A Research Study Report on Library as a Resource for Harnessing Spirit of

Enquiry among Children

Project : Education Through Creation

Pratichi (India) Trust

March 2017

PROJECT : EDUCATION THROUGH CREATION

Himachal Pradesh

THE RESEARCH TEAM

Ms. Garima Sharma, Ms. Pia Sen, Ms. Piyali Pal, Ms. Joyeeta Dey and

Ms. Rekha Thakur

PRINCIPAL FACILITATOR

Ms. Runa Basu

ADVISORY SUPPORT

Mr. Sabir Ahamed

LOGISTICAL AND FIELDWORK SUPPORT

Ms. Lata Sharma, Mr. Amarchand Thakur and Ms. Bhawana Garg

SPECIAL THANKS

SARBA SIKSHA ABHIYAN, SHIMLA. HP

Pratichi (India) Trust

2017

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LIBRARY AS A RESOURCE FOR HARNESSING SPIRIT OF ENQUIRY AMONG CHILDREN Research Study Report (Himachal Pradesh) March 2017 © Pratichi (India) Trust Registered Office : Pratichi (India) Trust

A 708, Anand Lok, Mayur Vihar – I Delhi – 110091. Phone – 011 22752375

Shimla Project Office : C/o Runa Basu Summer Hill Shimla, Himachal Pradesh M – 09459348251 Kolkata Office : Pratichi Institute Pratichi (India) Trust IB 14, Sector III, Salt Lake Kolkata – 700106 Phone : 033 40641142 Printing and : Saumik Mukherjee Logistical Assistance

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LAYOUT OF THE REPORT

S. No. Table of Contents........................................................................... Page No.

1. Background and Secondary Data Analysis 4

2. The Central Research Concerns 10

3. Sampling and Locale 10

4. Data Collection Techniques and Fieldwork 12

5. Findings 13

6. Key Recommendations 22

7. Future Research Questions 24

8. Annexures (Tools for data collections) 25

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Library as a Resource for Harnessing Spirit of Enquiry among Children

1. Background and Secondary Data Analysis

1.1 The Criticality of School Libraries

School libraries are an integral component of the educational process, and have been a subject of policy recommendations for a long time1. Libraries not only help in enhancing the reading and literacy skills of children, but also promote innovation, curiosity, problem- solving and a spirit of enquiry amongst students as well as teachers.

A well-stocked and well-managed school library provides information and ideas that are fundamental to functioning successfully in today’s information and

knowledge-based society. The school library thus equips students with life-long learning skills and develops their imagination, enabling them to live as responsible citizens2. There is a large and growing body of evidence showing the impact of the school library on student achievement3. It is a fundamental resource for supporting

students’ learning, and is also a key support for teaching staff. A school library reflects and encourages collaborative learning and sharing of ideas4.

The recently adopted Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 envisages the right of all children in our country to education of equitable quality and envisions school as a space that is well equipped to fulfill the knowledge demands of its children. It provides a legally enforceable rights

1 National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). (2005). The National Curriculum Framework. New Delhi: NCERT. 2http://www.unesco.org/webworld/libraries/manifestos/school_manifesto.html 3Williams, D., Wavell, C., & Coles, L. (2001). Impact of school library services on achievement and learning. Aberdeen: Faculty of Management, The Robert Gordon University. https://www.rgu.ac.uk/3AC6AB20-595B-11E1-BF5B000D609CB064 4 The National Curriculum Framework, 2005

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framework to promote quality education, and hence lays down various norms and standards for a school. Section 19, sub-section (2) of the Act makes it necessary for every school to have a library, and the subsequent implementation framework of the Act pronounced the deadline to achieve the same by March 31, 20135.

1.2 Context: Himachal Pradesh and Basic Demographic Details. Nestling in the lap of nature, the state of Himachal Pradesh (HP) has a total population of 68,64,602; out of which 34,81,873 are males (51%) and 33,82,729 (49%) are females6. The decennial growth of population has shown a successive decline in the past three decades, and the current rate of growth of population stands at 12.94%, while national average stands at 17.64%7.

There has been a slight improvement in the sex-ratio (by four percentage points)in the last decade, and the current ratio is 972 females per 1000 males. Himachal Pradesh has steadily improved its educational performance in the past few decades. The literacy rate of the state post-independence was just 5% (1948) and presently the combined literacy rate stands at 83.78% which compares favorably well with national average of 74.04%8.

Table 1 and Figure 2 depict a steady trend of decadal growth of literacy in Himachal Pradesh 1951 onwards, which has been attributed primarily to the increased participation in primary schooling9. During the decade 1981-91 the state witnessed almost a 20% increase in literacy, which could perhaps be an outcome of the National Literacy Mission (NLM) launched in 1988.

5 Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). Framework for the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (2009). 6 Census of India, 2011. 7 Ibid. 8 Ibid. 9 Govinda, R., & Biswal, K. (2005). Mapping literacy in India: Who are the illiterates and where do we find them? Paper commissioned for the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2006: Literacy for life. Paris: UNESCO.

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Table 1 Census Data on Decadal Growth of Literacy in Himachal

Year Male Literacy (%) Female Literacy (%) Total Literacy (%) 1951 11.94 4.02 7.98 1961 30.94 11.12 21.03 1971 43.19 20.23 31.71 1981 53.19 31.46 42.33 1991 75.36 52.13 63.75 2001 85.30 67.40 76.50 2011 90.83 76.80 83.78

Figure 2. The steady increase in literacy rates in Himachal Pradesh over the past six decades

Secondary data analysis shows that

the performance of Himachal Pradesh in

health, infrastructure development, and

delivery of public services (e.g. supply of

drinking water, electricity, telephones) has

been much better than that of other Indian

states and often better than all India

averages. Many times it is even comparable

to better performing states such as Kerala

and Tamil Nadu10. At present it ranks fourth amongst the more populous states in

the Indian union with respect to per capita income11.

