Ajit Balaji Joshi, then Additional Deputy Commissioner in Jhajjar Dist., Haryana, set up the first bhatta shala (brick-kiln-school) in December, 2006. Since then 359 such bhatta shalas have been set up in Haryana.
The brick kiln workers in Jhajjar and Sonepat districts of Haryana come from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in December and stay for six months. So these seasonal schools- set up so that the children of these workers do not miss out on an education- run for six months every year.
Initially, schools in several states refused to accept the certificates that the bhatta shalas issued. But they are now accepted by the home states of the children, and they continue their studies when they go back home for the rest of the year.
In 2008, Ajit Joshi received the Distinguished Service Award from former President APJ Abdul Kalam for his work on the bhatta shalas.
Crossing the desert
1 week ago
2 comments:
Good to hear this. Will inspire many young Indians for sure.If only more officials and politicians would do the same.
Such officers are an exception1 and so are the initiatives.But, this should set few of them thinking.
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