The Hindu Business Line : Karnataka: School comes to slum children

THE Karnataka State Public Education Department plans to take its mobile school services beyond Bangalore and reach out to the slum children in various districts, according to the Assistant Director of Public Instruction, Mr H.K. Maranayakaiah.

Currently, the education department runs four buses supplied by the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation to offer basic education in mathematics, language, art and environment science in several slum areas of the Bangalore city.

The buses target slum areas within the city and requests parents to send their children for the five and half-hours of schooling, five days a week. On Saturdays, the school works from 9 am to 12.30 pm. After a six-month learning span, the children are deputed to Government schools for further studies. Two batches have already enrolled at Government schools after their basic tuition from the mobile teaching units.

The mobile education system was first introduced two years ago and currently the four buses cover 316 children. In addition to free education, the students are given food. ISCON arranges for nutritious vegetarian meals, Mr. Maranayakaiah said.

Each bus has two teachers, one `ayah' and the driver often doubles up as the physical training instructor. However, the driver's help comes voluntarily. Once a month, the schools take their students for an "outing'' to nearby attractions like the Bannerghatta National Park, Mr Maranayakaiah said.

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Karnataka: School comes to slum children