10De, A., Khera, R., Samson, M., & Kumar, A. K. (2011). A report on elementary education in

India: Probe revisited. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. 11 Ibid.

0

20

40

60

80

100

1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011

Males

Females

Total

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In the time span between 1993-4 to 2005-6, which amounts to around 12

years, the proportion of population below the poverty line in Himachal Pradesh fell

from 28 percent to 10 percent. The infant mortality rate declined sharply between

1992-3 and 2005-6, and in both years it was well below the national average12.

Households with safe drinking water and those using electricity for lighting

purposes are also proportionately much higher in Himachal Pradesh than rest of

India13.

Himachal Pradesh has performed well in the field of education too. The

dropout rates at the elementary stage of school education are negligible in most of

the districts. In a study conducted by Saxena and Gupta14 on drop-out rates in

various districts of Himachal Pradesh, it was found that the overall dropout rate at

primary level was very low (0.71 %) with marginal variation in the selected districts

under study ranging from 0.08% in Una district to the highest of 1.78 % in Chamba

district. However, it has been found that Tissa block of Chamba district has the

highest rate of dropout among girls (5.4 %)15. The overall dropout rate at secondary

school level is higher as compared to primary school level. It ranges from 0.6 % in

Hamirpur district to 4.4 % in Sirmour district16.

1.3 The History of Libraries in Himachal Pradesh17

Public library system hardly existed in HP during the pre-independence era.

Tracing the history of development of public libraries in the state, the very first

library of the state was Mahima Library. It was established in Nahan during the

1930s by the Maharaja of erstwhile Sirmaur state in the memory of his daughter 12 Census of India, 2011. 13Chugh, S. (2009). A report on progress in literacy and elementary education: The study of Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Mizoram [Technical Report]. New Delhi: National University of Educational Planning and Administration [NUEPA]. 14Saxena, B. & Gupta, D. R. (2007). Dropout children in Himachal Pradesh.Delhi: Oriental Publishing House. 15 SSA-HP. (2011). Elementary education statistics for Himachal Pradesh. State Project Office: Shimla. 16 Ibid. 17 This section has been prepared using the research article with the following reference: Malhan, I.V. & Thakur, G.S. (December, 1978). District libraries in Himachal Pradesh. Library Science Document, Vol. 25, No. 1-4, pp. 125-131.

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‘Mahima’. In August 1946, Maharaja Durga Singh opened the Maharaja Durga

Singh library at Solan. Thereafter, a district library was set up in Bilaspur on

October 2, 1952 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Mahatama Gandhi.

Another district level library was set up in Kangra in the year 1954.

The year 1959 was critical in the history of library movement of Himachal

Pradesh, as the state took leads from its neighbouring states and came up with a full-

fledged scheme of introducing networks of libraries throughout the state. On June

28, 1959 Motilal Nehru State

Central Library was established in

Solan and within next two years

libraries within all the existing

districts of that time (Chamba,

Kinnaur, Mahasu, Mandi and

Sirmaur) were established. In the

year December 1961, mobile library

units were introduced to take the library services to the remotest regions, as far as

allowed by the conditions of roads. Further, in the year 1974 district libraries were

set up in the districts of Una and Hamirpur.

1.4 Present Day Scenario of Libraries in Himachal Pradesh

The National Mission on Libraries was initiated in pursuance of National

Knowledge Commission recommendations for sustained attention for development

of Libraries and Information Science Sector on May 4, 201218. As one of the core

agendas of the mission, it has gathered data on public libraries across the length and

breadth of the country. Table 2 presented below provides succinct details on the

number of libraries in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

18http://www.nmlindia.nic.in/

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Table 2. Status of Public Libraries in Himachal Pradesh19

TYPE OF LIBRARY

NUMBER OF LIBRARIES

State Central Library 1 District Library 11 City / Town Library 2

Village Library (opened in school after school hours)

207

TOTAL 221

The data in the table shows that the availability of public libraries at grass

root levels is considerably low. The low outreach of libraries at town and village

level keeps the children and their families at a relative disadvantage as they do not

have access to print materials and

digital technology. However, a

noteworthy positive development is

evident through the District

Information System of Education

(DISE) data recorded between

academic years 2010-11 and 2013-14.

The data shows that within a span of

three years the growth of school libraries in primary schools increased from 85% to

96.1%20 which is a significant increase in terms of provisioning available at

government run schools.

As per the records available at state department of SSA, in primary schools

across the state display-racks have been provided and a library corner has been

19 Banerjee, K.K. (January, 2013). Public libraries in India-Present Scenario. Power-point presentation prepared by the advisor to the National Mission on Libraries. New Delhi: India. 20 National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA). (2011-13). Elementary Education in India: Flash Statistics DISE. New Delhi: NUEPA.

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established. In many schools where rooms are available, a separate library has been

created21.

Despite all these advances, the achievement levels of children continue to remain low. The National Achievement Survey (NAS) conducted by the NCERT in 2012, showed that the scores of primary school children were below their group averages22 in all three subject areas, namely: Language (Reading Comprehension), Mathematics and Environmental Studies (EVS)23. Similar results of low student achievement were also reported by a state level scholarship test conducted in January, 201324. However, it is worth mentioning here that the use of library is likely to nurture reading habits and creative thinking amongst children, which does not automatically translate into higher achievement scores.

