Special school for wards of mahouts headed for Mysore Dasara

Mysore, Sep 13 (UNI) In a novel initiative, the Mysore district administration has set up a stop-gap tent school for the children of mahouts, camping here for the coming Dasara festivities.

The tent school was opened at the Mysore palace premises as a joint initiative of the Department of Public Instructions, Block Education Officer, South Zone, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and School Development Monitoring Committee.

BEO South Srinivasa Gowda told UNI that the project aimed at providing temporary education for over 45 days to the children of mahouts from the tribal hadis of Nagarahole National Park in the district, who accompanied their parents to the famous Dasara 'jumbu savari'. It was also to ensure that they did not drop out of schools.

A teacher and a volunteer have been deputed to the tent school for handling children from first to seventh standard. The children have been provided with educational materials and uniforms, and exposed to various practical lessons too. ''We don't want them to lose touch with their textbooks,'' he added.

Conservator of Forests G N Srikantiah said a personal development course would help these children, besides long term projects catering to the needs of mahouts and their families. Not to be left behind, classes for the womenfolk to keep themselves occupied with short term basket making classes and make them self-dependent in the long run was also planned.

The tent school had 15 children in the age group of six to 15 years. A second batch of kids would arrive here within two days along with another batch of Dasara jumbos and join the tent school.

The school would be in operation till the first week of October when the Dasara jumbos and mahouts would bid adieu to the city of palaces.

Children attending the tent school -- Mohan Kumar, Punith, Shilpa and Gowri -- expressed happiness over the school facilities and their parents have thanked the administration for the initiative.

UNI BSP GD SKB1732