Jaipur: State education department has directed district education officers to felicitate seasonal or migratory Hostels for students of Class-I to Class-VIII in the age group of 6-14 whose parents migrate to other cities for work during winter season.
The specialised hostels are meant for economically poor families, mostly farmers and labourers whose children drop out as they migrate to other cities for livelihood purposes. The move is intended to bring down drop-out rate which rises sharply in the winters.

The hostels will run from October to March in schools, community centres or a place provided by the local community, administration or panchayat.

Students will be selected through verification or background check by the education officers. They have to determine the educational qualification of the family, means of their livelihood, economic condition, etc.

Also, the officers have to track such families who migrate in winters for livelihood activities. “The verification that will cover means of livelihood and migration will be done by sarpanch in rural areas and councilor in the urban area,” said the rule. A minimum of 25 students are required to run these hostels while the maximum limit is 49 students.
Temporary hostels will provide meals which will come from mid-day meal programme along with breakfast and dinner is provided at the hostel. A detailed timetable has been prepared for the students.
From getting up at 5:30 am to clean their room followed by Yoga from 6:15 am to 7am., after school hours they will get an hour to play. The daily routine is applicable from October to March.
A process has been prepared to depute an educational volunteer who along with a warden is required to provide teaching assistance to the children. “For girls hostels, it is mandatory to have female educational volunteer and warden,” said the rule. Source : timesofindia