CHENNAI: The school education department is gearing up to conduct door-to-door surveys to trace out-of-school children, aged between six and 18 years, from December 19 to January 11. Dropouts will be traced and sent to special training centres managed by the integrated school education department. Special focus will be given to disabled children and children of intra and inter-state migrant labourers, said officials.
The school education department has roped in block resource teacher educators, headmasters, teachers, anganwadi workers, activists, special educators, physiotherapists, school management committee (SMC) members, the labour department and the social defence department to conduct the survey. NGOs working for the welfare of children, and self-help groups will also be involved in the activity.
Last year, the department introduced a mobile app for staff to upload data from the field. This app was updated based on the responses received from various stakeholders. As per a 2017 GO, students who have not attended school for 30 continuous working days would be considered dropouts, and those with irregular attendance were potential dropouts.
At present, the school education department has broadened the definition of potential dropouts to those who have not attended classes for 15 continuous days. These children will be tracked and will be provided special training so they regularly attend school.
This year, the survey will concentrate on potential dropouts, with help from headmasters and other officials. Data from the common pool of the Education Management Information System will be used.
Pre-survey checklists
Ahead of the survey, the chief educational officers of all districts conducted a meeting on Wednesday with officials in the district child protection unit, police, labour department and child line. With their input, a list was collated of unchecked habitations, industrial areas, and hill settlements. This list will be cross-checked by the District Rural Development Agency, district differently-abled welfare office, officials and respective local bodies.
Collectors will conduct an all pre-planning meeting on December 15 and 16. Then, details of area at the block level will be uploaded onto the survey application and staff will be deployed. SMC members will ensure awareness about the survey is raised in neighbourhoods. Officials will collect details of students who lost one or both parents to Covid-19.
Officials said, TN has 80,000 dropouts. Due to the inter-district migration of workers, it has become difficult to bring children back to school. The department will try to ensure coordination between officials, they added.