40,000 students at risk of losing school education :

Checking school dropouts, Govt's aim

By Ranil Wijayapala

Shanties and slums scattered by the side of the southern railway line and the adjoining beach maybe a 'paradise' for many who live in these areas to enjoy their freedom. The behaviour of these people from shattered families, inherent poverty, their types of livelihood, addiction to drugs and various other factors have led them to be cornered as a separate communit, apart from mainstream society. But, should teir lifestyle and poverty be an excuse to deprive these children of a reasonable education? The answer is definitely a no.

For children of the likes of Tharindu and Sandun, two brothers who live in the coastal area of Ratmalana without the affection of their parents, education has no meaning for them. As they lost their grandmother, the only adult they had in their family. Now it is just a case of spending each day as it comes and looking for anything beyond that has become a distance dream.

The tiny house they live by the side of the rail track resembles the total messy life they lead, without any guidance. They spend their day with the supper they get from kind neighbours and with the earnings they get by chance. Step by step they are distancing themselves from school education and are attempting to build their lives like building a house without a foundation.

In a recent raid conducted by officials of the Probation and Childcare Services Department to identify children who were at risk of dropping out of school, Tharindu and Sandun are just two among the 29 detected from the coastal area in Ratmalana,There may hundreds of other children like Tharindu and Sandun who are facing the same risk.

Yamuna Perera	Thushara Wickramasinghe

According to Child Rights Promotion Officer,Thushara Wickremasinghe, attached to the Ratmalana Divisional Secretariat, a raid was conducted with the support of Police officers to identify children at risk of dropping out of schools carried out on the directive by the Ministry of Child Development and Women's Affairs with the objective of directing them back to school education.

Although Sri Lanka has the legal requireent to make education compulsory for children between five to 14 under the Compulsory Education Act of1998 and almost every facility being made available by the State to facilitate free education, there are hundreds of children dropping out from the school education system.

As Child Rights Promotion Officer, Wickremasinghe explains, themain factor affecting children of these families inRatmaalna as far as school education of children in the coastal belt are concerned, is the attitude of parents regarding the education of their children.

"They accept any excuse their children give to not go to school. This encourages students, specially children between the age of eight to 14 not to attend school regularly and later face the risk of distancing themselves from school education", she said.

In mostcases, parents are not there to direct them and coerce them to go to school as many of the fathers were engaged in fishing as their livelihood, while their mothers are employed abroad or locally as housemaids.

"There is no one to attend to the children at home and the children carry on as they wish, since the coastal belt provides them the environment to engage in any nefarious activity without any hindrance, compared to children living in shanties on the land side", she said.

Apart from this there are children whose parents are addicted to drugs and sell whatever belongings their children have to buy drugs. "These children become miserable and opt not to attend school due to these difficulties. We have observed situations where fathers have been separated from their children due to drug addiction and mothers work as domestic aides to earn a living. Therefore, children have no environment to pursue their education and they are ridiculed by fellow students in school because of the environment from which they come. This has also become a factor to distance these children from school education", she said.

Talking to parents in the area Officers speak to students who are probable dropouts

"Sexual abuse of children in the coastal belt has also become another factor for non-attendance of school. Due to poverty these children engage in sexual activity to make money and then drop out from school because of the taste for easy money. We will get the support of the Police to punish offenders and to direct the children back to school education", she said.

It is with this objective of directing them back to school education that the raid was conducted in the Ratmalana coastal area. The period where school term tests were being conducted was selected for this purpose as it was an indication that these children are at the risk of dropping out of school education as they were not sitting the term tests.

"Through that survey we collected all the data about the children at risk of dropping out from schools and conducted programs to educate parents and guardians to make sure that these children attend schools on a regular basis. Many responded positively to our request", she said.

"At the same time, some parents gave various excuses. Some said they could not provide breakfast, some complained that they could not give them the exercise books and stationery. After considering all these facts we arranged to provide all the requirements to make sure that these children attend school", she said.

"After fulfilling the requirements of these children, we subsequently found that all of them were attending school. We made sure that they will attend school on a regular basis. We educated all principals to be on alert on these children and find out whether they are attending school. Now these principals are also keenly watching these students".

"The schools they are attending are really good and principals of these schools are doing their job very well. They are keen to educate the children. But the problem is that when the children do not have a reasonably good environment at home they will not come to school. That is the problem faced by these children", she said.

"After facilitating the children to attend school, we also monitor their activities. We checked whether there is any progress in their education. When their is good progress we will continue to provide them with school equipment such as exercise books and other things to continue their education. When therev is parental care, they automatically improve their education", she said.What is happening in the coastal belt of Ratmalana is only a part of the program carried out by the Ministry of Child Development and Women's Affairs to ensure that students at risk of drop out from the schools are regularly attending the schools.

The Commissioner of Probation and Childcare Services, Yamuna Perera said that through a survey conducted islandwide, the Department has identified around 40,000 students who were at risk of dropping out from school education and 37,332 students are facing this risk due to economic reasons.

" The Department of Probation and Childcare services with the assistance of the Child Development and Women's Affairs Ministry are conducting several programs to assist these students to continue their school education", she said.

The provision of equipment needed for students need assistance to continue their school education is one such program. Under this program the Ministry of Child Development and Women's Affairs through the Department of Probation and Childcare Services throughout the past two years has assisted 8,091 children who were at the risk of dropping out from school education.

In 2011, school education of 4,541 students were assisted, while assisting another 3,550 children in 2012 has been ensured. The Ministry of Child Development and Women's Affairs Minister, Tissa Karaliyadda has allocated Rs.11 million for this purpose as the Government considers this is an important gesture to ensure that children will not drop out from their school education.

The Department through the Child Rights Promotion Officers attached to the Divisional Secretariats is implementing this program by providing Rs.1,500 for each child up to G.C.E. Ordinary Level classes and Rs.2,000 for Advanced Level students on the recommendation of the Divisional Secretary.

The Sevana Sarana Foster Parents Scheme implemented under the Department is also assisting schoolgoing children between 6-13 years from poor families are given financial assistance. Under this scheme a minimum amount of Rs. 500 per month for a period of 3-5 years is given to each child by a Pass Book in the National Savings Bank. About 1,800 children are now being provided with benefits under this scheme. This financial assistance is provided from funds given by philanthropists and the Department is directly responsible for the implementation of this scheme, she said.

The Department, in partnership with the private sector, is conducting the 'Nena Diriya' program to assist students attending schools. Under this program Hemas which produces a ppular baby soap is assisting 50 students by providing them a Rs.2,000 allowance per month.

Out of this Rs.2,000, Rs.1,500 is given directly to them while the balance Rs.500 is deposited in their bank accounts.

"The Probation and Childcare Services Department is conducting several other fund raising programs in association with private sector organisations to obtain the assistance of the philanthropists to keep these children in school by fulfilling their requirements. Our aim is to ensure that each and every student in this country complete their education at least upto the Ordinary Level and then if possible go up to Advanced Level and even further", she said.