Karnataka - Mangalore   

Children of migrant workers slip through the net

Savitha Suresh Babu

Ensuring that they go to school proving to be a big challenge

MANGALORE: Although most children in Dakshina Kannada district go to school, the Sarva Shikshana Abhiyan programme has not been able to achieve 100 per cent success. This is mainly because it has not been able to cover the children of migrant workers.

According to figures available with the Sarva Shikshana Abhiyan office, 1,076 school dropouts were identified in the district in February 2005.

A significant number of these children have now been admitted in school. A total of 495 children were enrolled at the end of July through a special enrolment drive. Home-based education under the IED (Inclusive Education for the Disabled) scheme has been provided to 420 students with disabilities. Under the scheme, three special teachers are assigned for each block to educate children at home.

However, the programme has not been able to cover the children of migrant workers, who come to the district from other parts of the State, and Andhra Pradesh.

Speaking to The Hindu , Geetha, assistant project officer, Sarva Shikshana Abhiyan, said, "Providing education to these children is the main challenge in both Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.

There are many cases where we manage to bring them to school for a few months, but once a family migrates, it becomes difficult to keep track of the children." Even the survey figures are not completely reliable as they include children who were in the region when the survey was conducted but have now migrated with their families to other areas, she said.

Tent schools are a possible solution. In areas where large numbers of these children are identified, tent schools are being set up. "The aim is to take the school to the child when the child does not come to the school," said Ms. Geetha.

The school is linked to a nearby government school, and all facilities available at a regular school, including midday meals, are provided. Students are trained in matters of health and hygiene, taught the alphabet and some poems. The main aim of these schools is to equip children to be able to attend a regular school after about six months.

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