Parents to get notice for not sending wards to school

In first such instance, 15 Dharwad families have been served notice

Is your child not going to school for long without any valid reason? If yes, you may receive a notice from the Child Rights Protection Cell (CRPC) any time, seeking explanation from you.

The District Child Rights Protection Cell has served notices on 15 families of Lakshmisingankere in Malmaddi in Dharwad for not sending their children to school for long. This is for the first time in the State that parents have got notices from the CRPC for failing to ensure that their children attend schools regularly.

Most of the families living in Lakshmisingankere belong to the poor Gosai, Telugu waddar, and Lambani communities. They work in nearby stone quarries to eke out a living. A majority of the families are tribals, who go from one place to another in search of livelihood. Their children pick rags and are also into begging.

There are two government and one private school in the area. However, the children of the 15 families who have taken admissions in these schools have remained absent for a long period now. This came to light when Dharwad Rural BEO along with the CRPC paid a surprise visit to the schools and checked the attendance registers.

They noticed that many children had remained absent since long without any valid reason.

Therefore, the CRPC issued notices to the parents to attend a district-level Children Welfare Committee meeting and explain the reasons why their children had remained absent. The teachers will be made witnesses in these cases.

The CRPC will seek explanations from the parents, and they will be convinced to send their wards to the schools regularly.

They will also be explained the advantages of sending their children to schools.

Besides, awareness would be created about facilities such as free hostel, scholarships and uniforms given to children from marginalised families studying in government schools

Finally, a written assurance will be taken from the parents saying that they would not send their children for begging or picking rags. They should given an undertaking they would send their children to schools without fail.

“If parents say that they cannot bear the burden of rearing children, a written permission will be taken from them and their children will be sent to Bal Mandirs and given shelter there,” said District Child Protection Officer B Usha.

“After the implementation of the Right to Education Act, it has become the duty of parents to send their children to schools regularly. Even denying food, clean water, clothes, and medical treatment to children are punishable under the law now. The CRPC would intervene if the child rights were violated,” she said.