ROSHNI

Roshni’ project aims at the educational development of migrant workers’ children in Ernakulam District. The District administration launched the programme ‘Roshni’ with support from District Panchayath, Education Department, SSA and NGOs to enhance the social participation and educational performance of migrant children.
This is a unique programme in the state targeting one of the most backward groups in the society. The pilot project was successfully implemented from October 2017 to February 2018 in four selected schools, in which the highest number of migrant children study in Ernakulam district and it is extended to 14 more schools in the district in this academic year.
As per a survey conducted by SSA, Ernakulam, more than 2500 migrant children predominantly from Bihar, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Assam, and Nepal are enrolled to the schools in the district. But studies show that these children are not regular to classes and many of them even drop out of the school in the middle of the academic years. Belonging to different linguistic communities and being in a classroom with instructional language Malayalam, the children found it difficult to be one with the schools’ environment. It was in this context that the District Administration launched Roshni project.
The project helps migrant children acquire proficiency in Malayalam, English, and Hindi using the strategy of code-switching through special packages and by taking extra morning hours of about 90 minutes before the morning classes.
Service of Educational volunteers who are proficient in Hindi, Bengali and Oriya is ensured in this project. This helps to communicate easily with children and to understand their problems. The project also aims at providing balanced minimum morning food and conducting comprehensive intellectual boosting workshops and study tours for migrant laborers’ children.
The 18 schools in which the programme is implemented include GLPS Pallilamkara, GUPS North Vazhakkulam, GUPS North Allapra, Nirmala LPS Malamuri, GLPS Malayidamthuruth, GLPS Uliyannur, CKC LP Ponnurunni, GLPS Thrikkakara, LF UP Kaloor, St Joseph UP Kadavanthra, St George UP Poonithura, KM UPS Eroor, GHS Nellikuzhi, SNHS Thrikkanarvattom, GUPS Kandanthra, GHS Binanipuram, Union LPS Thrikkanarvattom and GLPS Ponnurunni.
Bharat Petroleum Corporation provides the financial aid to Roshni project.