GOOD RESULTS FROM THE TENTH BOARD EXAMINATIONS

The students in the Hand in Hand run transit schools have now received their results from the tenth board examinations. Hand in Hand is proud to announce that all the children – 100 percent – passed in four transit schools in Kancheepuram district and in the remaining schools, the results were also good.

In rural areas, government schools support children until eighth standard; that is, children between 6-14 years. However, for those above 14 years there are few support functions provided by the state. Instead, a mere 40 percent of the children in rural India pass the exam in standard ten; hence, most of the children living in rural areas fail – or never even write – the tenth standard state level exam. These children – who are above 14 years old – loose hope and become excluded from further consideration by the school, the family, and society. For girl children, this often results in early marriage or child labour, while such male children often end up migrating in search for employment. Children who do not pass standard ten risk ending up in child labour, without a chance of obtaining skills and qualifications in the future. These first-generation learners must be identified, targeted, and given special attention.

Hand in Hand's transit schools play an important role in breaking this negative circle. The transit schools target children who have dropped out of school or not passed the standard ten board exams. In the transit schools, the children are given efficient coaching by qualified teachers, who assist them in completing their studies and encourage them to enrol in higher classes.