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At the Bala Vikasa Kendum, the working children
in autonagar are provided with functional
literacy classes, supplementary nutrition,
recreational facilities and basic medical care.
Children usually come to the center for about
two hours in the middle of the workday, from 12
noon to 2.00 p.m. It gives them much needed
break from their workday. They play games, learn
about the world around hem, and have literacy
activities designed around this; and meet their
peers and discuss issues related to they work
life and working conditions. Once a week, these
children also walk around the area to motivate
more young people to join them at their
“Literacy Break” and persuade employers to
co-operate.
Night Schools: In addition, the Bala
Vikasa Kendram also runs night school, to
provide something more than the basic literacy
provided during the day, or to provide tutoring
for the children who are attending school but
are at the risk of getting labour force if they
fail at school. Recreational activities are also
organized regularly so that some measure of
their childhood can be reclaimed while they
spend time at the Bala Vikasa Kendram
National Open Schooling: For those young
workers who are old or for whom the traditional
mainstream, formal schooling does not work,
Navajeevan is facilitating the process by which
these young people can complete their schooling
by using National Open School system. This way,
the young people can receive diplomas for their
high school education, by a very flexible
system, taking only as many papers at a time as
they are confident about.
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Currently, Navajeevan is making use of the
services another National Open School center to
route its students for the examinations, but it
would be useful for Navajeevan to apply to be a
center itself and undertake the work of setting
high standards as a center and working the make
national Open school system more accountable.
This is necessary because the National Open
school system, since it does not cater to
mainstream students, does not attract as much
critical attention as the other education system
in the country. Consequently, it has tendency to
be lax about administrative matters, knowing
their constituent do not have the clout to push
for better services. Only if more strong
organization like centers can the system be made
more accountable, and standards raised, so that
the diplomas earned by children who come through
the system as much credibility and value as
those from other education system in the
country. History
of Bala Vikasa Kendram |
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