Krishna Gupta does not feel barred by age — she is 45 — to resume her education. The Class VIII dropout, a sex worker in Sonagachhi for many years, is regularly attending the Bachelor’s Preparatory Programme of Indira Gandhi Memorial Open University (Ignou).

The mother of two attends her classes on Saturdays and Sundays on the third floor of an NGO-run clinic on Abinash Kabiraj Street.

Seventeen sex workers and their children have enrolled for the course and 30 more are in queue for the next session, to start in June.

The course is the brainchild of Calcutta-based NGO Amra Padatik and its parent body Durbar Mahila Samannay Committee.

Ignou extended help to the initiative and its 88th study centre opened in Sonagachhi in January 2008.

“The students are being tutored to appear for graduation exams,” said an NGO official. Subjects include AIDS prevention and family education, guidance, food and nutrition, women empowerment and development.

“We accepted the NGO’s proposal and are offering free services,” said Bangsibadan Chatterjee, the study centre coordinator. “The participants are showing interest in studies,” he added.

Two teachers, including Chatterjee, are now taking the classes. There are plans to increase the number of teachers and classes from the next session.

“We are receiving applications from people living below the poverty line, as well as from eunuchs,” said Bharati Samanta, of the Durbar Mahila Committee.