IGNOU to launch diploma in Child Rights: Media Release

"The Indira Gandhi National Open University's (IGNOU's) School of Law (SOL) in collaboration with PRAYAS will soon launch a Diploma course in Child Rights, Child Protection and Juvenile Justice," announced Prof. V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice Chancellor, IGNOU.

"The upcoming course is designed to create career opportunities and to offer specialized training, understanding and working on contemporary issues of the juvenile justice system and child protection in the country. It would also be useful for the professionals already working on the child related issues to further develop the much needed skills as well as identification of the appropriate resources and treatment plans available in the community," he said.

Talking about the need of this course, the VC said that, "In Special Juvenile Police Units, at least one police officer with aptitude and appropriate training and orientation may be designated as the Juvenile and Child Welfare Officer. In order to fulfill legal mandate and keeping India's promise to save the rights of children there is a huge demand of trained personnel in dealing with ‘Children in need of care and protection' and ‘Juveniles in conflict with law'."

The personnel who are already in contact with such category of children (Lawyers, police officers, NGO personnel, CWC member and social workers) need some kind of skill development training to work effectively. Diploma course in Child Rights, Child Protection and Juvenile Justice would be one year, part-time wherein 8 courses (7 theoretical, 1 practical) would be taught. The practical aspect would cover the internship in observation homes, child welfare committees and non-governmental organizations.

Experts from IGNOU, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Home Affairs, UNICEF, PRAYAS, Special Unit for Women and Child, Jamia Millia Islamia's Department of Social Work and Save the Children (NGO) together are working on the study material of the course.

The course aims to enable the learners to gain understanding of the basic nature, problems and issues related to child protection and juvenile justice; build capacities and commitment aimed at ensuring prevention, timely intervention and accountability for promoting a healthy childhood; develop a synergy between theory and practice on issues of child protection and juvenile justice.

The programme also prepares the personnel to manage various positions for effectively implementing juvenile legislation; improve their skills and comprehension; creates and enhances large scale social awareness and advocacy; enables legal, administrative and social work practitioners to seek the creation of new law in response to the newly emerging societal needs and improves the institutional infrastructure for implementing institutional services for children.

The course is of interest to any NGO personnel (at least a graduate) working in various child welfare fields, law enforcement agency officers, lawyers, magistrates, counselors, probation officers, superintendents/ deputy superintendents of observation/ remand homes and other institutions providing services to children. Officers serving the directorates of social welfare and/ or the ministry of women and child development, child protection workers/ advocates, social workers, school counselors/ social workers, community mental health workers can also enroll for the course.

Though the course is open for any graduate but preferably, the learner should be MA in Social work/ psychology/ sociology from a recognized university or PG Diploma in rehabilitation psychology or professionals having minimum two years of working experience with law enforcement agency.

Having availed the training offered through the course, the students would become eligible to occupy important and responsible posts in various government and non-government organizations that uphold child rights and protection, curb child trafficking or deal with the cases of missing children. This course would serve as an opening to gain valuable experience and avail job opportunities as ‘Child Protection Officers' under the integrated Child Protection Scheme in the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12) in research, academics, governance, administration, NGO's and development agencies.