KOZHIKODE: Once the classrooms in the 75-year-old Byraikulam GLPS in the heart of the city used to be filled with students. Now, it is has turned to be a school for children of migrant labourers. Out of the 19 students studying in the school from Classes one to four, 17 are children of migrants. As many as five children have enrolled in Class one and all of them hail from states such as West Bengal, UP and Tamilnadu.
Jaison AJ, headmaster in charge of the school said around eight government-aided and public schools are functioning within one to two-kilometre radius of Byranikulam GLPS. The schools with better facilities are preferred by native students. Once, there were more than 100 children in the nearly eight-decade old school. That was prior to commercialisation of the area, the headmaster said.
The school has four teachers and two non-teaching staff. According to the staff, the children of migrant workers have been taking admission in the school since 2013. Their parents are tile workers and labourers in gold ornaments factories.
Jaison pointed out that the students are coming from economically backward conditions but when compared to other migrants, their financial condition is better. "Normally, migrants working here do not bring their family. These children's fathers bring the family because they can afford the expense. But they cannot afford the cost to admit the children in private or aided schools in the city," he said.
Also, the teachers are taking special initiatives to rope in the students. They maintain a good relationship with parents and they met in person with them. The teachers frequently visit the children's dwellings. "It cannot be called a house. A big hall is partitioned into small rooms.," said Jaison.
However, most of the parents are keen to send the children to the school. The school failed to attract local students due to lack of sufficient facilities. The school has no bus to bring students as most of the parents can ill afford afford the cost of running the bus service.