HYDERABAD: Ensuring that hundreds of children who were rescued as part of Operation Muskaan last year are sent back to school, the Rachakonda police along with government officials formally admitted 179 children into a government school on Saturday evening.These children, who migrated from Odisha along with their parents to work at brick kilns, fall in the the age group of 6 to 14 years, and have been admitted to Pedda Konduru Government Primary School in Chotuppal.
The school currently has only 12 local, Telugu speaking students. While those till Class V will be studying at the School as regular students, the older children will be taught by volunteers who have been trained by NGO Aide et Action. Four trained volunteers will deal with the older children, while the rest will be taught by three government school teachers. These children will be here till the end of academic year and will later be reintegrated into government schools back home. They will be issued a transfer certificate. Rachakonda police commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat and Yadadri collector Anita Ramachandran were present.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhagwat said it was a great day in for police department as they have experimented with public, private and civil society partnership. “We have started this in Bommalaramaram and Cheekati Konduru, where many children have been rescued,” he said. This is a conscious effort from Police department to create a system for these children so they do not lose out on education, said Umi Daniel, from Aide et Action.
Meanwhile, brick kiln owners collectively spent around `6 lakh to beautify the school. Rajendra Reddy, president, Telangana State Brick Kiln Association said that they were not aware of the welfare measures to be taken up for the children. “Now that we are aware, we are willing to provide all that is necessary,” he said.