to interact with concerned citizens, civil society, and volunteers.

For example, a Patrika correspondent approached a local village in a region near Jaipur, India, as part of the MAG campaign and held a Shiksha Panchayat (education meeting) with the villagers. "Kajod, a villager shared how poverty has deprived their new generation to access basic education. Amid this dialogue, MAG representatives underlined the importance of education in making lives better and the village women raised their hands in support of the cause. The campaign engaged [a] District Education Officer (DEO)... and member of district council ... and organized a rally to take all 12 dropout and out-of-school children to admit in upper primary school.

[The] Shiksha Panchayat by MAG In Rajmahal village had success of 21 children getting free admissions in a private school of 25% reserved seats. The school head also took care of their uniforms and books. ...Banthali and Ranoli villages also take... care of the drop outs and out-of-school children...with awareness and motivation the people are connecting with the campaign."

Communication activities include: a public campaign launch; use of traditional media; rallies; public dialogue; daily telephone calling to news media; a helpline for parent and community questions; presentations at a national-level convention; advocacy with public officials; banners; and a website, as well as a blog site.

Education

As an example of enrolment, the total enrolment figure from the government for one state (Rajasthan) under this right is 105,454, as of November 2011.