Keen to study in Tamil medium school

Updated on: Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Thalavady: Little more than two-dozen children of school-going age in Orathi and neighbouring hamlets in the hills are not attending school.

Children of migrant labourers and daily wagers spend their entire daytime grazing cattle and assisting parents in daily chores. According to the parents, the children do not attend school, as the schools are located too far away and they cannot afford to send their young ones to such a long distance.

A Government run Panchayat Union Elemantary School is active about 500m away from their huts at Boothalpuram. Kannada is the medium of instruction in the school, which the migrant parents feel that it doesn't suit them.

The villagers say that as they are Tamils, they prefer to study in Tamil medium school. The next closest Tamil medium schools are located in Kadatti and Germalam that are 3 Km away from the hamlet. Both the schools offer education up to standard eight.

As the school is too far away and their children need to cross over a forest area, the villagers don't want to send them to school. Bus facility is sparse to that village and doesn't go with timing of the school.

On enquiry with the local Education Department officials found that the parents complaints are true only to a certain extent. They say the government runs two residential schools one in Gethasal and another in Kanagare but the parents do not send them there.

The efforts on the part of the Govt in the recent past to run an Alternative Education School also turned out to be futile.

The migrant labourer-parents take children along with them for work, which affects the regular schooling of their children.

Time alone knows when these children would get enlightened with fundamental knowledge.

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Keen to study in Tamil medium school

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