Tamil Nadu Tribal Students Quit Online Classes During Pandemic

Rohini has dropped out of college. The class 11 student is not the only college/school dropout in the Kadar tribal community at Kadambarai settlement in Tamil Nadu’s Anamalai Tiger Reserve. Despite her family having a smartphone which she could have used to attend the online classes, Rohini had no option but to quit studies due to the lack of electricity in her hamlet.

There are several such students in the 34 tribal settlements in Anaimalai Hills of the Western Ghats who received almost no formal education as the schools for shut for nearly 1.5 years. Even the few settlements that have electricity supply struggle with mobile phone network issues. It was widely reported how students attended online classes on roadsides to get better cellular connectivity while coping with rains and cold.

PARENTS FEEL LET DOWN

The tribal communities believe that the education of their children is the only means for their emancipation from the marginalised existence. Having been let down by the government, they complained of their children lagging and falling out of the system due to the lack of education during the pandemic.

Rohini with her class 11 textbook at Kadambarai settlement.

Due to the lack of basic facilities in the forest, some tribal children were admitted to residential schools prior to the pandemic. However, their parents were disappointed once the lockdown was announced. Rajalakshmi is one such parent who brought her two boys back from the hostel following the lockdown. “The teachers gave us some books and asked us to teach our children. How can I teach them? I am not literate. That is why I sent them to a hostel,” she told Newsclick.

Now, her two boys play all day. “They are eager to learn their father’s profession and don’t have any interest in studies,” rued Rajalakshmi, who belongs to the Kadar community in Kallargudi settlement.

Many such parents feel that the plans they had for their children’s education will never materialise.

A woman with her son at Anbu Nagar settlement.

STRUGGLE FOR ELECTRICITY

Many families that have Android phones but no electricity supply often request shopkeepers and government employees to charge their instruments—but they cannot let their children use them for online classes.

“We charge our phones in the guardroom nearby. Though the guards mostly allow us to charge our phones, they are rude at times. If we had proper power connection, we wouldn’t have been dependent on them,” said Priya, who stats at Kadamparai settlement. Despite staying in the vicinity of the Solaiyar Hydroelectric Project station, these tribes don’t have electricity supply.

“There are several children who are struggling and studying but it is not easy for them. It is difficult to go on like this” Priya added.

Frustrated and angry with the lack of electricity despite power lines only a few metres away from their dwellings, some families at Nagamalai settlement hesitantly admitted to having pilfered power from streetlights.

DEPENDENT ON KEROSENE LAMPS

Without electricity connection, children are left with no option but to study under kerosene lamps in the evenings. Kerosene is a basic necessity in the hills because it is needed for cooking, lighting up the house and chasing away elephants at night.

Students received textbooks but their illiterate family members could not teach them.

The residents complained that the kerosene provided under the public distribution system is not sufficient with the quantity having been reduced over the past few years.

“We have no electricity connection; our children study under kerosene lamps. From five litres of kerosene per month, the supply has been reduced to three litres in the last few years. We use kerosene very wisely as it doesn’t last more than 10 days,” said Ajitha.

Rohini explained the reason for quitting studies. “The college is far. If they hold a special class, we have to be there at 6 am. In the given circumstances, with just kerosene lamps, I cannot wake up early and get ready. Therefore, I have stopped going to college though I wish to study. We need electricity connection and bus connectivity to our area should be increased. There are many children here. They should not quit studies like me; they should be educated.”

In all the settlements Newsclick visited, not a single child was seen attending online classes or reading a book.