Ashram Schools Research Articles

Social Determinants of Health of Ashram School Girls in Maharashtra, India

The concept of ashram school has an ancient origin where the disciples take refuge with the teacher (Gurukul) to learn his/her life lessons. Modern-time ashram schools evolved with this very idea where the tribal children are offered a conducive environment at the residential schools for education and overall development. The basic needs like food, clothing, shelter and education are meant to be taken care of in the ashram schools. The study focussed on factors such as living conditions, food and working conditions (carrying educational activities in school) influencing the health of adolescent girls. It used a mixed method and multistage sampling to select 800 girls from 17 ashram schools of selected four tribal districts (administrative unit) in Maharashtra, India. Adolescent girls of ashram schools reported the poor living and working environment, inadequate services of food and nutrition, clothing and shelter determining their health outcomes. The adolescent girls were found with low Hb count, delayed menses and health morbidities.

MORBIDITY PATTERN AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN IN A TRIBAL DISTRICT OF MAHARASHTRA: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY BASED ON SECONDARY DATA.

Background: India harbours one of the largest tribal populations in the world. Ashram schools are established in tribal districts, which are meant to uplift the education of tribal children. Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) was launched in 2013 to provide targeted and comprehensive health care to children aged 0 –18 years. This study targets to nd morbidity patterns among them with the help of data collected by RBSK and to give suitable recommendations based on the ndings This secondary Methodology: data-based observational descriptive study was carried out in two blocks of the Palghar district of Maharashtra State. After obtaining ethical approval and necessary permissions, health-related data of all Ashram School children collected by the RBSK team from November 2021 to October 2022 was retrieved and stored in electronic format. The proportion of different health problems was calculated. Rashtriya Bal Results: Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) team screened 21,818 school children (49.4% boys and 50.6% girls) of the age group of 10-18 years from different Ashram schools for one year (November 2021 to October 2022). The team referred a total of 2016 students to higher medical facilities. Amongst the total screened 26.56% with 24 diseases as per the RBSK report. Additionally, 87% of students had 'Disease or Disorder', 5.8% had 'Deciencies', 4.5% had any kind of 'Defect' and 2.7% had any kind of 'Developmental delay'. The majority of the students were affected by respiratory airway diseases (44.5%), menstrual problems (16.1%) and skin conditions (11.1%). Study Conclusion: ing morbidity patterns under 4Ds approach enables intervention at an early stage of diseases. Capacity building of RBSK program and digitalised standard reporting system and integration of school health with other National Health Programmes may contribute to improving children's health.

A Study of Available Facilities to Enhance Quality of Education in Palghar District Ashram Schools

A Study of Available Facilities to Enhance Quality of Education in Palghar District Ashram Schools

Impact of Tribal Ashram School on the Education of ST Children in India: Where Rubber Hits the Road?

Impact of Tribal Ashram School on the Education of ST Children in India: Where Rubber Hits the Road?

To Study of Adjustment of Students in Ashram Schools and Private Schools

To Study of Adjustment of Students in Ashram Schools and Private Schools

Effectiveness of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Intervention for School going Children on Hygiene Practices, Absenteeism, Diarrhea, and Respiratory Infection: An Interventional Study Protocol

Introduction: Safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene beyond the household, and particularly in the school setting, are crucial to the health and education of children. Ashram schools where children from tribal community are taking education in India are mostly ignored. Thus, inclusion of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in schools as part of the SDG, necessitates assessing the coverage and utilization in all types of schools; Government, private, funded including Ashram (residential) schools. Hence, we plan this research to study the effectiveness of proposed WASH in Ashram school with regards to hygiene practices, diarrheal diseases, respiratory infection and school absenteeism.
 Methods: Interventional study will be conducted in all eight Ashram schools of Wardha district. Baseline data regarding WASH practices and absenteeism, diarrhea, and respiratory infection will be collected. Intervention model for adopting safe WASH practices will be developed implemented in randomly selected four ashram schools. Survey and interview questionnaire will be adopted from UNICEF monitoring package modules. Children of forth, fifth and sixth classes (460), teachers, and Principles(8) will be interviewed; and school environment will be reviewed. After collection of post intervention data in ODK tool, descriptive statistics, two-sample t-tests and unadjusted mean percentages for all outcome variables were calculated by aggregating individual-level data to the school level.
 Conclusion: The intervention package is based on community mobilization and participation; life skill education, capacity building of school staff related to WASH. This will contribute to bring long term changes and improvement in health status and academic performance of school children.

