As many as 196 children of brick kiln workers are being educated under a doorstep teaching programme introduced by the zilla parishad in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said.
The "Brick to Inn" programme that began last year covered children in the age group of six to 14 years, who accompany their parents to the brick kilns, said Chayadevi Shishode, CEO of the Thane zilla parishad.
To cover the maximum number of out-of-school children in the district, the district administration, especially the zilla parishad's education department, has taken various measures, and the doorstep teaching programme has become popular, she said.
The zilla parishad has roped in different agencies to hold classes at brick kilns, and 196 children in Bhiwandi, Murbad and Shahpur talukas were covered under the programme in one year, Shishode told reporters on Saturday.
The zilla parishad also provides Rs 2,486 towards the schooling of each student, she said.
In its Rs 104.66 crore budget, the zilla parishad has allocated Rs 5.10 crore for public health, Rs 9.30 crore for education, Rs 3.21 crore for irrigation, and Rs 21.81 crore for public works, among other provisions, an official said.
