Press release from Business Wire India
Source: Aide et Action
Monday, December 21, 2009 05:32 PM IST (12:02 PM GMT)
Editors: General: Consumer interest, Social issues; Business: Advertising, PR & marketing, Education & training
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Aide et Action South Asia Study Seeks Changes in Right to Education Act to Include 6 Million Migrant Children
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Monday, December 21, 2009 -- (Business Wire India) -- Child Migration and Education-The National Commission on Rural Labour in India (NCRL, 1991) estimates more than 10 million regular seasonal migrants in the rural areas alone in the country. These include an estimated 4.5 million inter- state migrants and 6 million migrants moving within the state, primarily landless vulnerable social groups. However informal estimates put the total number close to 30 million out of which 6 million constitute children. Studies and field evidence suggests that children accompanying their parents in the 0-14 age group may constitute one third of the total migrant population and put the number of migrant children below 14 years close to 6 - 9 million.
Aide et Action South Asia, an international NGO, conducted a survey on incidence of child migration in three districts of Western Orissa comprising Bolangir, Nuapada and Bargarh. The study covered 5 Blocks in the three districts. From each of the villages with high incidence of migration, 30 families having regular seasonal migration were chosen as sample for the study. The study covered a total population of 5380, out of which 4084 (76 percent) migrate.
The findings of the study include-
-- More than half (51 percent) of the children surveyed are currently out of the education system.
-- Close to one-third (28 percent) children have never had the opportunity to go to school.
-- Of the 49% who have been to school, the study revealed that most of the children, who had migrated for work, had to repeat classes as they were unable to appear for the final examinations.
-- These incidences have given rise to the phenomena that, children as old as 15 are studying in the 5th Standard.
-- Only 9% of the children have provision of schools at work sites run by Sarva siksha Abhiyan
-- And worse is that 4.8% of children migrated on their own as per the study
As per the government order (Ref .F.No-2-3/2005-EE.3 Dated on 29-8-2007) under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan , Department of School Education and Literacy, Government of India, provides for special effort for the education of the migrant children both at the source and the destination places, but it hardly gets implemented. There is stark absence of policy debate on the peculiar situation of migrant labour, which neither belong to their villages nor to the destination areas. They have to forgo government welfare benefits in their villages and are unable to access these at the migration sites.
The National workshop organized by Aide et Action invited practitioners, academicians and senior government functionaries to discuss the key issues around migration and to share and develop a more coherent approach to deal with the vulnerabilities and problems associated with migration in general and child migration in particular.
In an invitational address to the gathering Umi Daniel Thematic Head Migration AeA South Asia called for concerted efforts to promote education of over 6 million migrant children in India. Speaking at the occasion, Ms.Vandana Jena Principal Secretary, Dept of School and Mass Education Orissa, said that providing 8 years of schooling to migrant children is a huge challenge before the governments. She appreciated the timeliness of this workshop, the recommendations of which could be incorporated in the State Plans to be developed soon to achieve the Right to Education Act. Dr. Ambika Prasad Nanda of UNDP highlighted the need to ensure safe migration where families move with preparedness and gain from their migration. Professor Raman Mahadevan, Institute of Development Alternative Chennai, felt strong need for setting up of nodal agency at the National level and one in each of the state capitals where incidence of migration is high to coordinate efforts of various government departments in delivering services to migrant labour. Mr.Venkat Reddy, Convener MV Foundation said that migrant children are refused admission in local schools and workplaces invite them to join, so the exclusion. Ravi Pratap Singh Regional Director Aide et Action South Asia formally declared the launch of Migration Information Resource Center (MiRC) to support migration related work at National level to meet the new challenges posed by child migration in the light of failure of existing programs and policies.
The workshop came out with following recommendation-
-- Necessary changes to Sarva Siksha Abhiyan to include migrant children education- Focused approach to migrant children education-Creation of child data base in source areas of migration at Panchyat level. Establishment of Child tracking mechanism and participation of local governing bodies in monitoring of migration. Introduction of bridge courses for the children who are older in proportion to the standard they should be in. Need for coordination between Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and National Child labour Project.
-- Effective implementation of Interstate Migrant Workman's Act- Formation of intra state coordination bodies to address migration. Non recruitment of child labor, provision of basic services at work sites, access to health and sanitation of families. Efforts to
-- Effective implementation of NREGA and other Social Security Schemes (entitlements)- Focus on poorest blocks to arrest of migration and implementation of other social security measures. Learning from the places where is has been successful and improving the program in all those districts where it is not so successful.
-- Lack of sufficient data and information on migrants within India affects appropriate planning and it can be taken care of by inclusion of migrant and related important issues in the enumeration process of Census of India 2011.
Aide et Action South Asia has been working with the migrant labourers in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra on securing the children's education and protection of child rights. Migration Information Resource Centre (MiRC) is facilitating research, advocacy and perspective building on issues related to migration in India and is based at Bhubaneswar.
Aide et Action is an international development organization working with a vision that dignity is ensured for all men, women and children through Education- a lever for human development. We are currently working in 26 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America and Caribbean. Visit: www.aea-southasia.org.
CONTACT DETAILS
Vishy, Head- Communications, Aide et Action, +91 (40) 23316128, vishy@aea-southasia.org
KEYWORDS
CONSUMER, SOCIAL, MARKETING, EDUCATION
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