Maharashtra: Classes resume today, focus on bringing out-of-school children back into the system

Maharashtra’s education minister Varsha Gaikwad issued a statement on Tuesday evening instructing schools to continue searching for such children in the age group of 6-14 years in a bid to bring them back to schools. “As classes restart on Wednesday, this will be the first step in schools for many. Hence, the responsibility lies with schools to ensure that their days at school are happy, exciting and full of activities,” said Gaikwad suggesting that the school should celebrate the first day of the school for children.

Reiterating the data that the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) had gathered last year; the statement issued by the minister’s office stated that a total of 25,204 children are out of school. Of these, a total of 7,806 (4076 boys and 3730 girls) children never went to a school.

Whereas, 17,397 (9008 boys and 8389 girls) children were significantly irregular with their school attendance during the pandemic.

“All these children, even though found to have been out of the education system last year; will begin learning now with the full-fledged restart of schools from Wednesday. They are being given age-appropriate school admission. Subject-wise visual content is also being prepared to help these out-of-school children who are coming back into the education system,” said an officer from the state school education department, adding that a specially designed bridge course has been readied to help all such children cope with their learning. Teachers, too, can avail the facility of remedial teaching modules made available for them by the SCERT.