Tribal Village Students Face Daily Perils to Attend School After Closure

Students' Struggle in Madhapur Village

By Prabhat Panigrahi

In Khordha district, over 25 students from Madhapur, a village predominantly inhabited by tribal communities, face daily dangers 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 injury. Despite these hazards, they persist in using this route 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 have been hesitant to send their children to Kushpala, as it requires crossing a busy road. Consequently, many opted to enroll their children at Badaberana Primary School. Currently, over 25 students from Madhapur are attending Badaberana, but the distance increases to more than 3 kilometers if they take the paved road. 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 stretches.

A moment of inattention could lead to slips and injuries, raising significant concerns among parents about their children's safety while trying to ensure their education continues. The closure of the village school, coupled with the lack of a safe route to alternative schools, has exacerbated the challenges faced by these children. 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 route. "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 lamented, calling for the reopening of the village school.

Akshaya Routray, president of Begunia Jana Adhikar Mancha, described the situation as critical and urged local representatives and district officials to take immediate action. Resident Shiva Muni pointed out that the school was closed due to low attendance, compelling children to take dangerous shortcuts. He called on the government to arrange safe transportation for the 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 noted 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 of the situation and promised that necessary actions would be taken promptly.