We wish to share with you one of our best practices. And the interesting thing about the success of this school’s savings program is the presence of the post office in the vicinity. Could the Indian Postal Department join hands with MelJol for a better today for the children of India?
Mr. Kadlag, a committed teacher from the Dalkhan school, situated in Thane district who has been trained in the MelJol-Aflatoun training program, has taken the program ahead in the school ever since 2001. He was so convinced with the need and utility of the savings program that he has continued the program until today. Initially he had opened an account for the children in the co-operative bank close-by but since there was a railway line to cross, it wasn’t so safe for the children. Hence thereafter, the account for the bank was opened with the post office that was located in the school premise itself. Infact the 2 main reasons for the success of the Aflatoun program in this school are
1) The presence of a convinced and committed teacher and
2) Having a post office nearby.
The children, who passed out of this Dalkhan primary school and went to 8th standard to the new school, took the bank program with them and made an effort to continue a savings program there too. The children passing out of the 7th standard used their savings to buy their new uniform, school bags and books. These savings helped them meet these very important expenses.
The Sarpanch of this village is a 20 year old young lady who has passed out of this school and she was a part of the Aflatoun program. “She sang lot of Aflatoun songs and even saved in the Aflatoun bank”, she reminisces. The Aflatoun program also helps make the children more actively involved in their learning process.
Another school which has been able to open the account in the post office is Z.P. School Kerul, Block Ashti, Beed district. In this school 170 children are having an account in the Aflatoun bank and they have collected Rs. 17,000/-.
The Aflatoun bank program is one that has been started since 2001 in the schools of Maharashtra. After generations of indebtedness, children learn new ways of handling money. The programme encourages school children in the age group of 6 to 14 years to save their pocket money, however small the amounts. The money is pooled and stored under the guidance of the class teacher. It is accompanied by a continued discussion on the concept of child rights as laid down by the U. N. Convention on Child Rights, 1990. A classroom club run by children facilitates the scheme and helps develop notions of rights, responsibilities and values that have been found to be essential to the success of the programme. In most schools the money is collected together and given to the headmaster or to one of the teacher, to be kept in his/her safe custody.
If we can have a post office in every village, the teacher will be spared the tension of keeping the money with himself/herself and the children will also be able to get a small interest on their savings. This is the first way for them to learn that they can earn something. These two very important things are learnt by the children.
1) To save
2) That you can earn an interest on savings
The Post Office Savings Bank is the oldest and largest banking institution in the country. It operates about 140 Million Savings Accounts. The Post Office Savings Bank Scheme is an agency function performed by the Department of Posts on behalf of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. If the postal department joins hands with MelJol we will be able to create a revolution in the country. Could we have a post office in every village where our schools are? If we pass on a list of all the Zilla Parishad Schools and the villages they are in, would Postal Department be able to start a post office there with minimum facilities so that the children from the school could open a savings account in the post office? The postman could be the postal ‘mitra’ who will collect the funds from the school regularly and deposit in the savings account.
Mr. Kadlag, a committed teacher from the Dalkhan school, situated in Thane district who has been trained in the MelJol-Aflatoun training program, has taken the program ahead in the school ever since 2001. He was so convinced with the need and utility of the savings program that he has continued the program until today. Initially he had opened an account for the children in the co-operative bank close-by but since there was a railway line to cross, it wasn’t so safe for the children. Hence thereafter, the account for the bank was opened with the post office that was located in the school premise itself. Infact the 2 main reasons for the success of the Aflatoun program in this school are
1) The presence of a convinced and committed teacher and
2) Having a post office nearby.
The children, who passed out of this Dalkhan primary school and went to 8th standard to the new school, took the bank program with them and made an effort to continue a savings program there too. The children passing out of the 7th standard used their savings to buy their new uniform, school bags and books. These savings helped them meet these very important expenses.
The Sarpanch of this village is a 20 year old young lady who has passed out of this school and she was a part of the Aflatoun program. “She sang lot of Aflatoun songs and even saved in the Aflatoun bank”, she reminisces. The Aflatoun program also helps make the children more actively involved in their learning process.
Another school which has been able to open the account in the post office is Z.P. School Kerul, Block Ashti, Beed district. In this school 170 children are having an account in the Aflatoun bank and they have collected Rs. 17,000/-.
The Aflatoun bank program is one that has been started since 2001 in the schools of Maharashtra. After generations of indebtedness, children learn new ways of handling money. The programme encourages school children in the age group of 6 to 14 years to save their pocket money, however small the amounts. The money is pooled and stored under the guidance of the class teacher. It is accompanied by a continued discussion on the concept of child rights as laid down by the U. N. Convention on Child Rights, 1990. A classroom club run by children facilitates the scheme and helps develop notions of rights, responsibilities and values that have been found to be essential to the success of the programme. In most schools the money is collected together and given to the headmaster or to one of the teacher, to be kept in his/her safe custody.
If we can have a post office in every village, the teacher will be spared the tension of keeping the money with himself/herself and the children will also be able to get a small interest on their savings. This is the first way for them to learn that they can earn something. These two very important things are learnt by the children.
1) To save
2) That you can earn an interest on savings
The Post Office Savings Bank is the oldest and largest banking institution in the country. It operates about 140 Million Savings Accounts. The Post Office Savings Bank Scheme is an agency function performed by the Department of Posts on behalf of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. If the postal department joins hands with MelJol we will be able to create a revolution in the country. Could we have a post office in every village where our schools are? If we pass on a list of all the Zilla Parishad Schools and the villages they are in, would Postal Department be able to start a post office there with minimum facilities so that the children from the school could open a savings account in the post office? The postman could be the postal ‘mitra’ who will collect the funds from the school regularly and deposit in the savings account.
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