Uniforms for special school inmates

The National Child Labour Project (NCLP) plans to distribute new set of uniforms to the 1,650 rescued child labourers studying at various special schools run by it in the district before November 30. M. Nallaperumal, Project Director, NCLP, said the government has sanctioned Rs. 1.35 lakh towards procurement of clothes and stitching charges.

The boys would get a set of polyester-combined cotton white shirt and khaki shorts, and the girls a set of blue-casement skirt with blue blouse and blue half-sari. Cloth materials would be bought from `Co-optex' brand of the Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers' Society for stitching uniforms.

Mr. Nallaperumal said that four child labourers were rescued in the district since the government order prohibiting employment of children below the age of 14 years came into effect on October 10. The four children were rescued from non-hazardous establishments at Kovilpatti. While Sankaralingam (13), Ravikumar (13) and Rajan (13) were rescued from textile shops, Satish (13) was rescued from a fruit stall.

A team of officials from the NCLP and Labour Department inspected about 550 roadside eateries, teashops and recreational centres, following the new Government Order, but did not come across any child labourer in these establishments, he said.

On children employed as domestic help, Collector R. Palaniyandi said that the district administration did not receive any complaints in this regard till date. We would inspect the houses only when we get specific complaints. The public could register complaints to the help-line centre at the Collectorate at 0461-2340606, if they found children employed as domestic help, he said.

Official sources said efforts are under way to establish a residential school for child labourers at Kovilpatti. It is expected to start functioning this academic year itself. It would be set up by integrating child workers studying at 10 special schools run by the NCLP in and around Kovilpatti.

Presently, the NCLP runs 33 special schools in the district, of which 10 are at Kovilpatti, 11 at Kayathar, one each at Kadambur, Kazhugumalai and Vaippar, two each at Vilathikulam and Pudur, and five in Tuticorin.

Once the children are enrolled in the residential school, dropout rates will come down, it is expected.

Source: The Hindu