Mysuru: Tent school a boon for kids of migrant workers

Although the government is aiming to implement the Right to Education Act effectively with an intention to provide free and compulsory education for all children, there are still some children who are deprived of basic education due to various reasons.

With an aim to provide education to the children of migrant workers and to create awareness on health and hygiene among them, Rural Literacy and Health Programme (RLHP), a non-government organisation, is running a tent school in Shahi Nagar near Bannimantap in the city. The tent school has turned into a boon for the underprivileged migrant children.

A tent school is situated amidst tents of migrant workers. Twenty-five children of migrant workers get basic education at this school. Most of the students in this school are from outside Karnataka, such as Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand West Bengal. A few of them are from North Karnataka. The parents of most of these children sell various products on the streets like honey. A few are also into begging. Earlier, the migrant workers used to take their children along with them, instead of sending them to school. To avoid this, RLHP took an initiative and started the tent school with the help of government agencies.

At present, Roushan Banu, who has done DEd course, is teaching these underprivileged children at the school. The school commences at 9.30 am and ends around 3 pm. Speaking to DH, Roushan Banu, said, “As most of the students are deprived of education due to migration, we are providing them with basic education.”

“As there are students from different states, we teach them in languages like Hindi, Kannada, Urdu and also English,” she said. Mary, a community organiser of RLHP, said, RLHP is also creating awareness on health hygiene and literacy among migrants. “It motivates them to send their wards to the tent school to continue education,” she said.

Speaking to DH, Saraswathi, director of RLHP, said, “With the help of the Education department, we are running this tent school. For the past two years, we are running it. Twelve students are continuing their education in the nearby primary school, after gaining basic education from the tent school.” She said that the RLHP is planning to start a similar school at Yellamma Colony shortly.