The Hindu : Scheme to end child labour launched

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 18, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore

Scheme to end child labour launched

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE FEB. 17. The State Government today launched the "Kooliyinda Shalege" (from work to school) programme, a Statewide drive against child labour aimed at bringing 3.40 lakh out-of-school children back to school.

The Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, launched the programme and said that with education being a fundamental right, it was the duty of the Government to provide primary education for these children. Despite the ban on employing children below 14 years under Article 24 of the Constitution, lakhs of children were employed in hazardous industries. The Government would initiate penal action under the Karnataka Education Act and Child Labour Act against employers who employed children below 14 years, he warned.

Commending the commitment shown towards education by a few business entrepreneurs who had adopted government primary schools, the Chief Minister said effective participation by teachers, parents, and Education Department officials was essential to make the programme a success. The Education, Labour, Social Welfare, and Women and Child Welfare departments were involved in the programme.

Noting the improvement in school attendance in Bidar, Bijapur, Bellary, Gulbarga, Koppal, and Raichur districts following the introduction of the midday meal scheme in those districts last year, Mr. Krishna said the Government was thinking of starting the programme all over the State. Many girls did not go to school because there were no toilets in many schools, he said.

The "Baa Marali Shalege" (come back to school) and "Chinnara Angala" programmes succeeded in bringing back 2.24 lakh children to school last year, he said and added that the four departments should work together to bring all dropouts back to school. Under the "Kooliyinda Shalege" programme, the aim was to provide five years of primary education to all children by 2007, increasing it to eight years by 2010.

The Minister for Women and Child Welfare, Motamma, stressed the need for giving quality education to children in order to weed out social evils. Anyone could achieve anything if he or she was given proper education, she emphasised.

The Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education, B.K. Chandrashekar, the MLA and KSRTC Chairman, R.V. Devaraj, the Mayor of Bangalore, C.M. Nagaraj, the Bangalore Urban Zilla Panchayat President, Rathna G. Reddy, and Education Department officials were present.

The Samudaya group staged a street play on the occasion.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Scheme to end child labour launched

`Teacher-centric education, a bane'

Move to shelve DM method denied

Tackling TB: REACH shows the way

Man held, goods recovered

Helping slum children return to school

Silt disposal: Lokayukta visits site