Evaluation of Various Factors Which Motivate Children in Ashram Schools of Central India Region to Consume Tobacco Products.

BackgroundTobacco is consumed in myriad forms in India. The rural population has to bear the brunt of smokeless tobacco products. This leads to several complications. More so, among the rural population, this habit comes into practice at a very young age.Aims and objectivesTo determine the prevalence of consumption of tobacco products among young adolescents, at the same time to evaluate the psychological motivation factors for the same.Materials and methodsA sample of 2,000 students of the ashram schools was given a detailed questionnaire which included the questions regarding accessibility, liking, source of motivation, and fear of health hazards.Statistical analysisThe statistical analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS version 22, Armonk, NY: IBM Corp). Depending on the nature of the data, descriptive statistics were performed to assess the prevalence of tobacco consumption and motivational factors associated with it.ResultsThe prevalence of tobacco consumption among children was 37.2%. Fifty-one percent of the tobacco users consumed kharra (a mixture of tobacco, lime, areca nut). Forty percent of the tobacco users began using tobacco after the age of 10 years. For 65% of the individuals’ tobacco products were easily accessible.ConclusionWith the findings of the study, it can be concluded that the easy accessibility to the products in the rural areas is responsible for the children to indulge in such a harmful habit.Clinical significanceThis study focused on the factors that motivate the school-going children in the ashram schools to consumption of various tobacco products. This can give a clear insight as to what measures need to be taken to curb such a problem.How to cite this articleSharma P, Kalaskar R. Evaluation of Various Factors Which Motivate Children in Ashram Schools of Central India Region to Consume Tobacco Products. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(4):554–557.

A cross sectional study of knowledge, attitude and practices regarding menstrual hygiene among ashram school adolescent girls in field practice area of tertiary health care hospital in Navi Mumbai

Background: Adolescent girls often lack knowledge regarding menstruation which may be associated with taboos and myths existing in our traditional society which has a negative implication for women’s health, particularly their menstrual hygiene. Aim of the current study is to investigate existing knowledge, attitude and practices regarding menstruation and to assess the source of information, beliefs, misconceptions and restrictions related to menstruation among adolescent school girls.Methods: The study was undertaken among all adolescent girls of 7th to 10th standard of ashram school in September 2018 to Oct 2018 by pre-designed, close ended questionnaire and the data was analysed.Results: Out of the 100 girls who had attained menarche, all participants used sanitary pads as it was provided by school. Maximum girls had positive attitude towards menstruation, 58% girls got information about menstruation from their teacher. For cleaning of genitals during menstruation 58% girls used water and soap, 7% used water and antiseptic and 35% used water only. Method of adsorbent disposal was reported as burn (51%) and burial (44%). 42% and 49% of girls were not allowed to do household activities and kitchen work respectively. 95% and 63% of girls weren’t allowed to go to temple and do sport activities respectively.Conclusions: In the study, it was observed that among the adolescent ashram school girls, the knowledge of menstruation was good and the practices were optimal for proper hygiene but superstitious beliefs and taboos affect their day to day activity during menstruation.

Effect of oral health initiatives on reduction in oral morbidities in Ashram schools of Wardha district– A cluster randomized trial

Ashram schools are residential schools developed for underprivileged groups of society who are weak in organizations and economically poor. In general, in all the states, the major obstacle is lack of provision of capacity building and teachers training in serving of the Ashram schools. 8 ashram schools were then randomly divided into control group and intervention group. In the control group, end line oral health assessment using the WHO assessment form 2013 was carried out without any health promotion program. In the intervention group, the oral health care module specifically designed for ashram schools, were implemented. In this group, end line oral health assessments were carried out. Treatments of the minor ailment, oral health program, behaviour change communication model for the schools were implemented. The need-based oral health module was developed for tribal students. The effect size for the intervention was 17.3% indicating 17.3% reduction in dental caries due to intervention (95%CI: -12.3% to-21.62%). The effect was statistically significant. The effect size for the intervention was -43.2 %. Indicating 43.2 % reduction in periodontal diseases due to intervention(95%CI: (-50.7% to -34.1%). The effect was statistically significant. The magnitude of fluorosis in the control group increased by 4.8 % from 28.85% to 33.64 %. During the same time, the magnitude in intervention arm decreases by 3.5% from 47.71 % to 44.20 %. The success of the school-based oral health program depends on the repetition and reinforcement of the program, independent of the dentists, peer leaders and the teachers. It was concluded from this study that the presence of teachers and peers, can influence the study majorly.

PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHTS OF AUROBINDO: ITS IMPACT ON MODERN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Aurobindo Ghosh was a multifaceted genius – a great philosopher, a freedom – fighter, an eminent educationist and a true Yogi. He started his journey as a political thinker and became a spiritual integralist. He showed us the path to the highest spiritual growth. His educational philosophy was based on his philosophy of life i.e., on brahmacharya, practice of Yoga and spiritual penance. He believed in integral education, based on his philosophy of education, leading man to the fullest extent through harmonious development of his self – physical, vital, mental, psychic and spiritual. He translated his ideals into a system of education through his Pondicherry Ashram School, now named as Auroville.

Tribal Children in Odisha and their right to Education in the Home Language

Focused on the socio-economic background of tribal students in the 142 ashram schools of Koraput district in Odisha, this article explores the educational environment and quality of education for tribal children in India. As their educational performance is largely unsatisfactory, the primary causes behind low educational achievements are explored. It is found that the educational processes largely disregard the socio-cultural characteristics and linguistic skills that tribal students bring to the classroom. Specifically, tribal children experience serious language difficulties during the initial years of schooling. The practice of using the dominant state language, Odia, as the sole/dominant medium of instruction in all ashram schools, rather than the children’s mother tongue, appears to leave young learners illiterate in their mother tongue and also fosters low achievement levels in the dominant language.

Mid-Upper-Arm-Circumference as a Growth Parameter and its Correlation with Body Mass Index and Heights in Ashram School Students in Nashik District in Maharashtra, India.

Background:Under nutrition is a major problem among Indian schoolchildren. Yet, routine height and weight measurements in schools are nor used for growth monitoring. This study attempts to evaluate mid-upper-arm-circumference (MUAC) as a quick assessment tool against body mass index (BMI) in schoolchildren.Objective:The objective of the study was to evaluate MUAC against BMI, height, and average skin fold thickness (ASFT) parameters and to estimate MUAC values across age, sex, and social categories.Subjects and Methods:The study was conducted in 2017–2018 in four randomly selected Ashram schools and an urban school in Nashik district. Girls (1187) and boys (1083) from age 6–18 were included, and height, weight, skinfold thickness, and MUAC were measured. MUAC was done on the left arm with Shakir's tape and tailor's tape (for MUAC >25 cm). Epi Info 7.1 and Excel were used for the data analysis.Results:MUAC had a consistently high correlation with BMI at all ages for boys (r = 0.8786, P < 0.0001) and girls (r = 0.8586, P < 0.0001). ASFT too was strongly correlated with MUAC (r = 0.5945, P < 0.0001). MUAC had strong but nonlinear correlation with heights in girls (r = 0.7751, P < 0.0001) and boys (r = 0.8267, P < 0.0001). MUAC was higher for girls than boys at all ages. MUAC values for scheduled tribe (ST) children were highly significantly lower than non-ST students.Conclusion:MUAC is a good and quick proxy tool for BMI and can serve as a sensitive nutritional indicator for school ages across socioeconomic categories. However, it is necessary to construct age-wise cutoff points and bandwidths using multicentric studies across income quintiles.

Baseline Assessment of Oral Health Status of Ashram Schools in Wardha District

Baseline Assessment of Oral Health Status of Ashram Schools in Wardha District

Protein calorie intakes and growth profiles in ashram school students in Nashik district in Maharashtra.

