The idea came from the administrative authorities of the Hooghly District in the State of West Bengal. Dr Sripriya Rengarajan, District Magistrate and Dr R. Alice Vaz, Assistant District Magistrate discovered from an official enquiry that there are still many children in every village who do not go to school or who give up shortly after starting.

In the month of March the authorities launched the project of a “mobile school” and immediately asked for the help of the “Don Bosco Bandel” Salesian Institute in Calcutta. Fr Johny Nedungatt, the Rector and Fr Mathew Kadenkhuzy, Principal, were happy to agree to the proposal which corresponds to the apostolate of the Salesians. In this way a bus was made available and three teachers from the school, Madhurima Dey, Sidhu Murmu and Kanu Murmu joined the project. They will be assisted by Mr. Mondol Champak and Fr Raymond Tudu SDB.

The bus CSTC WB04-9923, already known as the “Bhramyaman Pathabhavan” – mobile school – by the pupils, is the only one of its kind in West Bengal and is furnished with everything needed for teaching such as board, lamps, seats, cupboards and even more with a TV, and audio equipment…

For the present the bus will stay in one place for six months, providing lessons for about 40 pupils between Monday and Friday. After this period it will move on and provide the same service in another village as arranged by the District Magistrate.

On Monday 28 February the new school opened. The five members of staff clambered aboard the bus at the District Headquarters and accompanied by the “Songho Sontan Band”, set off for the village of Bansbaria Maidan, the first place for the school. Here for the occasion, the local authorities had erected a large “shamiyana” – a ceremonial marquee which held about 800 people.

To the applause of all present Dr Rengarajan gave a short talk in which she explained the object of the mobile school and then cut the ribbon. Then the pupils taking part in the programme climbed onto the bus, and while the local people gathered around outside the vehicle the first lesson of the “mobile school” began.

Published 11/03/2011