ADILABAD: “When the elephants fights, its the grass that suffers,”says an ancient Kenyan proverb. And it holds true in the present day Adilabad where the affects of the Adivasi-Lambada conflicts have trickled down to the children of the communities. The Ashram Schools run by the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) in the district have not seen any admissions this academic year.
Notably, it has been 15 days since the beginning of the new session began but the attendance registered in these schools is a mere 25 per cent. This is a far cry from last year when the schools functioned with full attendance within a week after reopening.
While the Adivasi-Lambada conflict is said to be a major reason behind the meagre attendance, there are also families who have reportedly not sent their children to school due to the widely circulated rumours of child-kidnapping gangs on the prowl in the State. While the schools in Jharipunaguda and Vanvat have registered 25 per cent attendance, those in the district headquarters have reported an attendance of 50 per cent.
The erstwhile Adilabad district has a total of 54 Ashram schools with 19,906 students. A teacher at one of the schools, on the condition of anonymity, said that during the ‘badi bata’ programme several families expressed reluctance in sending their kids to school due to various reasons. “In mandals where Adivasis are in greater numbers such as Indervelli, Narnoor, Jainoor, Kerameri and Utnoor, they (Adivasis) are wary of the Lambada teachers at the schools,” he said.
However, the officials concerned had a different take on the issue. Speaking to Express, ITDA Utnoor project officer S Krishna said that the main reason behind the low attendance was the ongoing transfers of teachers, and it would take some time for all schools at full capacity.
“The teachers counselling process will be completed by June 21. Once the teachers settle down in their respective locations, the schools can concentrate on education again and students will start coming,” he said.