Kendrapara: Migrant returnees in this district who are struggling for their lives and livelihood due to Covid pandemic are caught in a very sensitive situation over their children’s education, a report said.
Their children who are habituated with the style of education at their former work places are finding it difficult to cope with the education taught at their native villages. The continuous lockdown has severely hit the education system and pushed the future of their wards into darkness, the guardians rued.
Sanat Kumar Das, a returnee from Surat and native of Koilipur village under Rajnagar block said, he was working in a Surat based firm and staying with his family there. He returned home May 10 after the lockdown was announced. He has two sons among which the elder was studying in Class-VI while the younger in Class-III in a private school.
Meanwhile, the two have been promoted to the next higher class after publication of the examination results. The school authorities have been regularly calling them over phone for readmission of his sons but he is unable to leave for Surat as the firm where he was working is yet to reopen.
Report from the district administration said that over 64,000 migrants have returned home following the outbreak of Covid pandemic while in reality the number could be in lakhs. Among them, 30,000 migrants were staying with their families in other states and countries.
His children are finding it difficult to cope with the educational system here as they were studying in English and Hindi medium ones at Surat.
Surya Narayan Mohanty, a returnee from Kerala and native of the same village rued. His children are finding it hard to cope with the teaching here being from Kerala.
The reopening of the schools here are in uncertainty due to establishment of the quarantine centres in the schools. Moreover, joining online classes is not possible here due to connectivity issue in the district. He wants to send his children to coaching classes but fearing to do so due to possible fear of Covid infection.
A senior citizen Amarbar Biswal said that Kendrapara district is witnessing regular exodus of residents to other states and countries due to lack of employment opportunities in the district. People here are dependent on agriculture for their livelihood for which the residents are migrating to other states in search of livelihood.
The education of their children has become cause of concern for them after they returned. Many of them have exhausted their earnings in returning home and do not have the money a mobile phone for their children.
This apart, the network problem in remote areas of this district has added to the problem of many in attending online classes and demanded reopening of educational institutions.
When contacted, sub-collector Jyoti Shankar Mohapatra said that online classes have started as the fear of Covid infection is yet to abate. He however, clarified that the any further instruction from the education department will be implemented in the district.
PNN
