Bengaluru Students Rejoin School Through NIOS With Sparsha Trust

Five students from challenging economic backgrounds have successfully rejoined Classes 8 and 10 through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), thanks to sustained support from the Sparsha Trust. Sparsha Trust has been working for over two decades to educate children of ragpickers and hairpickers, visiting families door to door to encourage school attendance. The children, who previously studied in government schools in Bengaluru, had to discontinue education in 2023 and 2024 due to financial constraints.

Individual Stories of Resilience

• Devaraj, previously in Class 8, had to leave Karnataka Public School, Tavarekere, to support his family, as his father repairs gas stoves door to door and his mother is a hairpicker. He will now take the Class 10 NIOS exam in March 2026.
• Uma, whose parents also work as wastepickers, will appear for the Class 8 exam next year, after dropping out post-Class 7.
• Divya, who left school in 2023 after Class 9, now not only prepares for her Class 10 exam but also attends computer courses under Sparsha Trust’s career guidance program, learning PowerPoint and MS Excel.
• Bhavani and Aruna V are preparing for Class 10 and Class 8 exams, respectively.

Support from Sparsha Trust

The trust conducted intensive counselling for six months to convince parents to send their children back to school. They also ran bridge courses at the Remedial Education Centre to refresh students’ knowledge and assessed learning through class tests.

Challenges Addressed

Many children drop out due to financial burdens or family responsibilities, especially in single-parent households. Some come from areas like Kadabagere and Kuntigrama, which face severe water shortages, poor hygiene, and frequent illness, further hindering school attendance. Anil Kumar, Knowledge and MIS manager at Sparsha Trust, emphasized the long-term commitment required to reintegrate these children into formal education. "Convincing parents and providing remedial support is critical. Our goal is to prevent children from returning to ragpicking or hairpicking and ensure equal opportunities for learning," he said.The initiative highlights how community-driven efforts and flexible education systems like NIOS can bridge gaps and empower children from disadvantaged backgrounds to continue their schooling. Follow KollegeApply for the latest updates on College Admissions, Courses, Exam Dates, Results, Scholarships, Career Guidance, Education News, and Policy Changes — everything needed to stay ahead in the education journey