All set for first day of school

Teachers prepare caps out of coconut leaves at the Government LPS Manacaud in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday to welcome new students at the school reopening on Monday. Photo: S. Mahinsha

Uniforms ironed, little backpacks ready and their spirits up – the 17 children cared for by the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare are ready to venture out and brave the first day of school on Monday morning, without a parent to hold their hand.

These children are among those at the Council who were referred here by the Child Welfare Committee following court cases or illnesses that have rendered their parents as ‘unfit’ to look after them for the time being.

This year’s contingent is significantly larger than previous years, said Administrative Officer Sasidharan Nair, adding that last year there were only six children who were taken to school from the Council.

There are nine girls this time. Six of the 17 children are going into Class I and the rest to kindergarten.

Once the child outgrows the age limit of five years at the Council, they are then transferred to another of the Social Justice Department’s care homes – such as the Sree Chitra Poor Home.

These children have been enrolled into the Government Model Lower Primary School, Thycaud, which is right next door to the Council premises.

Presently, there are 48 children being looked after by the Council – but most of them are not legally available for adoption since they still have parents.

It is those who have been left at the ‘Ammathottil’ or electronic cradle who are eligible for adoption.

Praveshanolsavam

Schools across the State will welcome the new academic year with the ‘Praveshanolsavam’, an event that every government school organises that usually involves colourful processions, cultural programmes and distribution of sweets and other items on the very first day.

The City Corporation will hold their official inauguration at the Ponnara Sreedhar Memorial School. Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar and Mayor K. Chandrika will attend.

According to education standing committee chairperson K.S. Sheela, renovation and basic repair work was carried out in most schools under the Corporation including Higher Secondary schools in Ambalathura, Beemapally and Kamaleshwaram.