Schools in Kodagu are either wholly or partially damaged, and students have nowhere to study.
The floods in Kodagu have prompted people to act quickly and help. A church, temple and madrasa were turned into relief camps, and for the last one week, this elderly couple and their son have been cooking for 1000 people, every day.
While these citizen-led efforts are beneficial, the state government has also done its bit. A sum of Rs 1.36 lakh has been released from the Student’s Welfare Fund, by PC Jaffer, the Commissioner for Public Instructions, to provide vital stationary material for kids in relief camps.
Additionally, the government has announced a provision which will come as a major relief to the children in the area who cannot go to school.
The Karnataka State Government has issued a circular to all schools across the state, to admit children from flood-hit Kodagu, without demanding any certificates, reports the Bengaluru Mirror.
According to the Commissioner of State Department of Public Instructions, students who are enrolled in schools which were affected by the floods can be admitted into any school of their choice, in Karnataka. The department has also sent a directive to authorities not to hassle students about documents, certificates and other nitty-gritty details while admitting them.
A senior official quoted in the Mirror mentioned that both private and government schools have been destroyed in floods. Since it might take time for the schools to undergo repairs, the students need not be stranded and can continue their education in nearby schools or anywhere across the state. Once again, the official stressed on the documentation bit, saying no demands will be made for the same.
The official went on to say that a calamity should not affect the education of the children. Moreover, if the parents are willing to leave their kids at state-run residential schools in other districts, the children should be admitted to these schools on a priority basis.
Usually, the birth certificate or Aadhar card is asked for admission, and the circular explicitly asks school authorities to avoid them.
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Currently, the department has identified around nine government primary schools which have been destroyed. An additional 75 government schools need minor repairs.
It is indeed inspiring to see that no matter what, education has not taken a backseat in Kodagu!
(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)
Feature Image Credit: Sandeep Swain
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