The Hindu : Govt. closes down 21 schools for rehabilitated children

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 08, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Govt. closes down 21 schools for rehabilitated children

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE May 7. Despite the State Government's avowed mission to end child labour, it has closed down 21 schools meant for rehabilitated child labourers, according to Campaign Against Child Labour (CACL).

Mathew Philip, CACL-Karnataka convenor, and Hunsemarada, CACL Gadag Chapter convenor, told presspersons here on Wednesday that the schools (for girls) were closed 11 months after they were opened. "The Department for Women and Child Welfare was to run them for three years. They were opened in December 2001 and closed by November 2002. Some 1,050 girls used to study there," they said. Lack of funds was the reason cited for closure of the schools.

"But that is not true. An employer must pay Rs. 20,000 for every rehabilitated child labourer and the Government must pay Rs. 5,000 to the child's parents. The Government has collected Rs. three lakh to Rs. five lakh from every district," Mr. Philip said.

But why was the CACL silent for so long? He explained that they had been in touch with the department. "Now they are reportedly considering our plea to reopen the schools."

The CACL members said the Government had consistently downplayed the extent of child labour. "Recently, a minister said there were only 39,000 child labourers in the State — 32,000 in non-hazardous sectors and 7,000 in hazardous industries. If that is so, the Government does not need three years (officially, Karnataka will be child labour-free by 2006) to rehabilitate 39,000 children," Mr. Philip said.

According to him, the number is nearer 35 lakh. "Every child out of school is a labourer for us," he said and added that no one knew how many children worked as domestic help.

The CACL brought a couple of rehabilitated children for the press conference. One of them was Prema, who used to work in the silk industry. She was part of a CACL delegation that met the President, A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, in New Delhi on April 30, Anti Child Labour Day.

"If the schools do not reopen for this academic year, Prema and others like her may go back to work," Mr. Philip added.

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Govt. closes down 21 schools for rehabilitated children