for those who cannot afford to go to regular schools mobile schools provide a valuable alternative sakshi khattar reportsthey are keen to study but dont have the resources they live in difficult circumstances like redlight districts construction sites and traffic signals they are the street children who can now study work on computers and play games at their conveniencemobile schoolwith the government launching two chalta firta mobile schools for children living in difficult areas of the city many can now experience education at their doorstep the buses have been introduced as part of a new scheme under the governments flagship programme sarva shiksha abhiyan aimed at the universalisation of elementary education these yellow buses are wellequipped with the basic infrastructure of a classroom along with the latest teaching and learning aids such as vcds and learning kits the mobile schools are being operated on a publicprivate partnership after a memorandum of understanding mou was signed between the department of education and two ngos the salaam balak trust and butterfliessays beena sheth lashkari founder secretary and director door step school mumbai this concept was introduced in mumbai in1998 and has since been replicated all over the country elaborating on doorstep she says that the introduction of audiovisual equipment is a source of great attraction for children besides resource bags containing equipment for basic scientific experiments and puzzles that circulate between project areas are an added bonusadds lashkari the modus operandi is to conduct a class at a time and place convenient to the group of children being catered to emphasis is laid on language and mathematical skills needed in ones daytoday life the basic aim is to help the children in being able to read and understand a newspaper fill in relevant forms as and when required and express themselves through writingrough terrainon a similar note numerous brightly painted rtv vans carry the tamasha road show trs from one traffic signal to the next the vans represent the school on wheels initiative launched by the ngo katha filled with funlearning material the roadshow attracts children to a learning environment through theatre songs dance puppetry and even computers under trs we are working with street children at 10 selected road crossings where five teachers and two mentors conduct regular classes informs amrita talwar networking officer kathafully equipped under the education on wheels project started in 2006 by the ngo deepalaya teachers use flash cards art and craft activities games storytelling roleplays icebreaking exercises and educational cds to hold their students attention the bus is equipped with facilities such as a tv dvdvcd music system and even computers the aim is simple to attract and retain outofschool and working children the concept of mobile schools provides a complete solution to the space restrictions in slums and therefore allows more utility the ultramodern setup in the bus improves its motivational quality and other basic facilities it is an innovative approach to joyful learning beyond educationfurther a school on wheels being run