Special Schools for Child Labourers
WORD is one among the four NGOs to run special schools for child labourers in Namakkal District under INDUS project of Child Labour, with the financial assistance both from Government of India and the United States Department of Labour and the execution by International Labour Organisation. The three special schools are being run in Pallipalayam and Komarapalayam areas in Namakkal District where the textile and power loom industries are concentrated more. The three schools are being run in the following areas.
1. Amman Nagar, Pallipalayam.
2. K. Olappalayam, Komarapalayam.
3. Kandipudur, Pallipalayam.
The child labourers in the special schools are provided with nutritious lunch and they have been given intensive education for 5 hours per day at par with the Tamilnadu Government Education syllabus. Apart from the educational input, the skilled teachers are teaching various skills on cultural, sports and games and fine arts.
Keeping in mind that poverty is the main cause of the child labour system in the country, the parents of the children are being motivated to form as self-help groups to generate income, build assets and move towards self-reliance. It also paved a way to spur the rural economy at the village level.
Currently 109 child labourers are studying in these three special schools from standard 1- standard VIII.