UNICEF inaugurates survey on children in Kantalai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 September 2003, 19:02 GMT]
The second phase of a house-to-house survey, conducted by the UNICEF to identify children who do not attend schools or who have dropped out, was inaugurated Sunday at Seruvila Vidiyalaya in the Kantalai education zone in the Trincomalee district, UNICEF sources said.

The first phase of the project was launched in the Tampalakamam division last month. The final phase of the project would be launched in the Eachilampathu division, in the Liberation Tigers controlled area in Muttur east, on September 29, UNICEF sources said.

Inaugurating the house-to-house survey in Seruvila, the UNICEF's Trincomalee zonal head, Ms. Gabriele Elroy, said, " education is a fundamental right of every child."

"Education is compulsory from age 5 to 14 in Sri Lanka. Still many children in Sri Lanka have never been enrolled in schools or attend irregularly. Drop-out is also in the increase," said Ms. Elroy.

UNICEF Trincomalee head Ms. Elroy seated with ( l-r) UNICEF Trincomalee official Mr.Udayakumar, Mr.Gamini Hettiaranchchi (Kantalai education planning officer), Mr.P.Victor ( Principal) and with student volunteers standing behind.


She added that the first step must be to identify these children and understand why they do not go to school or leave school without continuing.

The objectives of the house-to-house survey is to mobilize all stakeholders from community level up to the provincial department of education level to work toward education for all, and raise awareness on the importance of children going to school even in difficult circumstances, therby reducing the dropout rate and the number of children not attending school, UNICEF sources said.

The survey is supported by a range of other activities assisted by UNICEF and others, sources said.

Ms. Elroy at the inaugural event handed over badges to students selected to conduct the house-to-house survey in the Seruvila village. Thereafter, student volunteers began house-to-house survey in their village, the sources said.

Seruvila Vidiyalaya's Principal, Mr.A.Victor, presided at the event. M.P.Uthayalakumar, a UNICEF official in Trincomalee, and the Kantalai education zone Planning Officer, Mr. Gamini Hettiarachchi, also attended the event.



Ms. Elroy pins the UNICEF volunteer badge on one of the students selected to do a house-to-house survey