Monday, April 17, 2006

THERE are hundreds of school-age children in Bulacan who, for all sorts of reasons, do not attend school. One of the obvious is poverty. Many children come from desperately poor families unable to afford school fees. Some kids just do not like school ? it has no relevance or appeal. For others, it is a case of feeling they do not belong or have missed too much, either through illness, family breakdown or because they?re too often needed at home.

The National Youth Commission reports only 40 out of 100 children finish secondary school. Almost 15 per cent of the youth population is so called “out-of-school children” from poor households. Without either education or opportunity for stable employment, they?re destined to perpetuate the cycle of poverty.

But there?s hope. For many children who do not go to traditional school in Bulacan, a vocational training course is proving a godsend. A mobile kitchen is giving young people a chance to learn about life and the means to make a good living.

(…)The four walls of a standard classroom have been substituted with a 40-foot specially modified container van. Complete with special fixtures and modern appliances, it?s a state-of-the-art kitchen and training room on wheels. There?s even a built-in “audiovisual” so trainee cooks can watch expert instructors demonstrate new and fancy techniques.

Click here for the full article.

Source: Malaya (link opens in a new window)