COIMBATORE: The absence of bus services to Pothiyampalayam village in Coimbatore for over a decade has severely affected the education of many children of the Schedule Caste (SC) community, forcing many to drop out of school.
When TNIE visited Iyothee Thass Pandithar Habitation located about two kilometres from Pothiyampalayam in Annur block, on Wednesday, where around 50 families reside, it found at least ten children aged between 11 and 17 staying in the village instead of attending school, citing the lack of a bus facility. A few children are also employed as child labourers.
K Pradeep (13), who has dropped out of school, said that due to the lack of bus services, he was unable to continue his studies after Class 5, since the Government Higher Secondary School in Vagarayampalayam is about five kilometres away. He said that he would return to school if a bus service was introduced to his village.
P Ramya, said that presently, she studies in Class 9 at Vagarayampalayam school and her father takes her and her sister to school by bike every day and picks them up in the morning and evening.
"At least one or two days a week, we cannot go to school because our father goes out for coolie work in the early morning. As a result, our studies are affected," she said.
Ramesh, who works at a two-wheeler workshop, said he dropped out of government school in Chellappampalayam after Class 8. "My brother used to take me to school and pick me up every day. As he could not continue doing so, I dropped out and joined work in a nearby area," he said. "Others have also dropped out and are employed at motor workshops, water-wash centres and other establishments," he added.
C Arumugam, a resident, said, "Children study only up to Class 5, because the primary school is located at Porthiyampalayam and can be reached on foot. After that, they have to travel five kilometres to reach Vagarayampalayam school to continue their education."
He said that around 15 children are currently not going to school.
"There is no bus service from Pothiyampalayam to Vagarayampalayam via Iyothee Thass Pandithar Habitation and Alampalayam. A government bus (Route No 72) operates from Ondipudur to Vagarayampalayam via Pothiyampalayam and Ponnandampalayam. Since there are no villages between the stretch of Pothiyampalayam and Ponnandampalayam, the authorities can divert the bus through our village route during school times. If a bus service is introduced, children can travel to Vagarayampalayam and continue their education and other residents will also be benefitted," he urged.
He said that although petitions were submitted several times to district administration, no action was taken.
Functionary of Palli Kalvi Paathukappu Iyakkam S Chandrasekar, said that school education department officers claim they conduct an out-of-school children survey every year, but he asked how the officers missed these children for a decade and failed to ensure whether they received education or not. District Collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar told TNIE that he would look into the matter and take necessary action.
