Discrimination blamed for keeping hundreds of children
out of government schools

Gopi, 7, is afraid of going to school as he says teachers ill treat him.

By Sagarika Ranjan

BANGALORE (Sept. 29)—T. Durgesh, 12, who sells flowers at city market, once wanted to be a doctor, but it has been so long since he went to school that he now barely remembers his ABC’s.

Durgesh is one of more than 150 children from underprivileged backgrounds who do not go to school because they say they are discriminated against by government school teachers.

While better-off children sit on benches, take notes and study, children like Durgesh have to do chores like cleaning and weeding. When they are allowed to study they have to sit on the floor. As they are not provided with notebooks they scribble their notes with chalk on the floor.

Facilities are only for those who can either pay or can speak Kannada.

Some migrants have been settled for 15 years

In Kengeri Satellite Town, there are many families who have migrated to the city from rural areas. Though they have been living there for 15 years now, they say their children are not allowed to go to school because they cannot provide proof that they are from Karnataka.

“For 15 years, our families have been living here. We have not received any help from any authority. There are about 50 children and we cannot send them to school because the schools ask for identity cards. We are poor people—from where will we get identity cards?” said Shalini, a tribal.

Chintu, 7, wants to be a teacher, but instead of going to school he sells vegetables in city market.

“Our children are ill-treated, not given uniforms, and only those who can pay for it are taken care of,” Chintu’s mother said.

Some children have been admitted to the same school more than three times, but now the repeated complaints of ill treatment and favoritism have made parents wary of sending their children to school at all.

School inspector denies claims

Underprivileged children would rather work than be discriminated against in school.

A school inspector working for Kengeri Board of Education, however, denied the allegations of discrimination.

“All the students are given uniforms, books and notebooks without any discrimination. However, they are not allowed to carry these books back home as they might misplace them,” she said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The discrimination is not just limited to migrant children—even natives of Karnataka are mistreated if they come from poor economic backgrounds.

“We want our children to get educated and become doctors and engineers, but we are poor and hence cannot afford to educate them,” a City Market vegetable seller said.

Spokespeople at government schools in K.R. Market, Anchepalya and Kengeri Satellite Town denied the claims of discrimination.

They said all the children are looked after and treated equally. They acknowledged that migrant children study in their schools, but insisted that they are treated fairly.

“No child should be deprived of admission on these grounds,” said Lalita Jayaseela, a trustee of Vanasuma Charitable Trust, which works for underprivileged children. “Anyone in the country [has the right to] study anywhere. The only requirement is the details of the child and the parent.”