Haryana to open more 'Bhatta schools'

Chandigarh, Oct 17 (UNI) The Haryana government will establish more "Bhatta Schools" in all districts of the state in order to impart education to the children of the migrating families working in brick kilns (bhattas).

An official spokesman today said that in the first phase as many as 100 such Bhatta Schools would be set up in Jhajjar district after migratory families reached brick kilns this winter.

He said there were already 24 bhatta schools functioning in Jhajjar district till June 2007 enrolling about 1100 children.

On the basis of need assessment made by the concerned district Sarv Siksha Abhiyan units after seasonal migration takes place on brick kilns, these schools would be set up in other districts also in a phased manner.

There were 37 such centres in district Ambala, 15 in Hisar, three in Kurukshetra, four in Panchkula, one in Rewari, two in Sirsa and four in Yamunanagar, he added.

He said that a large number of poor families migrated with their children to work on brick kilns during winter and summer every year.

Due to the big gap in their working time, the children of the families of brick kilns were not enrolled in regular schools ''neither in the place of their arrival nor in the place of their origin.'' He said in order to impart education to these children, informal education centres called Alternate Innovative Education Centres for the age group of 6 to 11 years and Vocational cum Educational Centres for the age group of 11 to 14 years were established.

These centres were established for about six to seven months in a year mostly from November to June.

He said that currently, there was a provision of Rs 1800 per child per annum for the children in the age group of 6 to 11 years and Rs 2600 per child per annum for the children in the age group of 11 to 14 years for running these schools.

UNI