44 Boxa Tribe girls enrolled in school, but where are the books?
Dehradun,
Uttarakhand,
Nov
23:
16-year-old
Neha
was
brimming
with
joy
when
she
was
told
that
3
years
after
quitting
school,
she
was
being
re-admitted
in
8th
class.
She
was
enrolled,
but
her
excitement
soon
came
tumbling
down
when
she
realised
that
resuming
her
studies
was
just
a
dream
yet.
3
years
back,
Neha
was
forced
to
quit
school
after
she
failed
to
buy
her
books,
the
horror
returns.
Almost
2
months
later,
wearing
a
bewildered
look
she
asked,
''but
how
do
I
study
without
any
books
or
phone?''
17-yr-old
Ravina
who
also
belongs
to
the
Boxa
tribe,
a
resident
of
Sherpur
village
in
Vikasnagar
block
of
Dehradun
district,
has
been
enrolled
in
class
10th
at
the
Boxa
Jan
Jati
Krishak
Inter
College,
Sherpur.
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Schools in Uttarakhand opened on 2nd November for classes 10th-12th with only 50 percent capacity, but Ravina is yet to commence her preparation for the crucial board examinations.
Devoid of books, failure to pay her exam fees has added to her woes. She fails to comprehend the reason for the delay in receiving her books and why is the fees being sought, ''We were told that the education would be free. The school says we need to submit the exam fee to appear for the examinations. I don't understand what to do. What was the point of my enrolment if I still can't attend school.''
Just like her, 44 Boxa tribe girls were enrolled by the Dehradun administration, years after they dropped out. In a symbolic gesture, these girls were given school dresses and 4 notebooks with some stationary in a school bag hung over their shoulders. The ceremony was held on 11th October, 2020 in celebration of the International Day of Girl Child.
Donning white hats and masks, these girls couldn't contain their excitement. They were amused that their school bags weren't as heavy as the usual ones, as they missed out the most essential tool to their education- their precious books.
The clock is ticking as November approaches its end, but they still haven't held their books yet. A program that intended to mark their new beginnings on the path of education seems to have lost the sheen.
Amrita, an anganwadi worker in Sherpur village, is clueless when the girls enquire about their books. ''These girls can only start studying once they get their books, they are extremely poor and can't even afford their fees. Online education is a luxury that these girls can't afford. Instead of giving them dresses, the administration should have given them their books. Now despite the enrollment, these girls are completely helpless,'' she said.
17-year-old Deepa from Sherpur, has been admitted into 9th class after a gap of 4 years.
This
time
she
is
determined
to
finish
off
her
education,
but
without
books
or
a
mobile
phone,
she
is
worried
about
the
approaching
exams.
''Nobody
tells
us
when
we
will
get
our
books.
Our
final
exams
are
due
in
March,
we
will
surely
flunk
if
they
don't
give
us
our
books.
I
don't
want
to
lose
another
year.
Why
is
nobody
giving
us
our
books?''
As
the
battle
against
the
Coronavirus
pandemic
rages
on,
most
of
the
students
across
the
state
continue
to
study
from
home.
While
these
Boxa
girls
are
still
working
in
the
fields
or
toiling
in
their
household
chores.
Seldom
are
they
encouraged
to
pursue
education
by
their
parents,
who
are
mostly
labourers.
The
Boxa
tribe
is
one
of
the
most
backward
tribes,
most
commonly
found
in
the
Uddham
Singh
Nagar
and
Vikas
Nagar
belt
of
Dehradun
district
in
the
hilly
state
Uttarakhand.
It was a herculean task for the Anganwadi workers to bring these girls out of their homes. These ground warriors didn't give up and finally got these girls enrolled. ''We had to personally visit their houses numerous times to convince them to get enrolled in schools again. Now we are worried that our efforts will go waste if they don't get their books soon. Many of them marry young or feel shy once they are too old among their batchmates. They are finally enrolled in school, but it has led them nowhere,'' said Sangeeta, another anganwadi worker from Sherpur village.
A survey was carried out by anganwadi workers who have been working on ground with the local rural communities, said Akhilesh Mishra, programme officer, Dehradun district.
''We got 44 of these Boxa girls enrolled in school. They will be getting books from the education department or else we will try to arrange the books for them.''
18-yr-old Varsha who is from a different community was also enrolled along with the boxa girls. She somehow managed to arrange a mobile phone thinking that she could study online or on whatsapp, but she was met with disappointment when nobody reached out to her. After a gap of 4 years she can't even find her old books. She quit school to take care of her sick mother and now she has lost her own path.
Apart from the Sherpur village, Boxa Girls in Hasanpur village in Vikasnagar narrate a similar ordeal. As 12-yr-old Amrita had quit school last year because she didn't have notebooks, this time she doesn't have books. She asks when will her books arrive, the answer is only a deep silence.
Taruna Chamola, Child Development Project Officer Vikasnagar handled the project on ground with supervisor Soni Rawat. ''Boxa tribe girls drop out very early from school as they are forced to work at home or raise their younger siblings. These girls don't get too many chances in life as they get married and become mothers at a very young age. We will give them books once we get them,'' she said.
For most of these girls returning to school will be near impossible next year. Had their school bags been heavier, their life's burden would have lessened. Coronavirus pandemic has severely impacted the education of the underprivileged kids across India as online education is a luxury most can't afford.
With no time frame on when the books will finally reach these girls, their fate hangs in balance. While the administration feels content that the girls are back on the path to education, the grim reality on the ground is starkly different.