Kaptipada: Contrary to the assertion made by the administration that each child in Mayurbhanj district has access to primary education, thousands of kids have remained out its purview in various parts of this block.
This has happened despite a number of programmes are being implemented to boost primary education in rural areas, a report said.
With their families struggling to arrange a square meal a day, the kids have no way but to engage themselves in income-generating activities to supplement the family income.
According to reports, the district administration had launched ‘Mu Bi Padhibi’ programme, the brainchild of collector Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, aimed at motivating students towards primary education. Besides, mid-day meals, free uniforms and free bicycles are also provided to students in a bid to attract them to schools and reduce dropout rates. Sadly, these measures have not been fully effective in Kaptipada block as many schools do not have targeted strength of students.
In remote pockets, children belonging to poor economic background are toiling hard to sustain their families.
During ‘Operation Muskan’, scores of children engaged in shops, eateries and garages had been rescued and admitted to different schools with accommodation facilities. However, this operation has not also achieved cent percent success in rescuing kids from hazardous working condition, it was learnt.
Many poor guardians are of the view there is no use sending their wards to schools when the latter are already accustomed to giving their helping hands to the family earning.
Social activists observed that there is a need for change in the attitude of guardians.
Forcing the children into doing physical labour is violation of Child Labour Act -2012. The Act has provision of penalty of `20,000 and imprisonment for two years if anyone is found violating it. However, the people are not aware of this legal provision while prosecution in such cases is hardly made, the activists alleged. They said the police, the administration and the district child protection unit should pay heed to such violations and convince guardians to send their wards to schools.
Cluster resources centre coordinator of Kaptipada block, Sashikant Bhoi said school dropout children are brought from various places and rehabilitated at special residential training centres at four places in the block.
About 52 students were accommodated at Padmapokhari centre; 20 girls at Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya at Kaptipada; 46 at Ranipokhari centre; and 40 at Jadida centre, Bhoi added. PNN