KARIMNAGAR: While a majority of the day for any student of the government primary school in Gattubhoothkur, Gangadhara mandal, is filled with the scenes, smells and sounds of a working brick kiln — bricks hitting each other, labourers heaving heavy loads and the burning furnace — they are determined to build a better life.
These 51 children, once destined to follow in their parents’ footsteps and become daily wage labourers, are now learning Maths, Science, History and the language of opportunity.
The special school, a brainchild of District Collector Pamela Satpathy, who is from Odisha, ensures that the children of brick kiln workers, most of whom are also from Odisha, are being taught their native tongue. Reading materials and textbooks have been specially sourced from the east Indian state. A number of local children have also been enrolled at the school.
The brick kiln owner provides a tractor every day to help the children reach school too. During a recent visit, the collector also taught English and Odia to the children. To teach Odia, one volunteer from Odisha, and another local volunteer have been appointed to teach them.
“To encourage education, instead of setting up the school at the work site, we took the initiative to establish it as a primary school,” Mandal Educational Officer (MEO) A Prabhakar Rao tells TNIE. He added that the quality of education in a worksite school is often secondary to the operations on the site.
The children of workers are regularly pulled from classes to help the labourers, the MEO said, adding that a primary school will help guarantee that children from marginalised backgrounds are not denied access to education.
Education officials provide mid-day meals to the students along with the primary school children. To ensure they feel included, the collector has directed the distribution of uniforms, shoes and bags. During her visit, she interacted with the children in Odia and even taught them. She has also instructed the officials to ensure that students receive special attention in English and Mathematics.
Authorities recently conducted a special health camp to check the students’ haemoglobin levels and raise awareness about hygiene. Plans are underway to organise a dental camp for them.
