The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Testing their conscience on a public issue

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 28, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Testing their conscience on a public issue

Kannal Achuthan

PUBLIC POLL: Peace Trust conducting a poll on Tuesday in Chennai to emphasise ratification of ILO C 182 Convention — Photo: R. Shivaji Rao

CHENNAI: Should education be made free for students up to 18 years? Or is it enough to ensure free education at the primary level? A "Cast Your Vote" programme was organised on Tuesday by Peace Trust, a non-governmental organisation, to find out the public's view on State-sponsored education and its role in eliminating child labour.

School children, teachers and members of the general public cast their votes into ballot boxes put up in Durga school and tutorials in Kodambakkam.

About 600 votes were received. More voting sessions will be organised in other parts of the city to reach out to a larger section of people.

"We want to urge the Central and State Governments to ratify the International Labour Organisation's convention 182, which is directed against the worst forms of child labour. We believe free and compulsory education up to 18 years of age can help in this initiative," Peace Trust field researcher S. Ramachandran said.

The votes would be counted and the results of the public poll would be released on November 20 — U.N. Child Rights Day — as a tool to lobby for free and compulsory education.

The next voting session will be held at Vizhuthumangalam Rajeshwari Primary school, 27/ 28, Railway Border road, near Kodambakkam Railway station between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m on Wednesday. For details, call Peace Trust at 24348922.

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