Minister promises children at govt care homes access to schools
Efforts are under way to arrange for skill development training and help them get jobs here, state’s social welfare minister Madan Sahni said.
Children lodged at government care institutions in Bihar will be able to join general schools in the state and will also be provided the transportation facility to and fro, state’s social welfare minister Madan Sahni said on Saturday.
The minister was speaking at a function, “Baccho Ka Samvaad, Adhikariyon Ke Saath”, organised in Patna by the social welfare department with support from UNICEF’s Bihar chapter to mark the Child Rights Day on November 20.
“There have been arrangements of teachers and classes and smart classes at every government care institution, but some children also want to join schools outside the home. Their wishes will be considered and the department will try to arrange this facility for them,” Sahni said.
“Recently, over two dozen girls from care homes got jobs in hospitality sector in Bengaluru, where they were sent by the social welfare department to join hospitality management course. The outcome has been quite encouraging,” the minister said. “Now, another batch will be sent to Bengaluru for the course and training,” he said.
Efforts are under way to arrange for skill development training and help them get jobs here, Sahni said.
Atul Prasad, principal secretary, social welfare department, said if things go fine, efforts would be made to make children join general category schools from the forthcoming session.
Earlier, the children submitted to the social welfare minister a charter of demands, which included appointment of teachers for every subject in the schools being run on government care institution promises, facility of sanitary pad bank and their disposal system, vaccination and other medical facilities at the homes. They also demanded effective implementation of laws against child marriage and child labourers.
Rajkumar, the social welfare director, said the charter of demands was created after rounds of discussions at the Bal Darbaars held every government care home in the state. “These discussion sessions started on Children’s Day (November 14) and today the list of demands was submitted,” he said.
