The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Vaniyambadi municipal schools to get a facelift

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 25, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Vaniyambadi municipal schools to get a facelift

Staff Reporter

“Several institutions are lacking in infrastructure”

VANIYAMBADI: The Vaniyambadi Municipality in Vellore district has decided to take steps to eradicate child labour and improve the basic infrastructure in all municipal schools. A decision in this regard was taken at a District Education Committee meeting held here on Thursday. Municipal chairman V. Sivaji Ganesan presided.

Vaniyambadi is one of the taluk headquarters in the district where child labour has been extensive. According to social activists, child labour was more in areas such as Alangayam and Jafferabath. Children were forced to work owing to financial problems at home. Most of the residents worked at low tension tannery units. Another occupation was beedi rolling. People who worked in the tannery units got minimal daily wages and this was one of the reasons they forced their children to work, the activists said.

Several schools in Vaniyambadi did not have adequate buildings to accommodate all the students. This was used as an excuse by the parents for not sending their children to schools.

Vaniyambadi was one of the taluk headquarters where there was no municipal higher secondary school. Most of the students could not afford to pursue their education in private schools, the activists claimed.

The situation in Tirupattur was little better and literacy rate was higher compared to Vaniyambadi, they added.

Residents of Vaniyambadi said that the municipality should play a more active role to improve the literacy rate. It should also strive to eradicate child labour, they added.

According to sources, the Town Education Committee, headed by Mr. Ganesan, had decided to admit school dropouts in non-formal schools. Taking note of the situation, the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan team had started a non-formal school for the dropouts at Nethaji Nagar.

The Committee stressed that teachers had an active role in child labour eradication. It had also decided to fill all the existing vacancies of teaching staff and improve the basic infrastructure at all schools attached to the municipality.

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