Don't close Ashrama School: Tribals

Repeated pleas for better facilities goes unheard

Members of tribal communities staged a protest demonstration in front of the office of the deputy commissioner here on Wednesday against the social welfare department’s move to shut down Ashrama schools.

The protestors alleged that the department’s move would affect children studying at the school at Angadihalli in the taluk. They demanded that the school be continued.
The school has been functioning for the past 16 years and 70 children are pursuing their studies.

Being nomadic in nature, the elders in the tribe leave their children in these schools and head to other districts or states in search of work.

Forgotten purpose

If the department closes the schools, who would provide education to the children, they questioned.

They said the school was opened with the intention of providing education to tribal children.

Stating that a new building for the school is being constructed at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore, they pointed out that it hasn’t been completed even after one year and the quality was also poor.

Despite appealing to the officials to maintain the quality, none of them have taken any measures, they alleged.

New building

They urged the education department to shift the school to the new building at the earliest.

They submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner, urging him to intervene in the issue.