KOCHI: Arshi Salim, who hails from the Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh, is now voluntarily teaching kids of migrant workers at a special training centre functioning under the Block Resource Centre, Kothamangalam. Around 30 children from outside Kerala are now learning Malayalam at the centre that was initiated by Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) during the pandemic.
As many as 41 such special training centres are functioning in the district and aim to educate schoolchildren who do not have access to online classes. Kids of migrant workers and those hailing from tribal areas are largely attending classes at the centres, said Usha Manatt, SSK district in charge.
Arshi, who reached Kerala when she was a Class IV student, learnt Malayalam at Government High School, Nellikuzhi. She bagged A+ in both her Malayalam papers in Class X.
“I wanted to learn and speak Malayalam like Malayalis. So, I approached my teachers in school and they helped me a lot. I could understand the difficulties of a non-Malayali student trying to get an education in Kerala, where the medium of instruction is largely Malayalam. So, I decided to be part of this centre,” Arshi said.
There are two centres functioning under BRC, Kothamangalam where the largest group of migrant children is getting training in the district to converse in Malayalam. Apart from students who come from UP, there are also students from Assam receiving special classes under Arshi. She is currently studying at a computer centre after finishing Class 12.