Thus, the review suggests that though Himachal Pradesh is one of the fastest developing states of the country and is progressing well on the macro indicators of education and also on provisioning; but the achievement levels of students and quality of education are the critical concerns that the state is grappling with. Hence the state offers an interesting ground for researching on aspects relating to quality of education.

2. The Central Research Concerns

In this qualitative study we have attempted to explore the functioning of school libraries, from the perspectives of multiple stakeholders like parents, teachers and children. Our aim was to identify the factors that promote and impede reading at home and school, and also to develop an understanding of the ‘reading culture’ in the local community.

3. Sampling and Locale

3.1 This study was a qualitative field enquiry carried out in six selected

schools of district Shimla. Our sampling was purposive, and the rationale for

selecting this district was attributed to the fact that district Shimla in terms of area,

21 SSA-HP Report (2016) 22 Depending upon the population and age groups covered, the data of all states were compiled under three groups. HP was in the category of states, where more than 80% school going children were tested; NCERT. (2012). 23NCERT. (2012). National Achievement Survey (NAS) Class V. New Delhi: NCERT 24 State Project Office of SSA/RMSA-HP. (2013). Quest for Quality in Elementary Education: Challenges and Way Forward.Shimla:Department of Education, Himachal Pradesh

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geographical location, urban-rural population characteristics, language diversity and

distribution of schools is quite representative of the entire state of Himachal

Pradesh.

Further we decided to select two blocks close to the District Institute of

Education and Training (DIET)-Shamalaghat, which is the nodal academic

institution for educational planning and administration at district level. Within the

district we tried to select blocks, clusters and Government Primary Schools (GPSs)

which would represent the variety of the district. The selected districts, blocks and

schools are mentioned in Table 3.

Table 3 The Selected Districts, Blocks, Clusters and Schools for the Study

District (n=1): Shimla Block 1: Shimla Block 2: Kasumpti

Cluster 1 Rampuri Keonthal

Cluster 2 Baichadi

Cluster 3 Gawahi

Cluster 4 Halog Dhami

Cluster 5 Piplidhari

Cluster 6 Jabri

GPS 1* GPS 2 GPS 3 GPS 4 GPS 5 GPS 6 *Please Note: Names of schools have not been mentioned to ensure anonymity and confidentiality of respondent’s perspectives.

The sampling thus included: 1 district X 2 blocks X 3 clusters = 6 clusters.

6 clusters X I school = 6 schools

From each of these six clusters we selected schools that had at least 10

students enrolled; as we wanted to incorporate the perspective of maximum students

and parents in our study. In each school the participants for the study included:

1. Teachers

2. Children (both boys and girls) from classes III, IV and V

3. Parents

Where the enrolment in school was high, FGDs were organized for boys and

girls separately, and in schools where the strength was low the discussions were

organized in a combined group, comprising of both boys and girls.

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4. Data Collection Techniques and Fieldwork

4.1 Tools Used For Data Collection. We used two techniques for collecting

the data. The first was focused group discussions (FGDs)25 and the second was in-

depth interviews (IDIs). To understand how the library runs, the reading preferences

children have, the ease of use of library for them, appeal and attraction of books

(examples of a few themes), we organized FGDs with children.

With parents too we conducted FGDs to explore their views about reading

habits of children and other family members, library usage, the practice of reading

and story-telling in families and so on. For gaining insights into the teachers’

perspective, we conducted interviews. A few examples of topics that we tried to

discuss during interviews were: exploring the usage and management of library, the

involvement of students, the appeal of books amongst children, and the support

received from block, cluster, and community levels and so on. All these tools have

been included in Annexure 1. The upcoming section provides a brief profile of the

schools visited and the participants who shared their worldviews and enabled us to

build a picture about the availability and accessibility of books; and children’s,

teachers’ and family’s engagement with the enriching world of books.

4.2 Profile of the schools visited. Amongst the six schools that we visited,

five were center schools and hence were well connected and accessible by means of

public transport. Only one of the schools was located in a far flung location, which

was not reachable by means of public transport. All six schools had a building of

their own located in picturesque settings. In one case the primary school was sharing

its rooms with adjoining middle school which was undergoing construction. The

school buildings were either single or double storied concrete constructions, with an

open verandah and adjoining rooms. As all the schools were following a multi-grade

setup, hence the classrooms were shared.

A separate kitchen for preparing mid-day meals and a staff room cum head-

teacher’s room was there in all schools. Also, every school had drinking water

facility and separate functional toilets for boys, girls and the school staff.All the 25 Annexure 1 comprises of all the tools that were used for collecting the data

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schools were well enclosed by boundary walls. The premises of all the schools were

neat, clean and well maintained.

4.3 Profile of the participants. Each school that we visited had at least two

teachers. Our respondents included seven teachers, out of which six were females

and one was a male. All of them were on permanent posts, and their experience

ranged between ten to twenty two years. Most of them resided in Shimla city, and

travelled to schools every day for work.

In the six schools that we visited, we had discussions with 55 parents. The

participant profile of parents included 43 mothers, 11 fathers and one grandfather.

Amongst these nine were members of SMCs. There seemed to be perceptible

variation in their age and experiences. In most families agriculture was the dominant

occupation which was carried out on their own landholdings. Animal rearing

(mostly cow) was practiced as a supplementary profession that provided an extra

income to the families. Quite a few parents (fathers) were employed in private and

government sector jobs.

As far as the children are concerned, we interacted with 119 children (52 boys

and 67 girls) spread across six schools. They were children from classes III, IV and V.

