Learning On The Go

“Literacy has various definitions. For us,it means to be able to read a newspaper thoroughly. This should not be denied to children on the grounds of lack of institutions. We introduced the School on Wheels in 2000 to cater to the children of migrant construction workers,” says Rajni Paranjpe,the founder and president of Door Step School. The bus also drops students from these construction sites to nearby schools and picks them up in the afternoons.

“While teaching,I realised that the scarcity of space resulted in an increasing number of drop-outs. And the construction workers’ kids were the worst sufferers,” adds Paranjpe. Her organisation tried starting schools at the construction sites. “But some builders were reluctant to give us space for teaching the kids. We had a tough time convincing them,” says Harish Phadke,the coordinator of the morning shifts. Later,the builders agreed on the condition of safety and non-interference from the kids while their parents worked.

The teachers gather at the construction premises every morning to collect the tiny tots. The bus reaches at 9 am and the class commences immediately. Nanda Bhagat has been teaching at School on Wheels for the past four years. She has no formal degree in teaching but is thorough in her job. “I interact with each kid individually to understand his/her psyche. Their IQ levels match that of any other kid but the lack of resources restricts them,” says Bhagat. “They have that glint of intelligence in their eyes and the urge to know so much. Our teachers pave the way for them,” adds Paranjpe.

In spite of the moving nature of the workers,the school authorities have been successful in tracking 95 per cent of their ex-students. “We keep all the contact details of parents. When they leave for working elsewhere,we contact the nearest school and ensure that they continue studying,” says Phadke.

The School on Wheels travels to Range Hills,Khadki,every evening to ‘be a reading room’ for kids from the nearby slums where there is no electricity. Volunteers also come to help these kids with their homework.

The organisation is planning to set up a similar school for a continuous period of three months at these sites. “The regular travel includes a huge fuel expenditure. We are working towards something more permanent,” adds Paranjpe.