Action Aid Association and Slum Mahila Sanghatane on Tuesday released a study report on the impact of COVID-19 on children’s education in Karnataka after conducting a public hearing last month. “Loss of loved ones, lost livelihood prospects for historically marginalized groups, increased child maltreatment, loss of learning due to schools being shut down for 20 months, increased child marriage, child trafficking, and child malnutrition are amongst the difficulties that vulnerable communities experienced,” it stated.
In a joint press statement, Action Aid and Slum Mahila Sanghatane said they compiled 64 case studies from five districts. The report highlighted 15 issues ranging from parents in distress over their inability to ensure that their children had access to ‘good education’ and school managements humiliating students for their failure to pay fees. All this has taken a toll on the mental health of children who are unsure of when they will rejoin [school] for a variety of reasons - economic hardships making fee payment impossible, child labour, early marriages, it stated.
Rising child employment was a concern especially in rural areas of Karnataka such as Bagalkot and Kodagu where children were taking up jobs in brick kilns, plantations and other occupations. The damage/loss/harm/deprivation is far worse in the case of children from Dalit and Muslim families, said the auithors. “Preventing Muslim girls from pursuing education, on grounds of traditions relating to their clothing, is creating exclusions, leading to further inequities in education,” stated the study.
In Bengaluru and other urban areas, many private schools are reportedly refusing to allow children back or give their exams unless they pay all dues.
“There is a dire need for the State government to drastically increase the budgetary allocations to all the departments dealing with children, but the 2022 budgets have only marginal changes over the previous year. The government must also present the ‘Child budget’ along with the budget, to provide a fuller picture of investment in children of the State,” stated the report.
