Child Development

Child Labourer Centres

Objective:
This project prevents children from working and creates a suitable environment to give them education and also to protect child rights. Child Labourers Centres prepare child labourers/drop-outs for entry into formal school. These children are taken out of the labour force to attend the CLCs, it is important to gain the support of the parents by providing proper incentives. The first three months the children attend, they are instructed using non-formal education techniques with the objective to enable them to enter into a more structured setting at the end of these three months. At the end of the three months, each child is assessed and based on performance the children are placed into different levels. Instructors then prepare the children based-on their particular abilities. The goal is that the children are prepared to enter mainstream school at the end of one year. A second assessment is done by both the CLCs Instructors and the teachers of the school where the children are to be placed. Meetings with the children’s parents are conducted once a month, to motivate and prepare the parents for main-streaming their children to school

Classes are held from 9.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and all attendees are provided with a proper meal in the afternoon.

Child Development

History:
This project was started in 1992 in Korukkupet. In the beginning it was started as Non Formal Education centre which functioned in the evenings. The child labourers attended the classes after their work. Slowly by motivating the children, parents and employers the evening centres were converted to full time child labourers centres. The primary challenge lay in convincing the children and their parents. The project was extended in 2004 in Tirovottiyur and in 2005 in Ennore

Target of the Program:
Children who have never been to school, children who stopped going to school, child labourers.
The program is targeted for the children between 7-14 years old.

Impacts:

  • Reduced the number of child labourers (in Korukkupet there is now only 25% of child labourers compare to 75% in 1992)

  • Increased the number of children who go to school

  • The residents in the area surrounding the CLCs are made aware of the importance of children going to school and hence encourage neighbours to send their children to school

  • With time, the number of students in the CLC decrease thanks to a corresponding decrease in the child labour force

  • Since the numbers of Child labourers has decreased we have closed child labourers centre

  • If any child is found working or out of school immediate action is taken by children sangam, women group, Youth forum to enrol the child in school