As preparations for the grand Dasara festival continue at the Mysuru Palace, the educational initiative is all set to resume from Monday, today, September 9.
A temporary school popularly known as Tent School all these years has been set up to ensure the children of mahouts and kavadis, who camp for nearly two months ahead of the festival, receive uninterrupted education during their stay.
The school, now housed in a room near the Jayamarthanda Gate, replaces the earlier Tent School that operated under tin sheets in the Palace grounds over the last several years, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
This initiative by the Department of School Education and Literacy, aims to prevent these children from falling behind in their studies due to their prolonged absence from regular schooling.
The extended stay, necessary for preparing elephants for the five-kilometre Vijaydashami procession, had led many children to forget their schoolwork, with some losing interest in returning to formal schooling altogether.
"To fill this gap, the tent school was launched a few years ago which ensured that the education of mahouts' children does not suffer while they stay in Mysuru for Dasara," said Block Education Officer (South) CN Raju.
The new temporary school will run from 9.45 am to 3.30 pm from Monday and so far over 10 children have joined, with the number expected to touch 30 by next two days.
Teachers Noor Fathima, Mousin Taj, and Divya Priyadarshini have been appointed to guide students from Classes I to X, using the Nali Kali method, which incorporates engaging visual aids like charts and maps, stated The New Indian Express report.
