HYDERABAD: The officials at the labour department are facing a challenge -- how to set up these Special Training Centres or bridge schools in the districts worst affected by child labour.
As per the National Child Labour Program (NCLP) scheme, all children in the age group of 9 to 14 years, who have been identified as part of the survey, must be sent to Special Training Centres.
There are close to 2,988 children in this age group, out of the 14,139 child labourers identified in the sample survey.
As per the scheme, an STC can be set up in any district where there are more than 15 children involved in the labour force. This means that except Warangal and Peddapalli, almost all the 18 districts in the survey mandatorily require an STC.
This is because the samples suggest that more than 15 children in every district are dropping out of school to start working.
However, the authorities are finding it challenging in determining how to set up an STC, as the children identified are scattered across different mandals. “In some villages, only 3 to 4 children were identified to be in the age group of 9 to 14. This makes it challenging to decide where the STC must be set up,” stated Varsha Bhargavi, coordinator of the State Resource Centre.
“The NCLP scheme provides a Rs 400-per-month benefit to children who join these schools. However, several kids may not find this stipend adequate to travel and come to school from other villages,” she added.
Moreover, another challenge encountered in implementing the NCLP scheme is the fact that only 7 districts have appointed project managers to date.
“The project managers are the ones supposed to identify these children and mobilise them to join the special training centres,” explained Varsha. However, only 7 districts -- namely Vikarabad, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Karimnagar, Rangareddy, Nalgonda, Jangaon and Yadadri -- have these posts filled so far.
That said, experts recommend the urgent need to tweak the NCLP scheme for Telangana, and link the STC schools to the robust network of residential or government schools in the State.
This is so that the children could also get to do bridge courses in schools near their homes, or even in other villages where there is a provision for accommodation.
Total number of Special Training Centres in State 55. Number of centres approved, but yet to become operational 39. Number of centres the State requires more than 200.