UNICEF recognition for a Plus-Two achiever of a child labour special school came in as another feather in the cap for the Child Labour Elimination and Effective Rehabilitation Society (CHEERS) here.
CHEERS runs 35 child labour special schools in Tiruchi district under National Child Labour Project.
Rajakumari of Palayur village who stood first in the Plus-Two public examinations at the district-level from among erstwhile child labourers mainstreamed by special schools run by CHEERS into regular schools obtained the State second rank among students of her ilk, by virtue of which she qualified for the UNICEF Award.
As a student of Government Girls' Higher Secondary School, Mannachanallur, Rajakumari scored a total of 1,084 marks. Prior to that she was a student of the special school at Sengilippatti near Mannachanallur. She was identified by the CHEERS volunteers from a gem cutting unit and admitted to the special school.
Currently a BCA student of Shrimati Indira Gandhi College in the city, Rajakumari was invited to Chennai for receiving the prize for her Plus-Two performance at a programme organised in connection with the Anti Child Labour Day.
Rajakumari received UNICEF's cash award of Rs. 3,000, and the State Resource Centre's award of Rs. 2,000 from State Labour Minister T.M. Anbarasu. District Collector in-charge V. Dhakshinamurthy complimented Rajakumari on her achievement in the presence of Project Director of CHEERS P. Manju.
Mr. Dhakshinamurthy also felicitated Vaijayanthimala of the Ariyakonpatti Special School who received the Best Teacher 2010 award from the Labour Minister. The award constituted a certificate of appreciation and a cash component of Rs. 1,850. Ms. Vaijayanthimalai was chosen from amongst three nominees for the award. The other two nominees were Vasanthi of Malayappa Nagar Special School and Kalarani of Ambikapuram Special School.
