Migrant workers turn heroes in their villages playing the role of teachers

At a time when online education remains a dream for school students in rural areas due to lack of digital resources, a migrant returnee of Uparpita village of Khariar block in Nuapada district, Odisha, has stepped up to teach low performing students in his village during the school closure, an effort that is lauded by the parents and communities in his locality.

Khageswar Maijhi, who works as an MGNREGA worker after he returned from Mumbai during the lockdown, has been teaching a batch of six students in the morning and evening daily since August 15.

Khageswar Maijhi taking classes for the children at his village

As there is no public space available to conduct the classes, Khageswar is using his own house where physical distancing and other precautionary measures are being taken. Though initially, Khageswar had to struggle hard to get a job in his locality, he found work under MGNREGA.

Khageswar shares on what inspired him teach the children, “Most of the time, these children were roaming here and there in the village, getting almost disconnected from their learning. Meanwhile, I learnt that Shramajeebee Bikash Sangathan (a local NGO) is conducting remedial classes for low performing children across the district where they are engaging the local youths to teach them. So, I could not stop myself from being a part of their initiative and started teaching them”.

Even though Khageswar had to seal his fate of higher studies to look after his family and had to migrate to Mumbai, where he worked as a construction worker, he acknowledges the importance of education in a child’s life and he does not want these children to go through the same patches that he had to go.

Khageswar feels that the school closure during COVID19 has disproportionately hit these children who already bear the barriers in accessing education or are at higher risk of exclusion.

“I realised that COVID19 crisis has meant little or no education for many children who cannot afford the cost of internet or digital devices. The remedial class is useful for these low performing students,” Khageswar added.

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Khageswar find it difficult to teach children above Class 5, but the desire to somehow help keeps him going

The state government’s online education has remained out of reach for a majority of them who do not have access to digital resources such as a smartphone, computer and or TV.

He often finds it difficult to teach children above Class 5. But his objective of helping such students so that they remain connected to books keeps him going. Khageswar’s teaching is not only helping children to learn but also encouraging local youths to take remedial classes for children in these tough times.

Saroj Kumar Suna of Shramajeebee Bikash Sangathan, Nuapada, said, “We have launched a campaign under which we have urged the state government to start remedial classes for these slow learning students so that they will catch up with their peers by the time their school re-opens but not much has been done in this regard. The state government’s Shiksha Samparka scheme has also not yet been implemented.

"So, our roles for these children doubled. However, we could not have done it alone. Local youths like Khageswar have come forward and helping children of their villages to teach in these crucial times voluntarily. Their commitment and dedication for the society is commendable and inspiring others to be good Samaritans.”

In Nuapada, Shramajeebee Bikash Mancha is running 38 remedial education centres across the district in rural and mostly inaccessible areas where 10 migrant labourers and 28 youth volunteers are teaching more than 228 school students free of cost, an effort that is inspiring many youths across the district to giving back to the society whichever way possible for them