Rachakonda: On Saturday, February Work Site School in Odia and Marathi languages for the children working at brick kilns have been inaugurated by Rachalionda CP Mr. Mahesh M Bhagwat IPS in villages Cheriyal and Thimmayip, Keesara Mandal, Medchal District, partnering with Aide et Action international.
Speaking on the occasion CP stated that, this initiative was started as a follow up of Operation Smile conducted by the Rachakonda Police Commissionerate in 2017, aiming at eradicating child labor in all forms and providing education to children who are working as laborers in brick kilns along with their parents who migrated from Odisha and other states. CP stated that worksite schools ensure that all the migrant children will continue their education back in Odisha after the end of migration season, CP said that worksite school in the Marathi language has been established for the first time in Thinmayapalli for the children from Nanded District of Maharashtra who accompanied parents to work in the brick kiln.
Migrant workers from Odisha bring along their children when they come to the State in December to work in the brick kilns for a period of five months before heading back to their native places which makes their children work along with their parents in the kilns and ignore education. “During their stay in Telangana, the children were found working along with their parents or idling around. So to keep them away from work, we introduced the worksite school concept three years ago and since then, have successfully been running them,” CP Mr. Mahesh M Bhagwat said.
CP reminded that with the amiable partnership between Rachakonda Police Commissionerate, District Administration, Aide action international, and brick-in owners, the dream of ensuring education and child care to migrant children became possible. He further said that it was a huge challenge for him and his team to find out the best answer to the problems of rescued child labor from brick kilns and said that Worksite Schools appeared to be the perfect answer in providing education for interstate children and campaigning for the elimination of child labor in brick kilns. CP said the initiative has succeeded in making many brick kilns free from child labor and added that around 3000 students have utilized these schools and continued their education in the Odia language to date.
CP reminded everyone that Rachakonda Police Commissionerate also received the prestigious IACP’S Leadership in Human and Civil Rights Award in 2018 for the efforts to get rid of all forms of child labor from society. “Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi also appreciated this concept and uttered the significance of launching these schools across the country, CP added. CP said that along with Rachakonda Commissionerate region worksite schools are being launched and being operated in Karimnagar, Ramagundam, Mancherial. CP appreciated Umi Daniel, Director-Migration & Education, Aide et Action South Asia for the support being offered to Rachakonda Police Commissionerate in establishing worksite schools and specially mentioned coordinator Suresh. He commended District Collector Medchal for their wholehearted support to work site school project and ensuring Midday meal scheme and 1Re KG Rice project extended for school children & their parents CP also appreciated kin owners for supporting the initiative of Rachakonda Police and advised them not to allow children to work in their kins.
Our Citizen Reporter
B. Bharath Reddy
