Monday, December 6, 1999

Kids wheedled into school on wheels

By Asha Krishnaswamy
DH News Service
BANGALORE, Dec 5

Following positive response for the two mobile schools, the education department is now all set to introduce five more such schools for the benefit of school dropouts in select slums of Bangalore City.

While two new schools are going to function in next two weeks time, three more would be introduced in January. The existing two mobile schools are imparting education to both nursery and primary school level children. The new schools are likely to conduct classes for only school dropouts above the age of five years.

The department introduced the mobile schools on July 8 this year in Tilak Nagar and Arasu Colony. The teachers and the officer concerned with this scheme, first of its kind in the entire country, had to struggle to motivate children in enrolling into the bus-cum-school. The biggest impediment was the lack of awareness about importance of education among parents.

But, in the last few months, the children of these two slums have began enjoying to learn the basics such as ''A, Aa, E, Ee..`` Nearly 45 kids have enrolled themselves for nursery from each slum and there are some school dropouts who are in primary school level. After initial resistance, children now eagerly await for the buses to pick them up.

Both buses, after picking up the students around 9 am from their slums, station at Adugodi police quarters. The lady teachers, two for each bus, after conducting prayer meetings of the students in the playground, conduct the classes inside the bus. The interior of bus is like any classroom - fully equipped with teaching material. Within 2 pm, the students are dropped back to their slums.

Unlike in regular schools, here the students need not carry books or pencils. The work books and text books are kept in lockers of the bus. The students are made to read and write in the school itself because they don`t get any guidance at home. Here the education is given free of cost. The Government itself takes care of books and uniforms. Periodical tests are conducted.

The KSRTC has also stepped into help the department by providing two buses free of cost. It is now remodelling two more buses which would be handed over to the department next week.

It is Mr Upendra Tripathy, commissioner, public instruction, who mooted the idea of mobile school. Mr Herald Quadras, assistant director, public instruction is successfully carrying out the programme. Mr Herald has selected Rajgopalnagar slum in Dasarahalli and Sanjaygandhi Nagar slum in Lakshmidevi Nagar for conducting mobile school from the second week of this month.

Mr Herald is looking for philanthropists who are willing to provide breakfast/snacks for the students of Tilak Nagar and Arasu Colony. Till recently, a voluntary organisation used to provide breakfast. But, it has stopped the facility as the mobile schools couldn`t be conducted in Wilson Garden, as per their wish. Non- availability of open ground has forced the department to shift from Wilson Garden to Adugodi.

Following the stoppage of breakfast facility, the students are made to bring breakfast from their home. ''We insist on parents to send snacks. But, the kids usually bring stale food. How can we expect coolies to send freshly prepared food in the morning. The leftovers are packed and sent. We cannot allow them to eat them because they will fall sick,`` said Ms Patsy Benedicta Reddy, teacher in-charge of Tilak Nagar school.

Mr Herald said there were days when teachers and block education officers used to bring homemade food for the students. Now, he is pursuing Mico to provide breakfast. He is also hoping that donors would come forward to ''adopt`` the mobile schools. But, despite non-supply of breakfast, the attendance of students is about 90 per cent which only indicates that they like this novel teaching mode.

Indian Education Society, a private school, has taken the responsibility of getting the uniform clothes stiched for the students. The Government would be soon supplying 3 kg free rice to each student.

Mr Herald said the concept behind the mobile school was to introduce or motivate the slum children to take up formal education.

Those interested in helping the mobile schools may contact Mr Herald, special officer, mobile schools, department of public instruction, Nrupathunga Road, Bangalore-1 and phone 2214352- extn 281.