VIJAYAWADA: Eight months into the pandemic, Covid-19 has put on hold the education of several children.
Though the State government has taken various steps to increase the enrolment in schools by launching various schemes, many children stopped attending classes due to the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Some of these children have been forced into child labour as the need to earn money is more urgent than getting an education.
“My son used to go to a government school, and my daughter never went to school. Since schools are yet to reopen, my son has been helping me segregate garbage and collect recyclable plastic, which we sell to earn a livelihood. I am the breadwinner of the family,” Jyothi, a ragpicker told TNIE.
“I used to work as a cleaner at a small food outlet in Vijayawada, but lost the job when the eatery was shut due to the lockdown. I had no option but to become a rag picker,” Jyothi said, adding that she used to earn `7,000 per month before the lockdown, and now struggles to make ends meet with the meagre `2,000 she earns.
“I used to send my son to the government school as it was free. But now, we don’t have the resources for him to attend online classes. I heard students were given books and cloth for uniforms; but if I send my son, my daughter will also demand to go to school. Right now I am not in a condition to send them. More than studying, it is important that they learn to earn money after I die,” she said.
Chipping in, her 10-year-old son Yesabu said, “I like to collect pens and footballs. While helping my mom, I get several of them. A pastor comes to our area and teaches us every Sunday. That is now my only school.”
Similarly, 13-year-old Mukesh Kumar, who used to attend school, now works as a cleaner at an eatery.
“My father died during the lockdown and we had no source of income. My elder sister works as a domestic help at five houses. She earns about Rs 10,000 and I earn Rs 6,000 per month. Our mother has a heart ailment and we need to pay her bills. Both of us dropped out of school as we had to earn money after our father’s death,” he said.
“We admitted my younger sister to the government school so that at least she can study. Once schools reopen, she will continue her education in Class 4,” Mukesh added.