Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Exam time at Don Bosco

Photo: S. Gopakumar

Evaluation: Children housed at the Don Bosco House in the city taking the class IV equivalency test conducted by the Literacy Mission on Sunday. —

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was examination time for the inmates of Don Bosco House Society and Childline in the city on Sunday.

As many as 12 residents of the short stay home in the age group 9-12 wrote the class IV equivalency examination conducted by the State Literacy Mission. The children hailing from various parts of the country, including West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, were brought to the home after they were found lost or wandering in the city.

The home authorities in turn initiated the process of tracing the parents and relatives of the children through their various networks across the country. In the last one year alone, 55 children sheltered at the home had been reunited either with their parents or relatives.

The 12 children who wrote the examination at the home on Sunday had been living there for nearly a year now. “Our efforts to trace their relatives are still on,” said Philip Parakatt, director Don Bosco Veedu Society and Childline.

The examination held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. tested the children’s proficiency in mathematics, Malayalam, social science and English. The examination in English was held orally.

According to Manual George, coordinator, Childline, the children are extremely motivated in their studies. Some of them displayed remarkable grasping skills, he said.

Apart from various cultural activities, the home devotes an hour on a regular basis to instil academic aptitude in the children. “The objective of the home is to provide good food, good recreation and good interpersonal skills for the children,” said Fr. Parakatt.

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