As reported by teachers, most schools had higher enrolment for girls as compared to

boys. They further added that there is a tendency amongst parents to send their boys to

private schools (which the parents believe offer better education), and send their girls to

government schools (which provide free education). This has also been mentioned as a

critical concern in a report compiled by the state department of SSA-HP26. Moving

ahead, the next section elaborates upon the findings of the study.

5. Findings : The Present Status of School Libraries-An Overview

This section provides a description of the way the libraries were running in

selected primary schools. This includes a summary and analyses of the responses

gathered on aspects like schedule and timings of the library, availability and

26 State Project Office of SSA/RMSA-HP. (2013). Quest for Quality in Elementary Education: Challenges and Way Forward.Shimla:Department of Education, Himachal Pradesh

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accessibility of books, their usage, appeal amongst children and overall

management of the library.

5.1 The library period. We found that none of the schools had a specific

time slot on the time-table demarcated for the use of library. Only one of the school

teachers mentioned that the library class was slotted for one period (of about 35

minutes); but quoting her words “In reality it is hardly held this way”. A head

teacher from another school mentioned that in the course of about one week,

students do get to read the library books at least for an hour (spread across 5-6

working days of the week). The reason for not having a fixed time slot for library

can be attributed partly to the multi-grade system through which all the schools were

operating. Also with primary school children instead of having a rigid time frame to

transact the curriculum, a more flexible structure is followed by majority of the

teachers, even in a private mono-grade school setup.

5.2 Arrangement of the books. In two schools separate rooms for library

were available. Another school claimed that it had a separate room for the library;

but it was simultaneously being used as the staff room. It seemed that children

could hardly ever use it in their free time. In all other schools the library books

were showcased in racks inside classrooms, mostly of the older children: classes

III, IV and V. In some cases these book-racks were mounted on the wall, while in

other cases they were placed on the floor. Additionally in one of the schools, some

books were stacked in a cupboard placed inside the Central Head Teacher’s (CHTs)

room. Figure 3 provides a glimpse of the way books were kept in schools. It

appeared that the books displayed in the books racks were used more often, than the

ones which were placed in cupboards elsewhere. It highlights the fact that physical

proximity of books may also be a contributing factor to the usage of library books.

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Figure 3. Arrangement of books in two different schools

5.3 Accessibility of books for children. Teachers in most (four)

schools claimed that generally children are given library books as soon as they finish

the task assigned to them, and also when they themselves are busy with some non-

teaching tasks like completing reports and records. One of the teachers also

mentioned that after the summative evaluation, children have a lot of free-time in

which they are asked to read the library books. However, except for one teacher all

the others contradicted themselves by mentioning (quite honestly) that in the past

one year, they haven’t been able to make much use of the library. In two other

schools, it emerged from the interviews that the usage of library books has been

negligible in the past few years.

Some of the parents recalled that in the past children were issued library

books which they brought home. Quoting one of the parents “Meri badi waali beti

laaya karti thi ghar pe kitaabein…ek baar who ek kitaab layi thi jisme bhanwarey ki

kahani thi, usme bohat sundar chitra they…mujhe yaad hai” (My elder daughter

used to get books at home…once she got a book which was based on a story of a

bumblebee…it had beautiful illustrations….I remember it).

Except for one school, none of the schools allowed children to issue library

books for follow-up or fresh reading at home. In one particular school, the library books

were issued on Saturday and the children were supposed to return it back by

Monday/Tuesday. In majority (five) of the schools, children stated that they were

allowed to take books of their choice (to read during school hours), and also that their

teachers permit them to choose books from the library. In one of the schools however,

children mentioned that they were not even allowed to touch the books without

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permission. Furthermore, the children from this very school told that in the absence of

their teachers they do try to take a sneak peek of the library books, which they find very

colourful and attractive. This clearly highlights the fact, that library as a resource in

school remains largely under-utilized. And though children are attracted to the books,

often they are kept away (as a coveted resource) from them, though ironically children

are the ones who are supposed to make the maximum use of them.

5.4 Description of the books available in the library. All the schools had a

huge collection of books. Their age appropriateness and usability however are

aspects of contention. Four of the schools had quite an interesting collection of

books which were age-appropriate. However, none of the schools had books which

were relevant for classes I and II. Also, there were many books which were quite

text heavy and suitable for children in middle and secondary schools. In four schools

we found that there some books that were a collection from prominent publishers for

children like National Book Trust (NBT), Children’s Book Trust (CBT) and Pustak

Mahal.

Some examples of the books that seemed interesting are as follows: Chaar

Dost Ek Jungle Mein, Computer Kaisey Kaam Karta Hai, Meri Maa aur Mausi, The

White Ball of Wool, Indradhanush Ke Niraley Rang, Leh Se Aayi Meri Saheli. In two

of the schools, huge flipbooks of ‘Meena’ – A United Nations Children’s Fund

(UNICEF) sponsored initiative were also present, while in another school an

interesting collection of books was provided by Room To Read (RTR), which were

placed in a hanging jute mat strung on the wall of the library room. One of the schools

had also kept a book bank comprising of old used textbooks and workbooks of older

children. The teacher mentioned that these were used, in case the students misplaced

their books.

Furthermore, it emerged that in the past one year no new library books had

arrived in any of the schools. One of the head-teachers however shared some details

about the programme named ‘Prerna’ which was launched in May-June, 2016 by the

District Commissioner (DC) of Shimla. The teacher informed us that under this

programme books were supplied to each school under two categories, basic and

advanced. The books focused on improving the reading/writing skills in English and

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Hindi, along-with strengthening the understanding of four basic operations of math

(addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). So this according to her was the

new stock of books that was provided in each school.

