State Govt runs special schools for working children

In order to prohibit children below 14 years from working in any occupation or process and also to regulate the working conditions of adolescents with respect to hours of work, rest, etc. in non-hazardous conditions, the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016 came into force.

The Bengal Government runs special schools, administered under the Act, for working children. These schools are part of a country-wide project called National Child Labour Project (NCLP).

The project aims to provide working children with non-formal education, vocational training, supplementary nutrition and medical care. Working children between six and fourteen years old are provided with daily meals and supplementary education courses until they are ready to be enrolled in government schools.

All districts of Bengal are covered under NCLP. There are 862 special schools at present. The State Government has also notified converting one special school in each district into a residential school.

At present residential special schools are running in the districts of Uttar Dinajpur, Nadia, Purba Bardhaman, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Bankura and Paschim Medinipur. The government is in the process of opening such schools in the rest of the districts.