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Child labourers employed in the carpet industry of Mirzapur-Bhadoi finally have a chance to go to school.
In the Mirzapur-Bhadoi districts of Uttar Pradesh, the munshis (teachers) tend to doze in their chairs; so the students spare around in the classroom. Many parents therefore feel it is better that the children do something more productive than going to school. The sleepy munshis are only one problem. There are other problems such as caste discrimination. Upper-caste teachers make children from the lower castes sit at the back of the class and pay them scant attention. Girl students are likewise ignored. It is clear that poverty alone does not drive children into labour. The apathy written into our educational system drives a large number of children away from schoo! l. The Centre for Rural Education and Development Action (CREDA) has been trying to counter this apathy by creating a context of meaningful education for children, so that they do not end up as child labourers in the factories of the Mirzapur-Bhadoi carpet-weaving belt. Supported by the United Nations Development Programme and the National Child Labour Project, CREDA undertook the responsibility of running 'special schools' with the specific aim of reclaiming children from the carpet industry and providing them primary education through rapid courses that would enable them to enter the mainstream system of education. Getting the children out of the carpet-industry wasn't easy. Some of the parents depended on the income the children brought in. They had to be convinced of the long-term gain in educating their children. The loom-owners were extremely hostile because the industry thrives on the exploit! ative salaries paid to children. Against these odds, CREDA was able to create a social climate to bring the children back to school. Parents were educated about children's rights and the legal provisions safeguarding their interests. Adult weavers joined a silent march to protest the employment of children. The loom owners were persuaded to observe the legal prohibitions against child labour. Village-level meetings helped convince the community that child labour must be stopped, that the children must go to school. At CREDA's special schools the teachers are highly motivated and take a keen interest in curricular and extra-curricular activities, including sports and group activities. The children are given mid-day meals and a small stipend of Rs 100 per month to cover their immediate needs. This helps the parents who are, for the most part, very poor. The children are mostly fi! rst-generation learners. Special efforts have to be made to retain the almost 90 per cent attendance at the schools and to motivate children to pursue higher studies. CREDA helps the communities to access funds from the government. Normally, girls are engaged in off-loom activities and it is more difficult to get them to school. In the UNDP-supported schools, 44 per cent of the 5,000 students are girls. Contact: Shamshad Khan
CREDA, 490 Awas Vikas Colony
Mirzapur - 231 001
Uttar Pradesh, India
Tel: 91-5442-622 05
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