Work experience training programme to woo more tribal children to schools

The Sulthan Bathery municipality has initiated a training programme in work experience for tribal students as part of its ‘Dropout-Free Municipality’ project, aimed at fostering financial independence and improving their social status.

The pilot initiative also seeks to nurture the inherent talents of the students, not only in sports and cultural activities but also in practical work experience, encouraging greater enrolment in schools, P.A. Abdul Nazar, implementing officer of the project, said.

As many as 26 students, including 20 girls, from nine schools within the municipal limits, have been selected for the programme. They recently participated in a week-long training course that covered various handicrafts, including flower making, fabric painting, umbrella making, beadwork, improvisation using natural fibres, and vegetable printing.

Mr. Nazar said the students were poised to showcase their skills at the forthcoming sub-district work experience fair. Further training would be offered to the students to prepare them for participation in district- and State-level fairs, he added.

“The training programme has significantly enhanced creativity among tribal children and is expected to promote self-reliance in their future endeavours,” he said.

The municipality plans to expand the project to other schools in the next academic year. The civic authorities have allocated ₹10 lakh from the Tribal Special Fund for the project. Special ‘Oorukkootams’ were convened in all tribal hamlets to sensitise parents, along with motivational classes for the children prior to the launch of the project. Besides, 14 trained tribal promoters have been appointed to assist in bringing children from remote areas to school.

Special parent-teacher associations have been constituted across all schools, and they will meet regularly to assess the progress made by the students. Recognising the strong affinity of tribal children for sports and arts, sports kits and musical instruments have also been provided to all schools to further promote their talents.

Published - October 07, 2024 08:26 pm IST