'Mowgli Schools' — oasis of learning for children in Bahraich’s forest

Mowgli Schools, set up deep in the Dudhwa-Katarniya forest area in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich, have become an oasis of learning for children of forest dwellers.

‘Mowgli Schools’, set up deep in the Dudhwa-Katarniya forest area in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich, have become an oasis of learning for children of forest dwellers.

The schools — one located in Motipur and another in Barda areas of the forest reserve — impart education together to around 350 children, most of them aged between seven and 10.

These children used to wander in the forest area to collect firewood which made them susceptible prey for wild animals, before the schools were set up by the forest department officials.

Named after the main character “Mowgli” of Rudyard Kipling's ' The Jungle Book', the schools operate in the evening from forest department buildings.

“The children are provided with colourful books, comics, sports items, and are also shown cartoons. The schools are run more like tuition centres where children from nearby areas come in the evening and study,” said Akashdeep Badhawan, Divisional Forest Officer.

Forest department officials said most of the children are from marginalised families.

They help their parents in farms during the day and in the evening come to school, the officials said.