GVV at a glance

    GVV's started coming up in the last four years, and to date about 1200 new GVV's have been set up. In addition, GVV processes have been initiated in another 300 schools that have pre-existed, like the venture schools in Assam. Eight GVV's have also been set up in Dohad, Gujarat. The other states running GVV's are UP, MP, and Orissa. GVV's were opened in Bihar and Jharkhand too, but have been assimilated under the SSA schools there. Initial discussions have already taken place with the National Institute of Open Schooling in order that children in GVV's get their certification from NIOS, rather than state education departments. This would give further freedom in designing teaching-learning processes, and give a degree of 'prestige' to the schools amongst the local community. A heartening feature of the GVV's is that a majority of children in them are either from the dalit, OBC or minority communities.

Community owned school

    Whereas collaborations with Governmental structures, when feasible, has been an important component of BGVS work, it is always constrained in as much that the basic structure of work is designed by the Government (SSA or some other scheme - already predetermined). In order to have more space in fostering education according to the vision outlined above, BGVS decided to make community as its partner by opening Gyan Vigyan Vidyalayas – community schools owned and supported by the community, rather than by the Government or any outside funds. The idea is to retain enough freedom in designing the teaching-learning processes and management practices. The decision to eschew outside funding has stemmed from the real fear of a dependency syndrome, with the hope that the local community support shall be more sustainable in the long-term. As schools fostering democratic and secular values and a critical pedagogy, the hope also is that these schools will act as a foil to similar initiatives by organizations that promote religious or social hatred through their schools.

Opening and Managing of a GVV

    A GVV can be opened by the community, other social and mass organization or could be a school of the Government, but must fulfill the conditions: 

• A GVV shall not belong to an individual or a single family and will not be used to generate personal profit. It is a community rather than a commercial venture.
• Every GVV shall be managed by a School Managing committee. Half of the members of the SMC must be women, preferably mothers of children in a particular GVV. The other half shall be composed of representatives of dalits and other marginalized groups, some elected panchayet members, local teachers and a representatives of the local BGVS unit.
• Every GVV shall function like a community center. It shall also function as the village library, children's activity center, a self-help group of the mothers of children studying there and a primary health center.
• Each GVV shall be registered and accredited to the relevant education authority. The registration shall be in the name of the SMC and not BGVS.
• The school shall be managed by the SMC. Selection of teachers and payment of their honorarium, making available a place, land and rooms, teaching-learning materials shall be the tasks of the SMC's. For this the SMC shall mobilize resources from the community. It may charge nominal fees from some children, but no poor child shall be denied access. There will not be no project or NGO funds available to the GVV for its day to day running.