5.5 The Concerns of Language. Majority of the books, as reported by the teachers and children were in Hindi. The teachers, parents and children also shared that Hindi (along with Pahari-the local dialect) is the language that is spoken commonly at their homes, so reading in Hindi was not a challenge for children. On the other hand reading and learning English was a challenge as reported by teachers, parents and children themselves. Also, it came out that learning English has an aspiration element and which is valued unanimously across the six village communities that we visited.

Though there are no texts available in Pahari (the local dialect) it was found that parents and more so grandparents (from two schools) do wish that their children are also familiar and fluent with their own language. To quote one of the parents “Humari apni bhasha ki bhi samamajh ho bachchon ko…humein bhi achcha lagega” (If our children understand our own language…we will feel good). This point towards an avenue which the state can work on: to provide child-friendly texts in local dialect, especially for children in classes I and II.

5.6 Maintenance of library records. A common factor emerged from all schools except one, that the library records had not been updated and checked in the past one year. A time frame of one year was kept in mind, as most of the teachers mentioned that they had been posted to the school only a year back. None of the teachers’ shared actual physical records with us (like the stock registers, issue-return record), including the one who stated that their library records were updated. In the words of one of the teachers, “Hoga toh hoga record kahin pe…humey time hi nahi laga check karne ko”(There must be a record somewhere…we haven’t really got the time to check for it). Apparently, the teachers in this school claimed that most of their time goes in overseeing the construction tasks that are going on in the school; which subtly points towards the fact that meeting norms related to infrastructure often takes precedence over tasks like ensuring the use of the library.

5.7 Responsibility for managing the school library. This section has been

further described under two categories: the role of teachers and that of students.

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5.7.1 The role of teachers. Majority of the teachers maintained the position that their role in library was just to oversee that children do not tear the books and return them back after reading. They mentioned that managing the school library was primarily the responsibility of students. One of the teachers mentioned that in the past (previous posting) she helped her students to clean the book rack and arrange the books properly. She also stated that she helped her students to mend the books and cover them up with newspaper. However, it was quite promising to note that most children stated that their teachers help them with reading books, especially when they are stuck with words whose meanings are not known to them.

These case profiles provide enriching insights into some effective practices adopted by teachers in their respective school settings, where they have been able to achieve positive learning outcomes for students.

Case Profile 1: Teachers in this particular school have scheduled a time each day to involve children in reading, writing or both. On the day of our visit, we saw that children were reciting poems, sharing stories and experiences and singing a popular song. The children seemed to be quite eager to participate in this session. The teacher shared that this has helped her in improving the confidence and self-esteem of children, along-with the fluency of their language.

Case Profile 2: Recalling a past experience, one of the CHTs shared “Meri ekbachchi bohat door ke gaon se aatithi… woh bilkul padh nahi paati thi aur bohat chutti kartithi…. fir humne usko library kitaabon ke chitra dikha kar padhana shuru kiya… usey ghar ko bhi kitaabein di…maine apne ghar se ussey bag laakey diya…aisey dheere dheere uska interest padhai me aaya. Aaj woh paanchvi me hai”. (I had one student who used to come from a far off village… she could hardly read and remained absent on most days…then we started teaching by showing her pictures from library books…we issued her books to take back home…I got her a bag too…gradually we instigated her interest in studies. Today she is in class five

Case Profile 3:To encourage children to read, one of the teachers mentioned that while she was posted at a village school in Shilli, she had taught a lesson on deers to her students. While teaching them she had given her students’ postcards, where she said that they should think and write about what happens after the story ends. Throughout the winter vacation she kept receiving post cards from children, who used their imagination and creativity to come up with plots of extending the story and concluding it.

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5.7.2 The role of children. It was interesting to note that four of the teachers mentioned about ‘library committees’ which were run by students. These committees, as told by the teachers were responsible for issuing out books, and keeping a record of their return. They were also responsible for shelving the books in order and repairing the ones which were torn. However, none of the students in these schools mentioned about these tasks during the FGDs. This further substantiates the point that books are not issued to children for home (as these tasks arise mostly when books are lent for home) and that whatever little reading the children do at school, each one is responsible to return back the book in the condition that it was taken in.

6. The Home Environment and Encouragement for Reading In this section we have collated the responses of parents and children; as we

attempted to understand their home settings and the likelihood it offers for

encouraging reading amongst children.

6.1. Prevalence of story-telling in families. Barring a few parents from two village communities, all the parents and children shared that the practice of story-telling was quite common in most homes. For some children story-telling was generally associated with bed-time and power cuts. As most of the families in the villages were staying together in a joint-family structure; we found that grand-parents, mothers, older siblings and cousins were the individuals in the family who told stories to the young ones. Grandparents emerged as the focal story tellers in most families.

In one of the villages, the parents mentioned that children themselves are story-tellers, and that they are the ones who spin stories around what they have read in their textbooks, library books, tales they hear from their friends at school; and the adults in the family are the listeners. The stories which adults narrated to children were generally drawn from themes of religion, mythology and stories about animals. Some parents mentioned that grandparents also share the experiences of their life with children which they stated as “Apne jeevan ki kahaniya…apne samay ki baatein” (The stories of their lives…the tales of their times).It is noteworthy to mention here that stories are always told, and never read out. A few parents mentioned that the practice of sharing stories was once the only means of entertainment and spending time in the

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evenings, but now with the widespread penetration of televisions in the village, everybody wants to watch their programmes in the evening. This asserts the assumption that technology overarches the appeal for books.

