The Delhi government headed by chief minister Sheila Dixit has launched two chalta phirta schools or mobile learning centres equipped with all the modern facilities such as computers, televisions, learning kits and books at her residence on Sunday.
“The idea behind theses schools was to provide educational facilities to the children either dropout or who do not go to schools since they live in difficult circumstances such as red-light areas, construction sites, railway stations, traffic signals and a like,” she said while launching the mobile school under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan aimed at providing elementary education to all children up to 14 years.
Delhi’s education minister Arvinder Singh Lovely was also present on the occasion. These mobile school vans are well equipped with the basic infrastructure of a classroom supplemented by modern teaching and learning equipments like VCDs, soft toys, games, and learning kits.
The CM said that the Delhi government was now planning to utilise the old DTC buses for the purpose. Each mobile school will be parked at four locations every day and classes will be held for two hours at each location.
These schools would be run on public-private partnership and a MoU has been signed with the Department of Education. Dixit said that two NGOs- Butterflies and Salaam Baalak Trust had come forward for the operation and running of these schools.
The work place has been distributed between these two NGOs. Butterflies would cover Nehru Place, IIT Gate, Okhla Mandi, Ashram, Bhogal, Nizamuddin, Lodhi Road, Sai Baba Mandir, Darya Ganj, Jama Masjid, Kashmere Gate, and Yamuna Bazar.
Where as Salaam Baalak would cover Kali Bari area near Connaught Place, Guru Nanak Eye Hospital, Kashmere Gate, Mori Gate, Khyber Pass and G B Road.
Even the UNICEF is supporting the government in this project.
Besides the bookish knowledge, the mobile schools once in a week will create and extend awareness on issues such as health and hygiene, HIV/AIDS, drugs and dowry. Children will also be provided mid-day meals.
Education Minister Lovely said that government would take such steps that would prompt children to join school.
“The NGOs will be given a three-year contract to run the buses. We will reimburse the expenses incurred by them. They will be given Rs 3,000 per child per annum,” earlier had said an education department official.
The education department will monitor the mobile schools’ movement, to ensure that the buses are going to the specified locations everyday, through a GIS system installed in the buses.
The mobile school was to start from January 25, but for some reason it delayed and now finally it was launched on February 10.
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