It is with great effort that NGOs are striving to mainstream the children in the formal system of education with the non-formal education being restricted to those who belong to higher age groups or to those unwilling or unable or unsuitable to pursue the present educational curriculum.
I firmly believe that more the children participate in the formal system of education and the better they perform, the greater are their chances to succeed in life, but such belief has remained more institutional with the inmates failing to appreciate, understand and utilize the same for their own benefit. One must not assume that despite an adverse past, the children staying in care homes are less intelligent or less enterprising than their counterparts in middle-income families elsewhere in the country. There is no dearth of books, educational materials, supportive tutorials and other recreational and training opportunities at such homes, but many of the inmates prefer to waste their time as non-performers by failing to attend their regular classes and supportive tutorials and gradually succeed in dissociating themselves from their studies.
I've often asked myself why such educational set backs are more frequent in the settings of a care home and not in a regular home ? Do these developments at all affect the inmates seriously ?
In my effort to seek answers to these questions that have always troubled me, I have observed that many of these children view their studies as optional and equate the same with some extracurricular activity/vocational training program that may be pursued at one's discretion. This outlook has been further strengthened when dropping out has never invited great flak or criticism or ever resulted in adverse stay conditions in the home. I have seen intelligent as well as average children give up studies in high school and join a vocational training like stained glass and never suffer from any moroseness in the later life. This urge to attain economic freedom at the earliest and probably the lure of settling down to a married life with a partner of one's own choice in the future are the driving forces behind such a drastic, self harming decision.
The million dollar question remains whether the inmates will have a vocation in the future ?
Theoretically, the scope of vocational trainings in care homes is the only option available for an inmate who does not study, to prepare oneself and find a means of economic viability in the future. The traditional trainings offered in a girls' care home are tailoring, embroidery, block printing, stained glass, cooking and bakery. There may even be the occasional exposures to a beauticians' course or to a primary nursing training program for a limited few. An inmate pursuing such a training should learn the subject well and it is even possible for her to excel in a particular craft after years of practice under the supervision of an efficient trainer, but the million dollar question remains whether she will be able to follow a vocation at the end of such a training period ?
In consideration to the love and demand of such crafts in the contemporary world, a training leading to expertise in block printing appear to be most suitable followed probably by tailoring and beauticians' courses. The rest of the traditional vocational trainings seem to be sadly out of tune with the needs of modern society and thus may be replaced by more contemporary ones that are better appreciated as of date. A sense of interior decor may provide a rough guide and the arts of making soft toys, decorative candles, small wooden showpieces, glass paintings, jute and other stationery items can very well be incorporated in the list.
Expertise and knowhow in a particular craft can never be the only criterias for establishing oneself in a vocation. A stipendary allowance of Rs 500 - Rs 1000 per month may suffice in the initial introductory phases but that certainly needs to be augmented several times at the end of the training period. I have heard frustrated inmates voicing such doubts after years of learning a craft and not being able to earn enough to maintain oneself. One should keep in mind the diverse origins of the children, their capabilities and their future prospect of ushering in greater responsibilities on the attainment of majorhood at the completion of 18 years of age. That the supportive infrastructural facilities of care homes will no more be mandatory and may be withdrawn at the discretion of the authority is a stark reality and the preparation of the children as productive members of the society, able to maintain themselves away from such homes, are thoughts that have to be addressed on war footings.
Thus a proper survival (marketing) strategy of mass production need to be followed by NGOs, supported by a network and tie-ups with effective and popular retail outlets. This last point is an important link in vocational support and one can even raise funds needed for future expansions and/or provide incentive gains to the inmates through solo/combined exhibitions of ones products on a regular basis. The dynamics of demand and supply are to be studied carefully in the selection and production of items and may if necessary be grounded on the principles of market survey, with the children being able to effectively utilise such networks in their future business ventures.
Our success in reaching out to these young minds has been quite limited and probably need further evaluation. The inclusion of a psychologist in the regular staff may surely help us in conveying this message of empowerment to the children and focus its impact on their future rehabilitation.
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