2 days ago
Tamil Nadu School on Wheels Brings Education to Tribal Children
A school in Tamil Nadu started bringing teachers to a remote tribal village every Saturday.
Many children there had not attended school because their families depended on farm work.
The teachers first taught cleanliness, handwashing, and caring for oneself.
They also gave the children snacks such as eggs, milk, and cereal.
After that, they began teaching reading, writing, mathematics, science, and other subjects.
Lessons use familiar things such as seeds, farming, rain, and plants to explain different topics.
More than 50 children have joined the programme in about two years.
Around 20 to 25 children now attend school full time.
Some parents and older adults have started learning too.
My School Satya Surabhi began Saturday classes in 2024 for children in Kodaikanal’s Kombai-Perungadu tribal settlement.
Teachers first focused on nail trimming, handwashing, cleanliness, nutrition, and self-care before introducing academic lessons.
The programme grew from about 30 children to more than 50 first-generation learners over two years.
Between 20 and 25 participating children later enrolled as full-time students, with the school covering half their transport costs.
Adults also began attending lessons, including an elderly man who learned to write his name and a mother studying alongside her children.
- Who
- My School Satya Surabhi, led by 82-year-old educator Padmini, and teachers including Jegatheeshwari Markam and Mary Johnson, worked with children and families from the Kombai tribal community.
- What
- The school created a Saturday outreach programme called School on Wheels, combining hygiene education with academic learning and helping some children enter full-time school.
- Where
- Kombai-Perungadu, a tribal settlement near Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu.
- When
- The outreach programme began in 2024 and expanded over the following two years.
- Why
- Families often relied on children’s farm labour and could not afford the school’s ₹3,000 monthly transport fee, so the school brought teachers to the settlement.
Education and Long-Term Opportunity
Immediate Family Economic Needs
Whether children should attend school
Education and Long-Term Opportunity
Teachers and the school argue that education, hygiene, and self-confidence can help children broaden their future opportunities; 20–25 participants have become full-time students.
Immediate Family Economic Needs
Many families initially prioritized farm labour because children could earn ₹100–200, which was valuable household income, and parents did not initially see the value of education.
How to overcome access barriers
Education and Long-Term Opportunity
The school brought teachers directly to the settlement after families could not afford the monthly transport fee to the main campus.
Immediate Family Economic Needs
Distance and transport costs remained practical obstacles, with some full-time students travelling 10–15 kilometres each way and the school covering only half their transport expenses.
Key facts
- Programme
- School on Wheels
- Start date
- 2024
- Children reached
- More than 50 first-generation learners over two years; the article also describes the programme as having grown to 52 children.
- Weekly attendance
- Typically 25–30 children attend each Saturday session.
- Full-time enrolment
- About 20–25 children later enrolled at the school.
- School transport fee
- Families could not afford the ₹3,000 monthly fee to send children to the main campus.
- School founder
- Padmini, who is described as 82 and continues to teach.
- Learning approach
- Integrated learning connects subjects such as science, mathematics, geography, history, and agriculture.
Quotes
Jegatheeshwari Markam
English teacher who helped establish the tribal outreach programme
“During the first few weeks, we literally just took nail cutters with us and trimmed their nails. We talked about cleanliness, about washing hands and eating well.”
thebetterindia.com
“Now, I can recite the alphabets and even know two tables. I feel happy. My children have learnt the importance of cleanliness and they are studying very well.”
thebetterindia.com
Sources
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