NGO to introduce 9th edition of mobile school

Sumeer Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 23

After successfully providing elementary education to financially-deprived children through eight mobile schools, Goodwill Society, a city-based NGO, has geared up to introduce its ninth school in Dhobiana Basti that houses hundreds of slum dwellers. 

Mobile school, an initiative of the NGO, was introduced in 2006. The objective of the school is to provide basic education to children (aged between 4 and 14), who are either school drop-outs at the primary level due to financial constraints.

Executive members of the NGO have been identifying potential students who are “genuinely” willing and whose parents willing to get them educated to learn basic education. 

Considering the larger population base of Dhobiana Basti as compared to others slums in the city, the NGO has decided to shortlist around 50 students this time.

Kewal Krishan Garg, founder of Goodwill Society, said, “This is informal education and we do not intend to make these children core professionals, but yes if there are bright students who wants to pursue formal education/ degrees/ diplomas after nine months of education at mobile schools, we extend financial as well as all sorts of support within our means. We are doing our bit to ensure that whatever profession they opt for in life, these students must have knowledge of calculations and they can communicate effectively.”

What are mobile schools? 

• The NGO opens a mobile school (makeshift classrooms) for duration of six to nine months at one location and thereafter provides basic informal education to children, another school is established at another location in the city. 
• Usually one teacher hired by the NGO teaches children to read and write in English, Punjabi and Hindi, including mathematics at the school from 10 am to 12 pm daily. 
• More than 280 financially-deprived children have received informal education at mobile schools in the past 12 years.