National Child Labour School

Child Labour Programme

Seba Jagat initiated its child labour education programme in the year 2000 with support from NCLP, Kalahandi. It started one school in the first year in Khaliamunda villages of M.Rampur block. A total of 50 non-school going & dropout's children of 7 to 8 villages involved in various hazardous as well as non hazardous activities were identified and enrolled here. After two to three years of education all most all the students of these schools completed education up-to 5th standard. The school was then shifted to Urladani village of the same block. During the year 2006-07, Seba Jagat added one more child labour school to its education programme in the village Joradobra of Karlamunda block.

In this process, Seba Jagat has able to create opportunity of education for a total of 200 child labourers of around 25 villages in the last 7 years.

Approaches to Education

  • Community Awareness on Education.
  • Innovative School for child Labour and drop-outs for 100 children inUrladani & Juradobra G.P (50 each) with the support of NCLP, Kalahandi.
  • Motivating parents in Parents meeting & through Awareness programme to send their children to School.

Approaches at NCLP

  • Participation in Panchayat to State level sports program
  • Need based Vocational Education/Training
  • Developing a cultural team among students
  • Motivation for environment protection
  • Provision for Mid-day meal, Stipend and Insurance facility, for students
  • Monthly health checkup through ZSS team and provision of health facility
  • Participation in Panchayat to State level sports program

Seba Jagat has been implementing Child Labour Institution programme through "National Child Labour Project society" Kalahandi, supported by Ministry of Labour Department Govt. of India in 2 Blocks since 2000 where more than 150 dropout/left out tribal, Dalit and other backward class children are mainstreamed and now 100 dropout/left out Tribal , Dalit and other backward class children are studying

Activities Taken So far on the issue

Education Programme at Seba Jagat is one of the entry point activities which has been one of the focal areas of intervention since the start of its work and since its origin. In addition, Seba Jagat's reason for working on children rights is more from the perspective of working for the rights and development of the tribal communities which represent the most systematically and structurally deprived sections of the society. . And it is the belief that the building blocks of any community lie in its children who are represent its future.

Five tribal students from our Child Labour School passed Navodaya Entrance ,joined and now three students got 1st Class in Matriculation ,one student got 82 % mark . Other students are now in good ranking in formal schools .Getting good position in different sports and cultural competitions in the Panchayat ,Block ,District and State.It has been recorded in the district .Now it has become good impact on the community as a whole in the area including people are pressurizing Govt. schools for better result.

Promotion of vocational training to students of NCLP school

To develop a healthy attitude among students towards work and life, to enhance individual employability, a need based vocational programme has been initiated in these two schools. The trades selected are tailoring and knitting in the school at Banjipadar and palm leaf basket weaving in Regeda school.

Story (Paramananda showed the way)

Paramananda ,eldest son of Late Sukla and Irpuli Majhi of Khaliamunda village when left his school in 1998 in 2nd standard nobody was worried neither parents nor teacher. Rather parents were happy that he would take care of children at home and help in household work. What was going in Paramananda’s mind he only knew and did not feel like telling anybody. Born in a Panga Kondh tribe may be he thought this is what he has born to do. Two years passed and Paramanand was there in the village like other children going to shifting cultivation field, doing household work. But in 2000 Paramananda was selected as a student for the child labour school running in the village. But neither Paramananda was the natural choice for the teachers nor Paramananda was happy to join the school. After a long persuasion by the teachers he joined the school. For around 3-4 month there was no improvement in the situation. But slowly the situation changed. He took interest in the study. He started participating in different debates, song competitions in Panchayat and Block level and got some prize. He secured A Grade in 5th standard and qualified Navodaya entrance. This year he passed matriculation and got 82% marks.

Today Paramananda has become an example for other students in his village. Today Paramanda thinks what he is today because of his first teacher in Rindo Majhi child labour school. Now he motivates other children in the village to join school. His motto is You can if you try.