Twenty five children of construction labourers living in a slum in Arakere, Bannerghata Road, may get a second shot at an education, after Education Department officials and child activists convinced their parents to enrol the children in school.
Ten-year-old Kaveri, who dropped out after class 4, was excited at the prospect of continuing her academics. “I always wanted to go to school; but as my family had to move frequently for work, my education was discontinued,” she said. Officials and volunteers of the non-government organisation BOSCO managed to convince their parents – labourers from Raichur district – to send their children to school during the ‘Open House’ programme organised at Hulimavu here. The children, aged between six and 14, had been identified as drop-outs during a survey conducted by BOSCO. They will attend classes at the Arakere government school from Monday.
“Do you want your children to live in the shed and work as labourers or do you want to see them going to office and living in decent houses?” asked Srinivasa, Cluster Resource Person (Education Department). The answer was apparent in the huge applause that followed.
“Migration cards” would be distributed, which would enable continuance of education even if the families migrated again.