All our children start at Shanti Bhavan at age four, except in the first year of operation when we also admitted five year olds. Malnutrition is correctable in early childhood and behavior modification is also easier when the children are very young. The children are selected from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka by a recruitment team comprised of a social worker, a clinical psychologist, a pediatrician and the school principal. One to one interaction with parents and representatives of village and slum communities is an on going process. Selection of children is a three-way process. The social worker visits homes to ascertain the awareness of the child's parents or guardians. Are they genuinely interested in education for their Child? Can they make the commitment? Do they understand why children are selected at the age of four? Will they support their child by visits, taking her home for the holidays, or by talking well of Shanti Bhavan ? Is the family below the poverty line ? No criminal background? What about community consensus?
If these conditions are satisfied, the child is screened by the pediatrician. She or he must be in good physical health keeping in mind the obvious health-related problems related to poverty such as malnutrition, scabies and infestations. A child who is physically or mentally handicapped cannot be considered for selection as Shanti Bhavan does not have the resources to look after these children.
The most crucial stage of the process is the screening of a child for her or his cognitive ability. A clinical psychologist conducts culture-friendly tests to determine whether the child can go through a complete school program right through to the school leaving level. We need to be reasonably certain that the child will be able to complete high school, if not university, or other specialized courses.
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