Fakir Mohan University lays education bridge to schools for dropouts

Besides, they are meeting teachers of the upper primary and high school in both the villages to facilitate re-admission of the children who dropped out during Covid.
University VC interacting with a tribal family in Nuapadhi | Express
University VC interacting with a tribal family in Nuapadhi | Express

BALASORE: Gouranga Singh (name changed), a Class IX student of Nuapadhi village in Balasore refused to attend his school even after it reopened a year back. He found working in a stone crusher unit in Remuna along with his father Rabi Singh beneficial as it fetched him some money, even if it was much less than the daily wage. His father spared him a few rupees and kept the rest for his alcohol.

Gouranga is not alone. There are many students in Nuapadhi and nearby Mardarajpur village who were either engaged in labour by their parents or refuse to go to school due to the long break. They did not step into their classrooms till the Fakir Mohan University intervened.

While the university has adopted the two villages, its Vice-Chancellor (VC) Santosh Tripathy, faculty members from the Education department Amulya Acharya, Pratima Pradhan and NSS programme officer Jagannath Behera are now creating awareness among villagers to send their children to schools. Owing to their efforts, Gouranga and at least 35 children of both villages have been brought back to their schools. Both the villages are located in the periphery of the university.

“In Nuapadhi and Mardarajpur, social evils like illiteracy, child marriage, consumption of alcohol, dependence on quacks are galore. Post-Covid, many tribal families have engaged their children in stone crushers to supplement the family income. Also, since men here are alcoholic, they do not bother about the education of their children. We are trying to bring in a change in the scenario,” said VC Tripathy.

He and his team have been reaching out to such families every day and speaking to them about the need to send their children to school. Besides, they are meeting teachers of the upper primary and high school in both the villages to facilitate re-admission of the children who dropped out during Covid.

“Some months back, we noticed these children playing near the university boundary. When we inquired, they told us that they do not go to school and are now even afraid to look at their books. We also came to know that many other children are working along with their parents in stone crushers. Their parents paid little interest in resuming their education,” said Tripathy.

He added that they have identified 170 such children in both villages. “Our drive will continue till we bring all of them back to their schools,” the VC said. Besides the need for education, the university team has also been creating awareness among villagers about the ills of alcohol consumption and dependence on quacks. They have also been organising health checkups for the villagers at regular intervals.

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