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Sandip Das

Even as India Inc. is scaling new heights, in several pockets of the country 7 and 8-year-old children struggle to balance their day between school and work.

A class in progress at a Bal Shramik Vidyalaya - picture by the author

Lovely Khatoon, seven-year-old daughter of a poor umbrella repairer, goes to the school for child labourers in the morning and works as a domestic help in the afternoon. Lovely's father earns Rs 40 a day and this is hardly enough to support his wife and three daughters. This forces Lovely to work, but she also attends the Bal Shramik Vidyalaya (BSV), run under the National Child Labour Programme (NCLP) sponsored by the Ministry of Labour.

Eight-year-old Ramesh Murmu studies in a BSV. His father works in a brick-making unit, while the child works as helper in a small hotel where he earns Rs 10 per day plus dinner. Ravina Khaton also attends the specialised school even as she helps her father carry bricks to the brick kiln. This plight is shared by over 500 child labourers, mostly belonging to the scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and backward castes in the Jamtara district of Jharkhand, bordering West Bengal.

As many as 11 BSVs function in Jamtara district in an effort to draw a majority of the child labour population into mainstream education. This district has a high incidence of child labour in bidi-making, restaurants, brick kilns, rag picking, etc. The BSVs give the children access to a non-formal elementary education. The schools also provide a monthly stipend of Rs 100 to each student along with a mid-day meal. As part of the NCLP, a doctor from the local government hospital visits the BSVs every month to give the children a health check-up. "Unlike regular schools, these special schools have children of different age-groups in the classes and special attention is given to each child to make up for the years ithas lost," says Rumpti Chandra, who supervises the schools in Jamtara district.

However, due to their economic condition, many students fail to attend classes regularly. During the rainy season, Furkan Ansari (8) attends a BSV regularly at Fagudi, in rural Jamtara. But he skips school often during winter and summer, as he helps his father carry brick to the kiln. Also, many labourers migrate to bigger cities such as Kolkata, Ranchi and Patna in search of seasonal employment in the construction industry. The non-formal schools aim to educate working children up to class III, and then integrate them into government-run primary schools. In 1995, the Child Labour Elimination Society (CLES) was formed in Dumka, where the literacy level was low and child labour rampant. CLES prepared a detailed plan to run 40 BSVs in three blocks — Jarmundi, Saraiyahaat and Jamtara respectively. Jamtara later became a separate district. The CLES was meant to ensure the smooth functioning of the BSVs.

However, the CLES is almost defunct now. "We need guidance and motivation from the government to carry forward the good work," says Renu Pada Patra, a BSV teacher. Under the project, two teachers have been earmarked for each school at a salary of Rs 1,500 a month. The low salary often forces teachers to take up part-time jobs.

Another problem is the non-availability of books, which forces parents to buy books out of the monthly stipend. "It is becoming very difficult for me to sustain my son's education," says Malti Baudi, who earns Rs 1,000 a month as a domestic help. The school buildings are also in bad shape and many are in a half-completed state. Despite these problems, many BSV students have gone on to join primary schools and are pursuing higher education.

Parimal Mandal, son of a landless farmer, who was studying in a BSV at Fagudi, is currently in class VII. Muna Sheikh, whose father runs a cycle repair shop, is in class IX at the local high school.

In a unique effort, parents of child labourers monitor the functioning of BSVs based on three indicators — serving of the mid-day meal, regular health check-up for students and attendance of teachers. Despite the hiccups, the Jamtara experience is expected to go a long way in eliminating illiteracy and child labour in the country. The slogan on a school wall says it all: Bachpan aata nahin bar bar, Inhe bhi mauka do ek bar (Childhood does not come often, they too deserve an opportunity).

Would the corporate world be interested in taking up this challenge?

Response may be sent to life@thehindu.co.in

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