District adm sets up tent school for children

Mysore, Sep 20: The Mysore District administration opened a make-shift tent school to provide education to the children of Mahouts and Kavadis, who take care of elephants that are taking part in Dasara festivities.

Official sources said the school was formally opened by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa's Parliamentary Secretary S A Ramadas on the premises of the palace court-yard with 24 children of the Mahouts and Kavadis.

The school was established to ensure that the children did not miss out on conventional lessons taught in the jungle camps of Nagarahole and Veerahosanhalli.

Rama Aradhya, Block Resource Coordinating Officer under Sarva Shikshana Abhiyan(SSA) said the Mahouts bring their children along as they camp for more then two months in the city. The school will act as a bridge course for the children and sustain their interest in studies, he added.

The Mahouts visit the city from Nagarahole National Park during Dasara to take care of about dozen elephants that take part in the 'jamboo savari' procession, culminating the ten-day festival.

UNI