School Shift Leaves Tribal Children Stranded
Parents said the long journey, particularly during summer, has discouraged children from attending classes.
Visakhapatnam:Parents and students of Gadilova village in Ananthagiri mandal of Alluri Sitarama Raju district have appealed to the district administration to restore their village school, alleging that official negligence has deprived tribal children of their right to education.
The village earlier had a school serving 24 children, including 20 from the neighbouring villages of Morlova and Peddagudla. However, the school was shifted to Chinna Raba to cater to just four students, forcing the remaining children to walk nearly three kilometres every day. Parents said the long journey, particularly during summer, has discouraged children from attending classes.
Initially, classes in Gadilova were conducted under a tree. After villagers raised objections to the relocation, the mandal educational officer (MEO) and ZPTC member D. Gangaraju advised them to construct a temporary shed. The villagers pooled resources and built one, but it was later set ablaze by miscreants, leaving the children without a place to study. Since then, attendance has dropped to nil.
Parents and students have urged the district collector to allot land so that a new shed can be built. They said a representation submitted earlier to the mandal revenue officer (MRO) had received no response.
Among those raising the issue are Sempi Gongulu, Champi Sanyasi, Champi Balayya, Kotaparthi Gangamma, Kotaparthi Sinsanyasi and Kamsuri Gangulu.
A similar situation prevails in Jajulabandha village under Mulapeta panchayat in Koyyuru mandal, where 160 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) families are affected. Although a government primary school was sanctioned, inaugurated and a teacher appointed, villagers said no teacher has reported for duty since the inauguration.
They said mid-day meal supplies were provided for only two months, after which villagers arranged a private teacher on their own. Students recently staged a protest demanding a regular teacher, prompting a visit by the Koyyuru MEO. However, even after a week, no appointment has been made.
Village elder Konda Tamara Venkatarao criticised the authorities for their inaction, saying tribal children were being denied their fundamental right to education.
