Launched in 2010, the Residential Special Training Centres (RSTC) initiative under the Samagra Shiksha scheme has helped bring over 1,000 out-of-school children in Madurai back into classrooms over the past fourteen years, with the government providing Rs 20,000 per child annually towards their education and care.

The residential schools have become a crucial safety net for children pushed out of schooling due to migration, poverty, and family distress.

Madurai currently has two RSTCs- at Kadachanenthal (run by Joe Britto Educational and Social Trust) and Chellampatti (run by the Society of Seva Missionaries). These temporary residential schools provide structured learning sessions, accommodation, nutritious meals, counselling, and psychological support. Each year, 100 out-of-school children are identified and enrolled in these centres.

The government funds each child for only two years, during which they undergo accelerated learning to reach age-appropriate academic levels.

They are taught entirely at the centres but write exams along with government school students. Once they cope with academics, they are transferred to government-run homes.

If a child still requires support beyond two years, the centres continue to shelter them using their own funds, without government financial assistance.

Samagra Shiksha Assistant Project Director P. Saravana Murugan said that children from nomadic families, single-parent households, tribal communities, and orphaned backgrounds remain most vulnerable to dropping out. Many lose years of schooling due to seasonal migration, unstable housing, or family crises.

“In such cases, it is not possible to educate them like regular students. These residential schools allow us to bridge that gap,” he said.

Out-of-School Children District Coordinator Jacintha Navin said the centres follow a systematic process to support each child’s transition. “Every year, we send around 60 children to Joe Britto Educational and Social Trust and 40 to the Society of Seva Missionaries.The government pays Rs 20,000 per child annually.

Depending on their age, they are also enrolled in the nearest government schools. Educational volunteers teach them through specialised ‘bridge courses’ to help them catch up,” she said.

Speaking to TNIE, M Sathiya Sheela (22), who studied at the Joe Britto Educational and Social Trust, said that she was brought to the home when she was in Class VI through the School Education Department after losing both her parents. “I completed my BFA (Painting) at Alagappa University after finishing Class XII. I now paint murals on school walls for children and earn a monthly salary of Rs 15,000. I continue to stay at the Joe Britto home. I have never felt like an orphan; they ensured to support me in all forms, including psychological and academic care,” she said.

At Kadachanenthal, Managing Trustee M. Arockia Selvaraj said the children are introduced to academics gradually, and the first phase is focused on helping children adjust and be comfortable. “In the beginning, we engage them in games and sports to make them feel safe. Once they settle in, we gradually begin teaching,” he said, adding that the model has helped many pursue higher education, especially migrant and nomadic children who lose academic continuity due to frequent relocations.

At the Chellampatti centre, Sr. Jenifer of the Society of Seva Missionaries said, “In the Usilampatti region, many parents living below the poverty line migrate to northern states for work, leaving their children under relatives’ care, often without proper supervision. A large number of these children, along with tribal children from hill areas near Usilampatti, have been receiving education from us for more than ten years,” she added.