Tribal ashram schools provide accommodation, food, and other services from 1st to 12th standards to children from marginalized sections of the society. Nutrition and growth are important aspects of this age group. This study aims to estimate average macronutrient intakes in private and public ashram schools and to compare the growth of tribal with urban children and national standards. This is a cross-sectional cluster-based study in Nashik district of Maharashtra in ashram schools with an urban day school for comparison. The study was conducted from November 2017 to February 2018. The study includes 1510 students in four rural ashram schools and 322 urban school day scholars. Daily food amounts used by the school kitchens were analyzed. Height and weight of students were recorded with standard methods. Excel was used to estimate nutrient intakes and Epi Info for analysis of growth parameters. Protein intakes were 76.5 g/student (2.9-3.1 g/kg body weight), with staples contributing 42%-50% and legumes and pulses contributing 22%-25%. Energy intakes were 2519 kcal/student (100-120 kcal/kg body weight) with oils contributing 13%. Boys ate 1.5-2 times than girls going by average intake of Chapattis. Height and weight of students at entry and exit age, respectively, of 7 and 15 years were significantly lower than urban students, ICMR and IAP standards. However, entry-level stunting had reduced by 15 years by 40%-50% in girls and boys. Macronutrient intakes in the ashram schoolchildren were sufficient, but growth gap persisted till adolescence. Protein quality in private schools needs improvement.

Ethnotribal Growth Differences among Schoolchildren in a Northwestern Maharashtra District: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study.

Context:In Ashram schools, scheduled tribes (ST) children from age 6 to 17 years belonging to various ethnic groups stay under common living and dietary provisions. However, there are scant reports on ethnotribal height differences.Aims:The aims of the study are to (a) estimate height differences between schoolchildren of three major local STs, (b) compare heights and average skinfold thickness (SFT) of ST with non-ST and urban schoolchildren, and (c) compare median heights and weights of ST and non-ST schoolchildren with the Indian Academy of Pediatrics standards.Settings and Design:Four Ashram schools and one urban school in Northwest Maharashtra.Subjects and Methods:All children from age 6 to 17 years were included for height, weight, and mid-arm circumference (n = 2106). Data were processed with Excel and Epi info software for quantitative comparisons.Statistical Analysis Used:Quantitative methods including ANOVA were used for statistical comparison of heights.Results:There were no differences among heights between ST students (ANOVA P > 0.05). However, there were significant differences between heights of boys and girls between ST and non-ST students across age groups (ANOVA P < 0.0001). ST boys and girls were mostly below 3rd or 10th percentile of IAP height and weight charts while non-ST children were between 25th and 50th percentiles. The average SFT values for prepubertal age groups were significantly lower in ST schoolchildren.Conclusions:ST students showed a significant growth disadvantage against general and other backward classes categories, although no intertribal anthropometry differences were observed.

Education for 21st Century: Reflections from an Ashram School

Education for 21st Century: Reflections from an Ashram School

Book Review: Tribal Education: Status Study of Ashram Schools in Karnataka

Book Review: Tribal Education: Status Study of Ashram Schools in Karnataka

A study to analyse the knowledge of different areas of environmental studies among tribal students of higher primary school

In the present study an attempt has been made to investigate whether gender and type of school is related to fifth standard tribal students performance in the environmental studies. The sample included 610 (315 male and 295 female) purposively selected fifth standard tribal students studying in Ashram and Government higher Primary School of Chamarajanagar District of Karnataka State. The result indicates that there is no significant difference between male and female students in different areas of environmental studies, where as difference is seen among the students of Government and Ashram School.

Decline of Ashram Schools in Central and Eastern India: Impact on Education of ST Children

Ashram Schools (ASs) were set up with the long-term objective of the educational upliftment of Scheduled Tribe (ST) children in India. However, the objective is far from being met and the lack of infrastructure as well as teaching capacity in these schools is hampering the progress of tribal children in many ASs. This article attempts to document the functioning of ASs and tries to assess the quality of education received by the ST children in central and eastern India. In this endeavour, an attempt has been made to look at the infrastructure, staffing, amenities and the quality of curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. In its methodology, the article deals with explanatory research design; survey and evaluative design were allowed to access the functioning of ASs. On the basis of the findings of the data collected from 13 ASs, the connection between lack of quality in education and obstructions in the road to tribal development becomes clearer.

P1-419 Health promoting school initiative in ashram schools of Wardha district: an evaluation

ObjectiveTo study the effect of health promoting school-based intervention for disadvantaged children in the residential Ashram Schools of rural Wardha district of central India.Material and MethodsAt baseline, 1287 children in...