Committee to deal with the issueof out-of-school children likely

There are 217 such children in Udupi district: Vanitha Torvi

Vanitha Torvi, member of the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KCPCR), said on Friday that the KCPCR was thinking of forming a committee comprising officials of the departments of Labour and Women and Child Welfare to deal effectively with the issue of out-of-school children in Udupi district.

Addressing presspersons here, Ms. Torvi said that there were 217 out-of-school children in Udupi district. Almost all of them were children of migrant workers. Of the 217 out-of-school children, there were 50 out-of-school children in the six to 14 age group, while there were 167 out-of-school children in 15 to 17 age group. But there were none in the zero to five age group.

She was working in close coordination with the departments of Public Instruction and Women and Social Welfare to get these out-of-school children admitted to schools.

Bridge courses were being offered depending on the age and literacy levels of these children in schools. Skill-based training also needed to be given these children. Training in embroidery could be given in case of girls aged over 15 in addition to schooling.

Voluntary organisations should come forward to provide counselling to the out-of-school children and their parents. There were no open shelter homes in Udupi. The district administration should rope in voluntary organisations for starting such shelters. Some departments were cooperating with the KCPCR.

Awareness programmes

Since most of the out-of-school children usually worked at the Malpe fisheries harbour, garages and hotels, an awareness programme would be held for the owners of garages and hotels on this issue. The second phase of “Shale Kade, Namma Nade” had been launched in Udupi district recently.

Among the six districts under her jurisdiction — Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga, Bagalkot, Vijayapura and Koppal — the lowest number of out-of-school children were in Udupi district. Nearly 2,000 children of poor parents in Bagalkot, Koppal and Vijayapura districts had gone to work to other places. But parents had no clear information where their children were. Sincere efforts were being made to trace them, Ms. Torvi said.

Gracy Gonsalves, Deputy Director of Women and Child Welfare, was present.