Cyberabad Launches Landmark Work-Site School For Migrant Children

In a sign of a concerted effort to bring education directly to labor camps, a first-of-its-kind construction site school for children of construction workers has been opened at Narsingi in Cyberabad. “Without proper care, children in labor camps are vulnerable to exploitation and substance abuse,” said Cyberabad police commissioner Dr M. Ramesh.

He emphasized the need for coordinated efforts among government departments, private organizations and NGOs and noted that providing education to children in their mother tongue would improve learning outcomes.

“Though we cannot provide luxury, we must provide a safe, secure and nurturing environment for every child,” said G. Srijana, officer-in-charge of Cyberabad Municipal Corporation. He expressed hope that the initiative would be permanent, assuring that caregivers would be assigned and child safety would be prioritized.

Pushpalila, founder of Rajapushpa, said 58 children from Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Assam are studying at the camp. He added that teachers were appointed jointly by the education department and the company and similar schools would be expanded in the future. “The government is committed to ensuring education of every child, including migrant workers,” said district education officer Sushendra Rao. Lunches will be provided under current plans, he said.