No schooling for children of migrant labourers

Monday, 09 November 2009 10:20 administrator
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The New Indian Express 09.11.2009

No schooling for children of migrant labourers

Sangeeta Neerja

Children of migrant workers from Andhra Pradesh and Orissa left behind to guard the tin-roof huts while their parents toil. (Express photo)
CHENNAI: It should be the worst urban parody: Children of those building skyscrapers have no school to go. About 6,000 families of migrant construction workers who have made the suburbs of Chennai their home for the past seven to eight years leave their children behind to guard the tin-roof huts, fetch water for the household and baby-sit on younger sibling. While they toil to make the city’s skyline look better.

Having migrated from drought-hit hinterlands of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa in search of greener pastures in the metropolis, they do not see any upward social mobility for their children as there are no schools with Telugu or Oriya medium instruction around their settlements in Kattankulathur block in Kancheepuram district.

Besides, the parents themselves are alien to the concept of formal education. As a result, about 1,300 children in the age group of six to 14 have never stepped inside a classroom, according to a study conducted by Rural Development Trust (RDT), an NGO working among those migrant labourers.

Mohan, who supervisors a non-formal educational centre run by RDT, said, “Once old enough, the children join the workforce along with their parents.”

T K Elumalai of RDT said, “The only way to keep the children out of labour is to keep them in school. Language is a huge barrier for them as they have to enrol in Tamil medium schools.”

Responding to lack of schools for the children, V Saraswati, Chief Educational Officer (CEO) of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) Scheme in Kancheepuram district, said, “We will soon bring these children under the SSA scheme, to give them some informal education and employ Telugu-knowing teachers to run a bridge course of six months.”

Mohana Kumar, CEO of Kancheepuram district told Express: “This is the first time I have heard about this. Since it has been brought to my attention, I will represent the matter to the district collector and do the needful to start a Telugu medium school for these children.”

Last Updated on Monday, 09 November 2009 10:22