ARIYALUR: A trio of paternal cousins have bagged the State School Education department’s awards for headmasters/mistresses enrolling the most SC/ST students in their schools. S Arivazhagan, D Chandrasekar and M Jayaraj work at Muthuservamadam, Silambur, and Nagamangalam government high schools, respectively, have bagged the prizes in Ariyalur district. The prizes come with a small cash incentive. Arivazhagan is bagging the reward for the second consecutive year.
The cousins conduct awareness campaigns at villages and at Dalit settlements. “Being landless, many people belonging to SC/ST communities in the district migrate to Tiruppur to work as labourers. Some of them take their daughters with them for work so that they can earn enough money for their marriages in the next few years. In such cases, we talk to them and explain the many benefits of education. Stopping them from taking their daughters along is beneficial in two ways — first, we would be preventing child labour, and second, we could boost girl children’s education,” they said.
Of the 171 total students enrolled into the Muthuservamadam school in Udayarpalayam education district in 2020-21, 143 are SC/ST students. The locality where the schools are situated also plays a role in the enrolment. If there is an SC/ST habitation around a school, more students from the communities are likely to enrol there. “Though the locality plays a role, the teachers take tremendous efforts in admitting and retaining them,” said Arivazhagan.
When asked about the efforts taken, he said, “We put up banners at the entrance of the village informing people about the facilities available in our school. Majority of the people residing near our school are economically-weak. Most parents are unaware of the many schemes that government offers to students. Our teachers explain it to them. Also, medical check-up facility is available in schools wherein students’ health is examined and remedies provided.”
Teachers promoted enrollment of Dalit students
Chandrasekar is the headmaster of Silambur government high school in Sendurai education district. Here, of the total 145 students enrolled in 2020-21, 81 belong to the SC/ST community. He said, "Many people from the area work in Tiruppur and Coimbatore. There are chances that their children's education may get affected. We approach such parents and ask them to leave their children in the care of their grandparents. Our teachers visit every street to spread the awareness campaign and to boost admissions."
The third cousin, Jayaraj, headmaster of Nagamangalam government high school, along with the teachers' efforts enrolled as many as 141 SC/ST students of the total 342 in his school.
"Our school now has a better infrastructure on par with private schools. Four of the seven classrooms are smart-classrooms. We have science and computer labs. We explain about the facilities to the students of the nearby panchayat union primary schools. When parents are told that our school has English medium instruction facility, a few of them transferred their children from private schools to ours.
During the parents' meetings, we play videos using projectors and show them the facilities, extracurricular activities and government schemes," he said. When asked about creating a conducive atmosphere for students in school campuses, Arivazhagan said, "Teachers, during classes, often tell moral stories emphasising unity among people." All the three vowed to get rewards for the 2021-22 academic year as well. Admissions are currently underway for the same.