National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Project Director D. Anjaneya Reddy has asked all parents and the elders to admit children in schools and put an end to the child labour system.
As part of the ‘Special Education Fortnight’, being observed by Rajiv Vidya Mission (RVM) from July 9 to 21, representatives of various NGOs conducted a meeting with the children on ‘Right to Education Act-2009’ and on ‘Literacy among Girl Child’ at Lenin Centre here on Thursday.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Anjaneya Reddy said that many children, particularly girls, were seen working in shops, and homes in hazardous conditions, but some thousands of seats were lying vacant in government schools and social welfare hostels.
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Provisions
Explaining provisions of the Right to Education Act, the Project Director said that every child, aged below 14 years, should be in school and engaging children in work is a crime. There was a huge applause from the children, when Mr. Reddy called upon them to fight for their rights and ring ‘1098’, if they found children working in shops or homes.
Team leader of University College of Dublin (UCD), Volunteers Overseas, Ireland, Caroline, who is on a visit to India to work on ‘child labour’ and literacy among children in the Care and Share Project, said that a team of students are studying on the activities of the NGOs to eradicate child labour.
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Another student of the UCD Erica explained the importance of education, especially for girls, which will boost the economy. The team would submit a report on the activities of the NGOs, development, and child labour after they return to the university, she said.
Care and Share secretary Noel Harper appealed to the parents to educate their wards and protect child rights. Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) Urban Coordinator Gayatri Devi, representatives of various voluntary organisations and inmates of the homes attended.
Earlier, Additional Joint Collector N. Ramesh flagged off the rally at Raghavaiah Park which wended through the streets and culminated into a meeting at Lenin Centre. Cultural programmes performed by students of various homes and Chaitanya Kala Brundam, Tiruvuru, enthralled the public.