BENGALURU: Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP’s) school-on-wheels (SoW) programme, an initiative to educate out-of-school children in buses, is set to be kickstart post Dasara. The education department is currently finalising the modalities of the programme, and will have an NGO representative to teach students in Montessori style.
“The programme was aimed at being launched after the first wave, but was postponed when the more intense second wave of the pandemic hit the state”, said Umesha BS, Assistant Commissioner (Education), BBMP. It was supposed to be launched in February but has been delayed for over 6 months. At least 10 buses have been procured from Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) for Rs. 4 lakh each, with its interiors modified to resemble Anganwadi classrooms.
The initiative is largely catered towards children of construction and migrant labourers who have been forced to drop out of schools and pushed towards beggary. Before the lockdown, areas like Doddagollarahatii, Hosakerehalli, and Kolageri were planned for the project, but this will be re-evaluated by the department. “Wards will be identified based on a BBMP survey that began a month ago.
The survey identified education status of the children. This is part of a statewide survey following a PIL filed in Karnataka High Court. The survey has been held across all eight zones of BBMP covering 30 lakh families,” said Umesha.
However, Kathyayini Chamaraj, Executive Trustee, CIVIC, said, “I am not concerned only about the duration between the survey and the implementation of the school-on-wheels. I am concerned about the delay in taking charge of the child and rehabilitating her as per the Juvenile Justice Act and filing cases against those who may have trafficked the children or forced them into begging. All of which is patently illegal.”