Hyderabad-based voluntary organisation Helping Hands Foundation (HHF) has launched an initiative to map government schools using Google Maps in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits, to determine school facilities and encourage enrolment of children.
Through this work, density of schools in each of the zones, availability of seats, teachers and other facilities will be determined; the same data will be used to counsel parents about facilities in government schools or the distance from their homes to schools, among other things. So far, 100 schools have been geo-mapped, the HHF said.
According to Mujtaba Hasan Askari of the HHF, in line with the new Congress government’s plans to upgrade schools, the organisation is explaining to parents that education is free and that the children will also get breakfast, lunch, books and uniforms.
Schools that lack the required resources are also being noted, for adoption and sponsorships. The foundation has adopted two schools and the target is to enrol up to 300 students for the upcoming academic year.
The HHF said its recent initiative, Rahnumai centres that aimed at spurring admissions in slum colonies, is showing results. So far, parents of over 200 children in five slum settlements of Kalapather, Shaheenagar, Wadi-e-Mahmood, Hasanagar and Hakeempet have agreed for school enrolment. Out of these, 60 children lacked a birth certificate and 81 had no Aadhaar card.
