How should the system help educate child labourers? Can the government schools provide a favourable environment for these children to study? What could be done when their economic conditions force them back to work?
Sharing her difficult experience in teaching a child labourer who dropped out of school to fend for his family, D.Sankaradevi, a teacher from a government primary school in Abhisegapakkam, sought answers to the questions at a three-day symposium organised by Azim Premji Foundation held at Mother Theresa Postgraduate and Research Institute of Health Sciences on Tuesday.
The government schools in Puducherry remain to be the only hope for children from the impoverished section. While perennial problems like lack of infrastructure, inadequate teaching staff and lack of funds continue to haunt these schools, teachers have resolved to bring in some change.
The symposium Medaiyil Thisaimaani is an annual teachers’ seminar organised by Azim Premji Foundation for the government school teachers in Puducherry. “Through the teachers’ magazine Thisaimaani , Azim Premji Foundation has been engaged with the government school teachers to evolve innovative methods to teach students. This annual event provides a platform for teachers to gather at a place and work forward as a community,” said Gurpreet Sethy, Head, Azim Premji Foundation, Puducherry.
Nal.Karunanithi from Government Primary School in Perungalore spoke how films could be effectively used to explain an archetypal character in a language class. K.Adirai, a teacher from Kurusukuppam government school, underlined the importance of using pictures to explain words. She said that even entire prose or poems could be taught through videos with sound. “This has worked out very well in my class. It has helped boost their confidence level and encouraged them to learn English language without any fear,” she said.
Teachers from nearly 23 government schools presented their case studies during the first day of the symposium. Salai Selvam, resource person, Azim Premji Foundation, said that resource centres for teachers have been set up at different government schools to help teachers develop lesson plans.
“These case studies are published in the bimonthly magazine Thisamaani, " she said.
J.Krishnaraju, State Project District, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, released the magazine.
