Balangir : Even as kendu leaf pluckers are deprived of BPL benefits and their children forced to drop out of the school over intra-district migration for their nature of work, for Dipali Tandi and Suresh Suna there seems to be light at the end of the dark tunnel.

Dipali Tandi, dropped out of school when her parents migrated from Chauliudar village under Patnagarh in Balangir to Andhra Pradesh to work in a brick klin. She also slogged in the brick klin in Ranga Reddy district to support her parents. The tale of Suresh Suna, of Talbahal village of Saintala block of the district was also no different. But from the 2005-06 academic session, both got a chance to continue studies in Class 4 in primary schools near their work place for six months till the summer vacation. Thnaks to a new educational programme of Andhra Pradesh Government, specially for children of migrant labourers from Balangir, Nuapada and Bargarh districts.
At least 30,000 children migrate with their family members to the brick kilns of Andhra Pradesh, which becomes their home for six months every year. Apparently most of the children are froced to drop out of schools in Balangir and become child labour in Andhra Pradesh. However, in 2005-06 academic year, due to Andhra Pradesh Government's initiative, a total of 1884 children of migrant labourers from these districts enrolled in the Non-Resident Bridge Cource (NBRC) centres attached to primary schools under the Sarva Sikshya Abhiyan (SSA). A total of 29 NBRC centres were opened from January this year in seven mandals (blocks) of three districts of the Andhra Pradesh -- Medak, Ranga Reddy and Nalgonda. The children studied for six months till June when summer vacation was declared. The schools were run by teachers from villages in Balangir, Nuapada and Bargarh districts of Orissa who taught the students in Oriya. A total of 50 teachers were recruited by the Andhra Pradesh Government and paid salary by SSA. The the committment to expand the services through out the state is reiterated by the Joint director of Andhra Pradesh Education Department M. Prabhakar Rao.
And while it is a nice beginning made by the Andhra Pradesh Government to educate children of migrant workers,social activist Sanjay Mishra of Kantabanji based NGO Vikalpa has his reservations Mishra who recently led a study team to the three districts of Andhra Pradesh to observe the condition of the labourers and their children while lauding the government's effort revealed that it was not easy to bring the children to the schools as brick klin owers resist such moves.
Sagar Kharsel of Bandhbahal village under Tureikela block of Balangir, who worked as a teacher in a NRBC school in Ranga Reddy district, told that they had to face the wrath of brick klin owners while trying to bring migrant workers' children to school. "This is because the children too slogged in the klin and for the klin owners it is a loss of 'man' power'," Kharsel quipped. Nonetheless, the children who attended the schools went to work in the klins after the classes were over, he added. Kharsel has returned home due to the summer vacation, which also marks the end of migration season.
Mishra observed that there were some other teething problems which need to be addressed. The SSA of Orissa was supposed to supply Oriya books to the children. But, by the time the students got the books, it was barely a couple of days before their half-yearly exams. If the SSA Orissa takes care to send the books in time, the situation would definitely be different, Mishra remarked.