6.2 Reading materials available at home. In our discussions with parents and children, it emerged that Hindi newspaper (and the supplementary booklets that arrive with it); religious books (like Bhagwad Gita, books on Aarti) and mythological texts (like Ramyan) are the limited reading materials that are available in children’s homes. However, a few homes did not subscribe for even newspapers. These were located in villages that were in interior regions, and procuring a newspaper wasn’t that easy for these families. Some families didn’t consider this as a priority as they mentioned that they get the day to day news updates from various news channels that are broadcasted on television.

Exceptionally, two mothers from different villages mentioned that they had purchased books on current affairs and general knowledge for their children. Some of the parents stressed too much on “useful reading” that included a study of books laden with information (like GK books). Such assertions by parents and caregivers can be detrimental for inculcating the habit of reading, which a child acquires gradually by having the opportunities to read books from different genres, at their own pace and time. All the parents confessed quite honestly that they had never purchased or gifted their children books other than those required for academic work. This showcases that there is scarcity in terms of reading materials that would appeal to children at their homes.

6.3 Reading habits of family members. It emerged during our discussions that in a majority of homes the elders in the family do not read. As one of the parents mentioned, “Padhne ki aadat hi nahi hai ji kisi ko bhi. Khet ke kaam, pashu paalan ke kaam, ghar ke kaam…hum samay hi nahi nikaal paatey”(No body has a habit of reading. Working in the fields, taking care of the farm animals, handling domestic chores…there is hardly any time left). The reasons for not being able to read include a busy schedule, dearth of good reading materials and lack of an interest and patience required for reading. On a positive note, in one of the villages parents mentioned that both men and women of most households take an interest in reading.

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Most mothers pointed out that they are able to take out limited time for reading, and that grandparents are usually the ones who make time to read the newspaper daily. This point was also substantiated by the children who enthusiastically stated that their “daadu aur daadi” (grandfather and grandmothers) are the most avid readers of the newspaper in the family. Some children also mentioned that their cousins and older siblings read books on general knowledge and poetry. It clearly emerged from discussions with parents and children that mothers are the ones who help children with their homework. And therefore, did some reading of the textbooks to explain the lessons to their children. As most family members do not read (due to various reasons) children lack the role-models within their families, whom they can emulate and take up the practice of reading.

6.4 Presence of a community library. Barring one, none of the villages had a community library. In that village too, not all parents were aware of its availability. Only one of the mothers had visited that library once or twice, and knew that it was being run with the support of Pratichi (India) Trust. This shows that a resource like community library has not been much popular. This can partly be attributed to the fact that most of the books are for children and hence have a limited appeal for adults and partly to the fact that there does not exist a popular culture that prescribes one to take up reading.

However, many of the parents stated that if a library was started in the vicinity of their villages, which had interesting reading materials (“Kheti baadi ki jaankari” [related to agricultural practices], “…desh-duniya ki jaankari” [information about national and international affairs]) and the timings were late afternoon and evening, then definitely both men and women will be interested in using the library. This shows that with some orientation and availability of resources, there is scope for motivating parents to take up reading.

6.5 Views on importance of academic reading and reading for pleasure. In each and every school parents articulated in varied and interesting ways that reading books (textbooks and other books) are a must for children. They mentioned that reading helps children to discover facts about the world, and enhance their overall awareness. Further on, some parents were able to state quite specifically that reading books improves fluency, grammar, vocabulary, curiosity, and also

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perseverance. While a few others mentioned that reading also helps in improving the writing skills of children.

When we asked parents about the kind of books that children would be interested in reading, most of the parents stated that children are interested in books that are colourful and which have stories about kings and queens and animals. Children on the other hand expressed an interest to read books on their favorite cartoons from Cartoon Network like Doremon and Chhota Bheem. They also shared that they would love to read about books on cars, games they play like cricket, volleyball and ‘pitthu’ too. Some also suggested that they would be interested in books that describe new places and include their pictures as well.

Most of the parents said that they would not reprimand their children if they engaged in reading books other than textbooks during their free time. Many children differed from this view, and said that they will be scolded by their parents if they would read books other than textbooks on a regular basis. This delicately points towards the fact that children are tutored from very early stages that textbooks are extremely significant, and their thorough study is more important than reading other things.

A few parents identified a barrier for reading that as children grow up and move ahead in classes, the load of their syllabus increases. This creates a dual pressure for children, implying the mental pressure of finishing the entire syllabus and the physical pressure of carrying a bag full of books and notebooks to school. In this context, extra reading naturally takes a back seat for children who move to secondary classes.

7. Key Recommendations: 1. A multi-grade school setting offers enormous opportunity for improving the

usage of libraries. Books need to be sorted and categorized depending upon the reading abilities and interest of children.

2. Bilingual books can be included which will encourage children to simultaneously advance their reading skills in both languages. Leading publishers of children’s books can be requested to publish books that include the Pahari dialect along with English and Hindi. In this way children can get a flavour of their local dialect too.

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3. The suggestions of the teachers and children should be sought for deciding the list of books for library.

4. Incorporating age-appropriate, good quality, attractive and colourful books with pictures in the library is an absolute must. Some schools have no books that are suitable for garnering the interest and attention of the Class I and II children. In some schools books of middle-school level are kept in the primary schools’ libraries.

5. Grandparents- the focal story tellers in most families can be invited to the school library on a regular basis to encourage the practice of reading and sharing stories, through the channel of SMC.

6. Teachers need to be oriented to understand that reading for pleasure is a significant cognitive ability that considerably improves skills like creativity, imagination and articulation; and such skills tend to have a direct correlation with socially-accepted successful career prospects.

7. Regular story-telling sessions at schools should be encouraged where students should share their experiences of daily life, family culture, incidents that happen during coming to school or going back home in form of story. As a follow up children can create monthly wall magazines based on what they read, write and draw with their experiences and thoughts.

