The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Examinations with a difference

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007
ePaper

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Examinations with a difference

Dennis Marcus Mathew

Over 1,500 child labourers to appear for SSC, VII class exams

HYDERABAD: The SSC and class seven examinations this March will have a slight difference as far as its candidates are concerned. Both will have over 1,500 child labourers, or rather former child labourers, appearing at various centres across the State capital.

While 1,466 former child labourers will try their luck at the class seven public examinations, 100 will be writing the SSC examination. Both the categories have been rescued from various commercial establishments and households by officials of the National Child Labour Project (NCLP), Hyderabad unit, over the past few years.

Third year in a row

This is the third year on the trot that rescued child labourers are appearing for the class seven examination, while SSC candidates from this category are a first for Hyderabad. Interestingly, a majority of the 1,500 plus candidates are girls, and among those, a majority is from the minority Muslim community, according to NCLP Hyderabad project director Siraj-ur-Rahman.

The district administration is sponsoring 100 SSC candidates, while the class seven candidates are being supported by NCLP, which is helping these children prepare for the exams as well. Most of the class seven candidates are enrolled with NCLP's non-residential bridge course centres while the seniors are inmates of Residential Bridge Course (RBC) centres.

Tutors appointed

"We are providing them with study material apart from appointing tutors who will go to the RBCs, teach them and guide them through the preparations for the exams. We will also arrange transport to the exam centres since they cannot afford it on their own," Mr. Rahman said.

While class seven exams are tested territory, with last year's 1,000 candidates registering an impressive 85 per cent pass percentage, NCLP officials are keeping their fingers crossed over the possible SSC results.

Of the 100, 86 are taking the exam in Urdu medium with the rest taking it in Telugu. Seventy of the Urdu candidates are girls while the Telugu aspirants have seven boys and seven girls.

On the whole, 837 girls and 629 boys will appear for the class seven exams while 77 girls and 23 boys will take the SSC exam.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh