Mysuru:  The customary Tent School for children of Mahouts and Kavadis of Dasara elephants was inaugurated at Palace premises here yesterday by MLA S.A. Ramdas, who also taught a few Kannada and English alphabets to the children in a symbolic gesture. He showered flower petals on a portrait of Goddess Chamundeshwari.

The Tent School now has 18 kids of Mahouts and Kavadis who have come with the first batch of Dasara elephants. The kids of the handlers of the second batch of elephants, numbering about 12, are expected in a day of two taking the total strength to 30.

Speaking on the occasion, Ramdas disclosed that it is proposed to bring students of City Government School for the first time once a week to the Tent School and arrange an interaction with the students there which would help to get over the obvious shyness among Tent School children. He added that the move would also help to improve the learning skills.

He said that several contests would also be organised for the children and prizes would be given to the winners.

Uniform and books were distributed to the children.

DDPI Dr. Panduranga, Block Education Officer Shivakumar, Block Resource Co-ordinator C. Nagesh, Cluster Resource Person Veenasri, teachers Basavaraj, Nagendra, Subbalakshmi and others were present.