With most children of brick kiln workers missing out on quality education, here is a Zilla Parishad teacher who went out of his way to provide help during the summer vacation in Bhiwandi city.
The 42-year-old teacher, Shankar Patil, and 11 volunteers started small schools near brick kilns at five places.
The team teaches students in different shifts on a day-to-day basis to ensure none miss out on education. They focus on completing maximum portion of a subject each day so that even if the children migrate to other cities and fail to continue their education in the coming academic year, they would not miss out on much.
Patil went to various brick kilns at the start of the summer vacation to look for children to enrol in the ZP schools. However, he met a few parents who were unwilling to send the children to school, claiming that the school was too far, they needed the children to help them earn a living or they might have to migrate. This made him come up with the idea of a school near the brick kiln that would be easily accessible to the children and can function as per the schedule convenient to them.
Patil said, “Most of us teachers usually visit such places to convince the poor uneducated parents to send their children to school. These children belong to families who migrate regularly for work and belong to tribal settlements. They are solely dependent on their daily wages. Once the children get older, they help their parents with work and drop out of school. I met some such families at brick kilns in Anjurphata area of Bhiwandi, where the families had migrated from Jawhar in Palghar district.”
When some of the parents refused to enrol, Patil decided to take the school to the children if the children cannot go to school.
Patil added, “We started five such schools for 131 children in different age groups with the 11 volunteers and called them ‘Vidya Schools’. We want to inculcate the habit of learning among these children. I finance the volunteers’ travel expenses from my own pocket while some villagers too have come forward to help us financially.”
These schools might be discontinued once the regular schools begin or the hours will be reduced as the teachers would be busy with the regular schools.
Vaishali Ovali, a teacher who volunteers in one such school, said, “We teach students from Classes 1 to 7. Due to the migratory nature of their work, it is difficult for them to remember the basics of certain subjects. We teach them Maths with bricks and ask them to remember while working with bricks. Apart from Maths, we also focus on improving language and communication skills, and build their confidence.”
The teachers also conduct small competitions and when the children take the prizes home, the parents are happy to see the change in the child. Ovali said, “Some of them who earlier refused to send children to school have requested us to continue these schools even after the vacation.”
Rohidas Shiram Bhoir, 32, a resident of Mokhada, came to Bhiwandi for six months for work. His daughter, Jaya, is a bright Class 4 student. Bhoir was worried about her studies due to his constant migration.
Bhoir said, “Jaya used to go to ZP school in Mokhada and always stood first in her class. But I work in Bhiwandi six months a year and she had to miss out on her school. When she is here, she always helps us with chores and studies at night. Two months ago, Shankar sir approached us at our brick kiln and she was so happy to join his school. She became a favourite of the teachers and she helps in teaching other children by observing her teachers.”