CHENNAI: For nearly a year, 12-year-old Shakthi (name changed) had not attended school, whiling away time by watching cartoons on TV and playing mobile games.
It took repeated visits and counselling by community organiser Kalaivani M (31), who is part of the Greater Chennai Corporation’s (GCC) exercise to trace out-of-school children, to get him back into Class 8.
Shakthi said he had studied well until Class 5, but began missing classes after teachers at his new school scolded him using abusive language. A subsequent transfer to a corporation school did not restore his interest.
Now, he said, his teachers have helped him make friends, and he has attended school regularly for a month. His mother said Kalaivani continues to call to check his attendance.
Shakthi is among 1,015 children brought back into education through the door-to-door exercise launched on August 21. School education department data identified 7,302 out-of-school children in Chennai: 4,308 boys and 2,994 girls.
In the first phase, GCC verified addresses and contact details of 2,106 children. Of these, 619 were enrolled in schools and 396 in ITIs, diploma, polytechnic, hotel management, vocational training and other programmes, a senior corporation official said.
Teams of Block Resource Teacher Educators and community organisers from the Tamil Nadu Women Development Corporation visited families, with GCC departments coordinating the work.
The officials said scolding by teachers, financial difficulties and illness in families had kept children away from school. Prolonged absence often left them struggling with lessons, and they end up dropping out.
Shankar (name changed), for instance, took leave to care for his hospitalised mother, fell behind and eventually failed in Class 10. GCC helped him join an ITI in Pullianthope and obtain a scholarship.
Adyar recorded 152 children returning to education, followed by Sholinganallur (115), Anna Nagar (113), Kodambakkam (106) and Thiruvottiyur (93). Most re-enrolled students in Sholinganallur and Thiruvottiyur came from resettlement sites. Follow-up with families continues.
Teams also identified 28 children with disabilities and special needs. At a September 10 camp, families received information on education, welfare schemes, rehabilitation and skill training. Psychologists counsel children and parents individually.
The GCC officials, however, sought greater school education department support to accelerate the exercise. While the department supplied Education Management Information System data, verification and categorisation were largely being handled by GCC teams, including zonal assistant education officers. A second batch of records is being verified.
Survey to identify children at risk
A GCC app to identify children at risk of dropping out is nearing completion, officials told TNIE. A demographic and socio-economic survey at Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board resettlement sites is expected to begin by October. Teams will enter details of all students in sites including Kannagi Nagar, Ezhil Nagar, Semmencherry and AIR Tsunami Quarters. The data will help identify out-of-school children and those at risk, enabling follow-up support such as access to scholarships.
