Rohtak initiative helps out-of-school children join mainstream education

Swastika, the seven-year-old daughter of a migrant worker, had never been to school. Instead, she stayed home to care for her two-year-old sister while her parents worked as daily wage earners.

Her story changed when Rekha, an Education Volunteer with the Samagra Shiksha programme, persuaded her parents to allow her to study. Today, Swastika attends classes with 44 other children at a Special Training Centre (STC) on the premises of Government Model Primary School, Sukhpura Chowk, Rohtak.

“The children have been admitted to a six-month Bridge Course under the Samagra Shiksha project, upon completion of which they will be placed in classes according to their age,” said Rekha. She explained that volunteers conduct surveys to identify children aged 7–14 who are out of school and then convince their parents to enrol them.

“We tell them about the significance of education . and their children’s Right to Education. We also explain the facilities provided by the government such as free schooling, mid-day meals and study kits. It gives us immense happiness when the children taught by us enter mainstream education after the Bridge Course,” Rekha added.

Assistant Project Coordinator Manoj Suhag said 279 children between the ages of 7 and 14 had been enrolled across 12 STCs in Rohtak district. The current session began in August 2025 and will run until February 2026.

“The underlying idea is to ensure that every child in this age group receives education, as required under the Right to Education Act,” said Bijender Hooda, District Project Coordinator (Samagra Shiksha). Why only children over seven? Hooda explained, “Children up to the age of six can be enrolled in Class I of a regular school. However, if a child has missed schooling after the age of seven, he or she can join the six-month Bridge Course and then move into an age-appropriate class in mainstream education.”

Volunteers acknowledge that their remuneration is meagre, but say the satisfaction of bringing underprivileged children into formal schooling is immeasurable.