Education
SPECIAL SCHOOLS FOR THE CHILD LABOURERS: NATIONAL CHILD LABOUR PROGRAMME
Children with their vocational teacher
Students of NCLP school in Amgaon
From 2008 to 2022, ACRD implemented the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) in Chandrapur Block of Kamrup Metro district, Assam, with support from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India. The initiative established four non-formal education centres, known as Gyan Setu Kendras or Special Training Centres (STCs), to support children aged 9–14 who were engaged in child labour.
These centres provided bridge education, vocational training, mid-day meals, healthcare, and a monthly stipend of ₹300 directly deposited into students’ bank accounts. The goal was to prepare these children for mainstream integration into the formal education system.
In 2020, the project expanded into new areas within Chandrapur Block, focusing on the children of migrant labourers who had never attended formal school. Four additional centres were set up in Ganesh Nagar (Centre No. 37), Govardhan 2 (Centre No. 35), 7 No. Bagicha (Centre No. 38), and Suwali Lukuwa Garo Basti (Centre No. 25).
Over 300 children were mainstreamed into formal education during the course of the project.
EDUCATION FOR DEPRIVED CHILDREN:
Educating children in the backward and remote areas: An ACRD-ASHA Programme (Stamford Chapter, USA)
ACRD approached the Stamford Chapter of ‘ASHA for Education’, a voluntary organisation of NRIs in the USA in 2003 for helping the students of Nartap High School and Bonpura Primary School, situated in a remote area of Kamrup district. The ‘ASHA for Education’ Stamford Chapter financially supported ACRD to construct the school building of Bonpura High School.
Borkuchi High School
In 2016, ACRD adopted a community school, Borkuchi High School situated in Sonapur area of Kamrup Metro district. The school was set up eight years ago since there was no other school in the area and poor students had to commute far to study in other schools. As a result, most students would drop out from schools. The local community managed to start a small school to cater to the educational needs of their children in the area. The teachers, all from local areas were teaching in an honorary basis, but poor quality of teaching affected the performance of the students in the Board examinations. With financial support from ASHA for Education, Stamford Chapter, ACRD started paying salary to the teachers and constructed toilets for the students and teachers. Regular parent-teacher meetings are held in the school now and the performance of the school students have also improved in the past year. In the year 2019, with financial support from ASHA, the construction of the school building was completed.
Bonpura Primary School
ACRD with the support of ASHA for Education intervened in Bonpura Primary School, located in a very backward village of Oujari in Dimoria Development Block, Kamrup district. The school building was in a dilapidated condition, but with financial support from ASHA, ACRD rebuilt the school in 2004. The teachers and the helper of the School were paid salary by ACRD through ASHA for Education till 2013, when the school was taken over by the government. But, one of the teachers and the helper of the school are still paid salary by the ACRD-ASHA as these posts have not been sanctioned by the Government.
Nartap High School
ACRD with the support of ASHA for Education adopted in Nartap High School, located in the DIMORIA block of KAMRUP METRO district in Assam. Established in 1988. The school building was in a dilapidated condition, but with financial support from ASHA, ACRD rebuilt the school in 2004.