8. Events like ‘reading and writing festivals’ should be organized in schools at periodic intervals for the children and parents. The SMC and local community will directly be involved in these events.

9. Writing contests can also be held on a monthly basis at the schools and annually at the block level. Over time, schools can also take initiative to publish their own annual school magazine which can be a perfect way for highlighting the literary abilities of the children. Parents are sure to get interested on seeing the names of their children published in magazines. This might help in initiating a culture of reading.

10. Linkages can be made with the local newspapers so that short local news which will be familiar to the children and they can develop a habit of reading the newspapers.

11. Teachers’ platform can be initiated where the teachers can meet, interact and share varied issues related to schooling and learning. Most importantly, this platform needs to be an apolitical one without taking on any role similar to standard unions.

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12. Workshops/ seminars can be organized with the members of SMC to discuss the importance of reading, story-telling and using libraries.

13. Developing public-civic partnerships for fostering the quality of education in the state through innovative interventions needs to be considered.

8. Future Research Questions:

1. In what ways can the school libraries address the challenges that emerge from a multi-grade situation?

2. Mapping the structure from state to school level that is instrumental: (i) Selecting books for children and (ii) Taking decisions related to overall management of school

libraries. (iii) State’s approach towards role of libraries and overall culture of

reading. 3. Exploring the practices of schools which have been identified by the state

authorities for their effective use of libraries.

4. Compiling case studies of areas that had a history and tradition of a public library, its present day usage and its impact on the overall reading culture of that area. In this aspect, trying to draw a picture of the entire state (with inter-district variations) through extensive review of literature and available secondary data regarding the probable factors that might be attributed towards a decline in the habit of reading in a culture where public libraries had been a success.

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ANNEXURE 1

Tool 1: FGD guideline for students (Girls/Boys)

State:

District: Block:

Panchayat: Village:

Date of visit:

Students Information

School/Institution:

Class: Gender:

Age: Number of participants:

Type of library: School based/ Community library/ both

1. Explore the feeling of coming to school. How does coming to school feel

like, etc.

2. Do you like reading? (Explore the options: school textbooks or storybooks/

picture books. Try to probe the reasons of the chosen preferences) (If they do

not like to read, go to 6)

3. Availability of the books: where do they get these books from, how do they

get these books, have they ever tried to get any books other than textbooks,

etc.

4. If there is a library in their school, then: (If there is no library, skip entire 4

and go to 5)

4. a. Schedule and timings: Any designated library period. Activities that take place during the library period, how is the library class conducted, details of the length, frequency and timings (like at what time of the day is the library period held) of the library period. Issues faced regarding the duration and timings of the period, convenience factors probed and explored.

4. b. Accessibility: can the library be used by the students during free periods or whenever they feel like, whether the students would like it to be open on holidays or after school – probe further for any such demand. If there is no fixed library period, then when/how do they access the library in the school? Also, if there is no library period, please explore and probe further for describing any reason for the same.

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4. c. Freedom of choice and decision-making: Can the students read any book of their choice available in the library or are there restrictions? Also, probe for the kind of books they generally prefer to read and what are available in the library, any difference between the two, whether students have been involved in running the library or whether their opinion sought for the kind of books they would prefer to have in the library, any information on how the book list for the library is prepared etc. 4. d. Which was the last book that you read? Which is your favourite book and who was the author?

4. e. Usability: Are the students allowed to take books home from the library? Explore the rules regarding the same: issued for how many days, how many books at maximum for each person etc.

4.f. Role of Librarian: Any designated librarian (specify whether teachers/ general non- teaching staff/designated librarian), mode of conducting this period, whether librarian plays any role for attracting the students to the interesting world of books, whether books are suggested by the librarian, any activities conducted in the school involving libraries etc. (Probe for intricate details.) 4. g. Peer-group and gender influence: Whether they have friends who enjoy reading, discuss books and stories with them or whether they are bullied for reading books, any gender-segregation book reading etc. Explore. 4. h. Family dynamics: Reading habits of family members: whether any member reads and if they read then generally who and what do they tend to read the most? Reaction of family members towards book-reading (other than textbooks): motivating, punitive, indifferent, regard as wastage of time etc. 4. i. Reading for pleasure: Frequency of reading for pleasure, any favourite spot for reading, etc. Practice of story-telling in the family: Does any older person in the family regularly tell or read out stories to you, whether this practice encourages them to read books etc. 4. j. Issues of language: Mother-tongue, language most comfortable in,

medium of instruction in school and the language of the books in library, etc. Books of which language would they prefer to read (and if) books are available in more than one language (including their mother-tongue), which language books do they generally prefer to read, etc. Any suggestion

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imparted by teachers or family-member regarding the choice of the language of the books to read etc.

4. k. Appeal or attraction of the library: Explore and probe reasons for any kind of preference. 4. l. Issues faced and suggestions: Major barriers felt for library use and suggestions for improvement: how do they want their library to be, etc. 4. m. Changes observed by students in the overall management of school library Changes noticed in the past two to three years in the availability of books. Observations regarding any difference in the way the school library are being managed.

4. n. Support from block and cluster levels: Information about any visit from block/cluster who observed the school library and conversed regarding books and reading.

5. If there is no library, describe whether they want a library in their school and

how they would want it to be. Also explore reasons if they do not want a library.

6. Those who read very little, probe further for reasons. (probe reasons such as

lack of fluency in reading, time constraints, lack of access to books, lack of

interest, not a common social practice, unappealing reading material available,

reading considered unproductive by elders, etc.)

