School-on-wheels launched in Delhi

New Delhi: A non-governmental organisation (NGO) on Wednesday launched a mobile learning centre for slum children in Delhi. The school-on-wheels was flagged off by east Delhi Mayor Annapoorna Mishra.Launched by NGO 'Save the Children', in collaboration with Aviva Life Insurance Company, the centre comes equipped with trainers, teachers and counsellors. The Mobile Learning Centre (MLC) will work with underprivileged children in slum clusters in and around east Delhi's Subhash Nagar.[caption id="attachment_359491" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="courtesy: IBN LIVE"][/caption]According to the NGO, the mobile centre aims to reach a total of 2,000 street and slum children, aged between three and 14 years, in a span of two years."Almost 50 percent of the street children in Delhi are not literate. With the RTE (Right to Education) Act in place, the authorities cannot have an excuse if children are out of school," said Thomas Chandy, chief executive officer at Save the Children."We hope that the government will ensure that underprivileged students are mainstreamed in formal private and government schools," Chandy added.Reaching out to the children at the critical age of 3 to 6 years, the mobile centre would aim at building a strong foundation for these children so that they are ready for mainstream schools in their lives, the NGO added.IANS