KRISHNAGIRI: The school education department officials, with support from police and local villagers, have enrolled 14 school dropouts from Kamatchipuram tribal hamlet near Bargur at the nearby Government Higher Secondary School.
On June 26, TNIE carried an article titled 'Kids rescued from bonded labour go off official radar'. Following this, officials from the school education department enrolled a 13-year-old in Class 8 at the panchayat union middle school in Seemanoor on Tuesday.
"Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the 13-year-old boy again fled from the village. On Thursday, the school education department, along with the police, searched for the student in the village, but to no avail. They identified 14 other students who had dropped out. All students were admitted to Anchoor-Jagadevi Government Higher Secondary school the same day," a school education department official said.
Anchoor-Jagadevi Government Higher Secondary School, BRTE Vijayalakshmi said, "A transportation facility has also been arranged for students from their village to their school. Additionally, a local resident of Kamatchipuram was appointed to accompany children to the autorickshaw in the morning and pick them up in the evening."
A teacher at Anchoor-Jagadevi Government Higher Secondary School said that the BRTE must visit villages and enrol students back to school, and added that many are unaware of child protection committees.
Krishnagiri Chief Education Officer (in-charge), A Muniraj, said, "There is no disparity between teachers in high school and primary schools. All teachers have a responsibility to enrol back students who dropped out." He added that he would discuss the issue at the headmasters' meeting on Monday, about teachers' responsibilities and the importance of child protection committees."