7. If there are community library/libraries in the village -

7.a. Provide details of who runs it, where is it run from. Activities that take

place there, etc.

7.b. Who goes to these libraries, (for example: adults, children, gender, etc,)

and for what purpose.

7.c. Type of books available

7.d. Timing and schedule of these libraries

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Tool 2 : FGD guideline for parents

State: District: Block:

Village: School:

Date:

No. of male participants in the FGD:

No. of female participants in the FGD:

Location of FGD:

1. Story-telling practice: (Prevalence of story-telling practice in the family) Who tells stories, what kinds of stories are told, whether children also participate in this practice and read aloud or tells stories to others, etc.

2. Family environment: Habit of reading in the family: who reads and generally what do they tend to read most, etc. (Explore gender patterns). Whether older siblings/family members help the children with their schoolwork. Whether family members ever bought any book for a child ever (other than a textbook), etc.

3. Language issues: Mother-tongue, any difference with the language of instruction at school and textbook language? (Explore whether this creates problems for the child)

4. Reading habits of children: Whether children enjoy reading, just for the sake of fun, (Explore) and what do they generally prefer to read outside textbooks (Explore genre and language).

5. School library: Presence of libraries in their children’s schools/school. Describe the activities that take place there. Whether children have the habit of reading books at the libraries, whether they issue books, what kind of books they generally issue, whether teachers or family members suggest or advise them regarding the kind of books to read, etc. Have parents noticed any changes in the functioning of library in the past two to three years? If yes, then what could be the reasons for the same?

6. Gender dimension: Gendered patterns of reading: variations in reading preferences, frequency, duration etc. (Explore and probe deeply)

7. Community Library: where, who runs it, for whom, what happens there, who all attend (explore gender, age-group, class, caste, etc), its popularity in the community, purpose of this library, type of books that are available, etc.

8. Explore community’s perspective regarding role of libraries, do they feel libraries are required or not. Explore, if any of them are SMC members and their opinions regarding role of libraries. Also ask, what role can SMC play in enhancing the use of libraries at school level

9. Community’s opinion regarding children reading more books (other than textbooks or reference books). Please suggest ways which will help them in reading more.

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Tool 3: Interview with Library-in-charge

State: District: Block:

Village: School:

Date:

Name of the teacher:

Designation (Whether any fixed librarian/contractual, or teachers given charge by rotation or any designated teacher):

Age: Gender: Years in this school:

School Information

Type of school: (a) Government school/ Government aided/ private (b) Co-educational/ girls/boys (c) Only Primary/ Primary to Upper primary/ only Upper primary/ Upper primary to Secondary/ Primary to secondary/Secondary to Higher secondary / Primary to Higher secondary/ others (mention class)

1. Is there a specific library period? If yes then, number of days in a week and the allocated time/periods. If no, then, reasons for the same. How, when and at what frequency do the children access the library in this case?

2. Is there any other library staff? If yes, how many, what is their role and how are they maintained by the school?

3. Are students involved in library management? If yes, how? 4. Is there any mechanism for asking what the children want to read? Are

efforts made to acquire those books? 5. What kinds of books are stocked in the library? Is the stock likely to be

appealing to children? 6. Is the library restocked regularly? If yes, how? 7. Are there any government/ private/ community interventions to support

this library? 8. Can the children access library during free periods? 9. Can they read any book of their choice available in the library? 10. Are they allowed to take books home from the library? 11. What kind of books are the primary schools’ students able to read based

on their reading fluency? 12. In a class, what proportions of students are usually interested in reading? 13. Among those interested, is there any other clear common factor?

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14. Is there any difference between the preferences of girl and boy students with regard to reading?

15. For those who are not interested to read, what do you think are the reasons?

16. Is there a difference between the mother tongue (or the language commonly spoken by students) and the language of the books stocked in the library?

17. What are your plans for improving the school library further? What suggestions do you have for inclusions in the library stock?

18. Have you noticed any differences in the availability of library books and the overall management of library in the past two to three years? If yes, then what could be the reasons for it? If no, then what could be the reasons for it?

19. During the visits of block and cluster level resource persons, do they ever ask about library and its functioning? Or about the reading skills and interests of students? Please describe in detail.

20. What are the challenges to good functioning of the school library? (Describe in detail)

21. What are the ways in which the schools can encourage students to read more?

22. What suggestions do you have for integrating the community in the running of the school library?

23. What is your opinion on children reading (other than textbooks) and the role of library in children’s life?

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Observation Check-list

(A) Local information (i) Location of the school (ii) Distance from nearby hamlet (iii) Availability of communication/means of transport etc

(B) School environment

(i) Building type (ii) Boundary (iii) Cleanliness

(C) Infrastructure

(i) Number of classrooms with their conditions. (ii) Numbers of gender specific toilets and its use. (iii) Drinking water facility. (iv) Running water facility in toilet. (v) Cooking water for MDM (vi) Ramp for special-need child

(D) Library and its use

(i) Separate room for library (ii) Type of books with language specificities (iii) Where are the books kept? (iv) Whether the books can be easily seen and accessed by the children? (v) Is the library neat, clean and attractive to the children? Child-friendly

environment (vi) Does the library looks like they are being regularly used? Check book issue

register if possible (vii) Approach of children towards library (viii) Whether the books look like being frequently read by the children (ix) Seating arrangements, lighting, ventilation, and general ambience of the

library (x) Approach of the librarian/teacher-in-charge towards library and reading as a

whole (xi) Approach of the other teachers towards the role and significance of library

and children reading (other than textbooks) (E) Teacher: number of teachers, gender divide, teacher-student relationship

(F) Enrolment (gender and caste status should be noted)