Kerala introduces 'Jyothi' programme to enroll migrant children in schools

The Kerala state government introduced 'Jyothi', a programme that will give migrant workers' children an education. The initiative will end the long history of educational marginalization of this vulnerable group, the majority of whom miss out on formal school opportunities because they are moved here and there all the time and do not enjoy access to public facilities.

Migrant labour forms a substantial percentage of Kerala's working population, with more than 35 lakh contributing to the state's economy in high-growth sectors. All of them stay in the state with their families, leading the government to follow its legacy of free and universal public education for them.

'Jyothi' will admit all the children in the age group three to six years from migrant populations into anganwadis (state child care institutions) and include children of the age group six years and above in public schools. The scheme lays stress on integration of culture and education within an overall scheme of social integration and empowerment.

In April 2025, the government had pledged a month-long outreach effort in May to track down and register out-of-school migrant children by going straight into their settlements. The drive followed a top-level meeting which threw into focus again the continued school lag behind of migrant children.

"We are taking education to where the children are. No child must be left behind simply because parents migrate for work," Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said when he launched the campaign. He also made a surprise announcement that an all-encompassing education programme tailored to the needs of migrant children would be unveiled at the fourth anniversary of the state government in Ernakulam on May 7.

The enrolment campaign is being put into action by a huge network of stakeholders, i.e., local self-government officials, Kudumbashree staff members, school teachers, and parent-teacher associations, who would identify and enrol migrant children collectively in schools at the local level.

Following previous efforts like the Roshni project and similar initiatives in Idukki and Kannur, the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has been directed to finish a complete education plan for children who are migrants.

As a part of a plan to provide continuity of education despite seasonal migration, the government will introduce a localised registration system for monitoring the whereabouts of children and providing continuous schooling.

The program also involves greater welfare schemes. The migrant colonies' parents and children will be provided with health check-ups and medical camps. Hygiene, healthy living, and drug abuse awareness are the other areas to be propagated under the program.

General Education Minister V Sivankutty emphasized creating favorable environments for the children beyond the school atmosphere. "Children require spaces where they can bloom, not classrooms," he quoted. Municipal boards have been instructed to provide facilities in public space for festive purposes like arts, sports and culture exchanges between native and migrant children.

The inaugural ceremony of 'Jyothi' occurs alongside the initiative to computerize the database of the state's migrant workers. In September 2024, a common portal and a mobile app have been launched to facilitate Aadhaar-based registration of all guest workers. There will be an independent ID for each worker, and information will be available to various departments. Employers, contractors, and shelter providers will be made compulsory by law to register the individuals they are employing or providing shelter to, and the Labour Department will issue working rules and implement awareness programmes.

While the previous Athidhi portal launched in 2023 was based on mobile numbers, the new system requires Aadhaar verification and has provisions to capture information of children of workers.