In a joint endeavor, Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC) with labor Department is planning to set up special residential schools in coming days for all those kids who have been rescued from the menace of human trafficking. If all goes well and if the project is approved under Central Government’s scheme Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the Council to begin with will set up two special residential schools with all essential facilities to aid rescued children at Ranchi and Dumka districts, covering the Santhal Pargana regions in the first phase.
With the motto to provide proper learning environment to rescued kids covering both academics and psychological aspects, the council have planned to create special posts for trained clinical councilors and psychologists at each school besides the regular faculty posts. The professional cadres will not just be restricted to academics but will also include some qualified professionals from different fields that will help in boosting up the morale of rescued kids through different activities designed especially keeping psychosomatic features of rescued minors.
The step is also to ensure and keep a track on number of kids that are rescued over the years from across India and are brought back to Jharkhand.
“These special residential schools will address the track record maintenance issue to an extent. Due to ad-hoc arrangements at different schools and scattered plan of action, it has become difficult to keep and maintain the exact number of figures of rescued children. The labor department will provide us with the list of migrants and rescued child labors. We are also planning to collaborate with NGOs and other government departments,” said, JEPC State Project Director, Mukesh Kumar.
Interim project report with all details will be presented to SSA officials at the annual conference in February 2017-stated Kumar.
“Beside all the defined activities under SSA, we will also brief the officials of Government of India about these special residential schools, its need and advantages in State like Jharkhand. In addition, a fair idea about the problems of accommodating all rescued kids in government schools like KGVB, Navodaya Vidyalaya etc. functioning at present across districts will be depicted in the meeting,” added Kumar.
If the Government of India gives consent over the project, all rescued kids admitted at the schools will be provided training in different traits under the skill development programme as well.
“We are collecting and compiling the data of rescued child labors and migrants to provide support to JEPC. To assist Department of School Education and literacy in this major project and in streaming up other documentation work, the department is working towards this,” added, labor Department Commissioner, Pravin Toppo.