TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: In the wake of growing concerns over safety of children in and around schools, the Bharat Scouts and Guides, Goa State unit is also thinking of modifying its Bob-a-Job program.
In Goa, almost 32,000 students from 169 schools, participate in Bob-a-Job where they do household chores after school hours to imbibe dignity of labour by doing community work at least once a year.
The recent happenings in Goa and in the country of assaults on girls has forced a rethink on the program with state unit officials looking to modify the same.
James Fernandes, Secretary of the Goa Unit said, “We have been issuing guidelines repeatedly and insisting that children who go out on Bob-a-Job in pairs.” Secondly, he said, that instructions are also given that the children going out not do chores in apartments and flats. And thirdly that children out on Bob-a-Job should be home before 6.00 pm. Fernandes said that Scout Masters and Guide Captains are also given the task of supervising the children on Bob-a-Job and finally the option of sending the children or not for Bob-a-Job rests with the schools.
The Secretary of the Goa unit said that the committee headed by deputy chief minister Francis D’Souza is meeting next month to discuss the issue of Bob-a-Job in the light on the recent happenings and would take a call on this activity. Fernandes said that efforts were made in the past to involve village panchayats and municipalities to give the scouts and guides some outdoor work in their respective localities. He regretted that this did not work out and the committee would work out some new system. He also said that even though there had been no complaints of any sort under the Bob-a-Job program, the Goa unit wants to take precautions. The Bob-a-Job is conducted once in a year for a week, generally in the last week of November.
