Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network - Sullia (EP)

Sullia, Mar 20: An attempt by teachers to bring back a student into school was met with a threat to life followed by a chase over the hills, courtesy none other than the student herself!

The incident occurred in Sullia taluk.  The teachers who went to bring a female student back to school had to jump fence and walk through hills and forests to catch hold of her. The student Suma (name changed) had not come to school for many days.

As the department of education and the high court is insisting that the teachers monitor school dropouts, the teachers had formed a group of students and teachers for the hunt of the girl.  When they first reached the house, the student went hiding on the hill behind the house.  The teachers had spoken to the parents regarding compulsory education under right of education act which holds the parents responsible if the children stay away from schools for long periods and had come back after requesting them to send the child back to school.

Unfortunately the child had not come to school even after two days. As she had taken a note book from her classmate and had not returned it, the classmate was also facing hardship.  In the circumstances it was necessary for the teachers to try again.  They hired an auto and went to the house of the student with an army of other school children.

As they reached the verandah, Suma pointed at the toilet and said Suma was over there.  When the teacher reached there, the latch of the toilet was tied with a cloth.  When her father struggled and opened the door, Suma was sitting coiled at the corner of the toilet.  When she saw her father and teachers, she threatened "Hattira Bandare Kolluthene" (I will kill you if you come closer).

The teachers who took courage asked her if she is ill and held her hand and brought her out.  "You should come to school.  But you did not come. Have you brought the book of another student?" they asked. She whispered that she has not.  When the teachers asked her to check in her bag and sent her in, she escaped and fled to the hills by the back door.

When the teachers found that she did not come back, her father said that she might have fled.  The teachers again went after her. They ran to the hill to where Suma had gone.  When she jumped over to another compound over the thorny fence, they too jumped over it.  They got cuts and wounds while jumping over bushes and thorny plants.

However they caught her in the end.  They spoke affectionately to her and brought her to the school.  They explained the need to study. Suma agreed to everything.  However, unfortunately Suma has remained absent from school from the next day itself. The teachers who are tired of going after her have started action under RTE that makes parents responsible if the children do not attend school and have initiated action against the parents of Suma.

The teachers are put into quandary that after RTE act, they have to shoulder additional responsibility to remain outside the school when the children do not come to school.

It may be recalled that the high court has released a circular to the government asking it to form an authority to identify young children who discontinue studies. The headmaster and the teachers have to monitor children who give up studies.  As the job is difficult, it is necessary to form an authority, said the bench.

An authority should be formed at the school level and identify children who stay away for more than seven days at a stretch from school.  The authority should send a notice to the parents of children
asking the reason for the absence and obtain their answer.  The bench has said that the authority should conduct investigation and it is necessary to bring amendments to the law.

The gram panchayat citizenship committee or district children's welfare committee can also be called to identify children who have given up school. After knowing the reason for skipping the school, they can be kept in the hostel, said the seat.

The teachers hope that they will be relieved of the tension at least after the creation of attendance authority.