The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Something special about these schools

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 09, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Something special about these schools

Krishna Velupillai

A monthly stipend of Rs.100 and mid-day meals are given to children as a motivational measure

— Photo: M. Vedhan

CLASS ACTION: A class in progress at a special school for former child labourers in Pulianthope.

CHENNAI: The tri-colour painted on the wall of a narrow alley sports the slogan ‘freedom through education.’ The alley leads to a school, easy to spot because of the chatter of the little children inside it. The children are special; special because all of them were former child labourers.

The school in Pulianthope is one of 20 such special schools run by the Clear Society of the National Child Labour Project (NCLP), an initiative of the Chennai Corporation.

Eight of these schools are run by non-governmental organisations with funding and supervision from the NCLP.

According to an official concerned of the Corporation, in June every year, rescued child labourers are admitted to one of these schools.

This year 1,196 children were identified, the official said, adding that while identifying them was easy, ensuring all of them attended the schools daily was no easy task.

Of the 1,196 children, the NCLP identified 866 children who have maintained regular attendance. The children receive special education for one year in these schools. Depending on their performance, they would be mainstreamed to regular schools later. The education they receive includes regular mathematics, Tamil and English.

The Pulianthope school has 33 students and two specially trained teachers. Apart from teaching the students, the teachers, who have received training in counselling, conduct regular home visits. A parent-teacher meeting is held once a week. Some parents insist that since they live in abject poverty, they have to send the children to work.

“In such circumstances, we provide special counselling to the parents,” said G. Lakshmi, a teacher.

The NCLP provides a stipend of Rs.100 a month as an incentive to children.

This is deposited in a bank account and given to the child at the time of mainstreaming. The children are provided mid-day meals. As a further incentive, the Corporation helps parents form self-help groups.

Aspirations

Madivalan is a lively 12-year-old. “I want to study and become a policeman, so that I can punish all bad guys who do wrong,” he said.

Madivalan was rescued from a steel factory. “I started working two years ago. My mother needed the income as my father died long time ago. I have one elder brother, two younger sisters and one younger brother. My mother is a fish vendor.”

Ayesha, 12, worked at a jewellery shop earlier. “I made 20 rupees a day. I studied up to class six, but had to quit school to start working. My father, a butcher, told me to work because the situation at home was difficult,” said Ayesha, considered one of the brightest kids of the group.

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