Tribal Village Students Face Daily Perils to Attend School: A Call for Action

Students' Struggle in Madhapur Village

By Prabhat Panigrahi, OP

Khordha: In Madhapur, a tribal village located in the Begunia block of Khordha district, over 25 students face significant dangers daily as they traverse narrow field embankments to reach school. This perilous journey underscores the challenges stemming from the closure of their local primary school.

These children, carrying their books and aspirations for a brighter future, navigate through muddy and uneven paths where a single misstep could lead to serious injuries. Despite these hazards, they persist in their efforts to attend classes. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Madhapur's primary school had an enrollment of just 22 students. Due to low attendance, the school was shut down and merged with Kushpala Primary School, located approximately 3 kilometers away.

Parents, however, are hesitant to send their children to Kushpala because it requires crossing a busy road. Consequently, many opted to enroll their kids at Badaberana Primary School instead. Currently, over 25 students from Madhapur are attending Badaberana, but the distance increases to more than 3 kilometers if they take the paved route. To avoid this longer trek, the children have resorted to a shortcut through agricultural fields, risking their safety daily as they walk along precarious embankments and muddy areas.

A moment of inattention could lead to slips and injuries, raising serious concerns among parents who are anxious about their children's safety while ensuring they receive an education. The closure of the village school, coupled with the lack of a safe route to alternative schools, has intensified the challenges faced by these children in the tribal community. Although there is a provision for reimbursing transportation costs for students attending distant schools, many parents remain unaware of this assistance.

Villagers have repeatedly approached local authorities to request the reopening of Madhapur Primary School, but their pleas have gone unanswered. They are worried about the dangers their children encounter on the way to school and question who would be accountable in the event of an accident. Parent Babu Swain expressed his concerns, stating that his two children also navigate this hazardous path. "The main road is significantly longer, forcing children to take shortcuts along field embankments. We live in constant fear for their safety but have no choice but to send them to school, hoping for divine protection," he said, urging for the village school to be reopened.

Akshaya Routray, president of Begunia Jana Adhikar Mancha, labeled the situation as critical and called for immediate intervention from public representatives and district officials. Shiva Muni, a resident of Begunia, noted that the school closure due to low attendance has compelled children to take dangerous routes. He urged the government to arrange safe transportation for these students without delay.

Begunia Block Education Officer Arnab Beura stated he was unaware of the situation, having recently taken charge. He confirmed that provisions exist for covering transportation costs for children attending distant schools after the closure of their local schools. However, he acknowledged that the absence of clear government guidelines has hindered the implementation of this provision. Beura assured that he would escalate the issue to higher authorities if the villagers submitted a formal complaint. Khordha Collector Amrit Ruturaj mentioned he had just been informed about the situation and promised that necessary actions would be taken promptly.