outcasting education

Dear members, its been long time i didnot  blogged anything but certainly there are important issues to blog so took time.

As i already mentioned in the last blog in Andhra Pradesh study was conducted on Inclusion and Exclusion in schools and classrooms in Primary and Upper primary classes of 4 districts namely Mahaboobnagar, Adilabad, Kurnool and Vizianagaram under RTE

As this study went on in 20 schools, when we visited MPUP school of Perapuram village of Pusipaterega Mandal in Vizianagaram it was shocking for us to listen the Head Mistress saying "I am an OC(upper caste) lady why should i visit SC colony. i have(BALUPU- it is a telugu word called --------)iwon't visit SC colony and call SC children to study. she was putting questions to study team in such way that we were astonished to listen.  Head mistress also questioned the study team saying"u people come now for 3 days and go back it is our village and village people have some ethics, values to follow and we cannot deny to follow the religious sentiments which impidates us going to outcaste people"

 in that school all the teachers were 4 teachers were OC and one SC teacher were appointed.  the SC teacher only teaches the primary class though she is appointed to teach upper primary classes. this SC teacher only goes to SC colony to sensitise the parents to send the children to school.

the same Head mistress also commented saying that the SC people are only ment to do menial jobs and why do they need education.  she also asked the study team to not to interact with SC colony people thinking that we are all from the Upper caste.

As we interacted with the SC colony people "they said - the OC people will come to us for only to ask our daughters to sleep" otherwise they dont come to us to take our children to schools.

In our discussions with the teachers went on when it happened to look into the attendance registers. the SC children are on rolls but infact the children are not coming to schools.  when questioned abou the RTE act the teachers responded saying that the ACTs which is govt bringing should have some sense and look into the village level aspects where sentiments play an vital role.  the teachers of that particular school are so ignorant about the RTE Act.