Unicef launches mobile schools in Madhya Pradesh

The primary aim of such mobile schools is to encourage to attend school those children who normally drop out when their parents leave home in search of work in other states.

"This initiative with the help of district administration and support of local non-governmental organisation, namely Lok Vikas Evam Anusandhan Trust, will help retain in school children who otherwise get dropped out," said Dr Hamid El Bashir, state representative of Unicef, after the launch ceremony in Jhabua, which was also attended by District Collector R K Pathak and locallegislator Madho Singh.

The mobile schools will have all the basic requirements of a normal school and will be housed in tents.

Unicef plans to have 100 such schools by 2008 end.

"Since the literacy rate, mainly of females, is much lower due to migration problem and most of the children could not even complete their primary education, mobile schools are expected to check dropouts to a great extent," said a Unicef official.

"The idea is to facilitate education of children of migrant labourers even when they are out so that they can continue in their local school when they come back to their native place. Their attendance and other registers will be deposited with the local school on their come back, and they would be able to continue their education," the official added.

At present the mobile schools will target 650 children who migrate with their parents to Gujarat for work.

The tribals of the Jhabua district migrate from their villages to Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra for their livelihood every year.

About 85 percent population of the district is tribal and 47 percent people live below the poverty line. The literacy rate, according to 2001 census, is 36.87 percent but the female literacy is just four percent.

Unicef has provided for the school tents, school materials, salary of teachers, course material and even trained teachers in partnership with the district administration.

(IANS)

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