Education department readying plan to enrol children of migrant families

JAIPUR: The state education department is coming up with a comprehensive plan to enrol children of inbound migrant families in its schools. Estimates say over 14 lakh migrants, including 2 lakh children, have applied for their return with the government.
“They are most welcome to admit their wards in our schools. Our aim is that not a single child who has returned from other states should be deprived of education. Our teaching staff is identifying them and approaching them for admissions,” said education minister Govind Singh Dotasra.
Department officials, especially principals of schools, are keeping tabs on the movement of migrants in villages.
JC Govindan, principal of a government school at Jaspura in Merta City who is also in charge of a quarantine centre in his school, has tracked 21 students serving their isolation period in his institute.
“They have returned from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Their families are ready to put them in my school once classes resume,” said Govindan.
The minister advised that migrant families should take advantage of the 25% admissions in private school under the Right to Education Act. “We really want to see our residents taking advantage of the RTE Act. If their annual income is under Rs 2.5 lakh they can apply for admission in private schools,” said Dotasra.
The state has made elaborate arrangements for quarantine of migrants, especially in schools.
Educationist KB Kothari has proposed a rapid assessment test of children aged 5 to 14 years to evaluate their learning outcomes which will help in enrolling them in classes accordingly.