Gopal Bahadur Pathak MP, member of the National Advisory Council of UNESCO, said at a press briefing on the issue last month.

“India has had more than 20 successful and innovative projects in education to ensure that children succeed in their studies. They do not have to be in fear for their safety because they are safe in their own home,” he said.

But it was his visit in a government-supported school that was particularly eye-opening, as he saw first-hand what makes it an incubator for child trafficking — his eyes were stinging after stepping through the gates — and how the process has unfolded over the years.

He was briefed on the process behind securing a government school in his constituency of North Vellore, which has been identified as a problem region in the ongoing NREGA drive in the state.

The school was started in 1962 by a school education unit in North Vellore, which was later taken over by a local community.

“All children are to remain in their home to ensure their safety,” Pathak told the press.

It was, for a time in the 1960s and 1970s, a place where boys and girls were given equal opportunities, he explained. But things have changed since then.

“Since 2008, the school had lost its funding of around 30 per cent, and most of the teachers had given their resignation. But that changed in September 2012 when a few members of the community gathered and began organising the school. This was the beginning of the school, with no budget whatsoever. It started with five kids,” he said.

“The school was the first one to receive a government grant of Rs 1,000 from the Ministry of Human Resource Development. We had eight students — six boys and four girls — but not one of them was a refugee,” said Pathak, adding that they have now increased their number to 20 and work with other refugee families from their village in the district.

While they started with six children, in the six years since then they have been able to fill the other 10 seats, which has meant a saving on tuition.

“A lot of children who are not being taught in school — they often end up in NGOs that provide for their learning. If there are too few children, then there is a danger these children will be trafficked and be brought to work during the NREGA phase,” said Pathak