Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said the government would launch a special drive to ensure the education of all children of ‘guest workers’ arriving in the state in search of jobs.

Officials would visit the places where guest workers reside and take steps to ensure that all their children are enrolled in schools, he said.

The campaign will be conducted in May, according to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

The decision was taken during a meeting held to discuss the educational backwardness of guest workers’ children.

The services of representatives from local self-government institutions, Kudumbashree workers, local school teachers, and others would be utilised for this initiative.

The chief minister also said a comprehensive education programme for the children of guest workers would be announced during the state government’s fourth anniversary celebrations, scheduled to be held in Ernakulam on May 7.

During the meeting, it was suggested that all local self-government bodies maintain a registry of school admissions and separately track data related to the education of guest workers’ children.

A registration system should be established in areas frequented by guest worker families during seasonal migrations, to ensure the continuity of education for migrant children, he said.

Health screening facilities and medical camps should be organised for guest workers and their children, if necessary, and awareness campaigns should be conducted on issues such as hygiene and substance abuse, the chief minister added.

He also noted that a special portal and mobile application are being developed to facilitate Aadhaar-based registration. Modules to collect information about guest workers’ children will be included in this platform.

General education minister V Sivankutty and senior officials from the education department attended the meeting.

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