indian council of medical research - Pondicherry University DSpace ...

&ildren said that they had to do odd jobs like fetchlng water, golng to the shop to buy
ylings and carry breakfast to their fatherlbrother working in the field etc. The work took
them only 0.5-1 hour However, they stayed away from school the whole day because
they were afraid of belng flned endlor punlshed for going late. The remalnlng 9 children
had to work the whole day in the field and hence couldn't go to school
he following are some of the statements made ~n thrs regard -
1. "My son doesn't go regularly. If I ask, he says that the teacher beats him
and he won't go.
He is very playful" (A 30 year old woman in a group
d~scussion) Many people expressed a slrnilar view.
2. "My daughter goes to school regularly. Last month she could not go for 7
days because she had a swelling in the leg that had to be operated" (A 36
year old woman In a group dlscuss~on)
3. "Sometimes the children go late because of some work at home like
fetching water or going to the shop" (A 28 year old woman in an ~n-depth
~ntervlew).
4. "Sometimes we have work at home and it gets late. If we go to school they
will beat us and collect fine from us" (A 13 year old boy in a group
dlscuss~on)
5. "When we go to some other village they will cry and say they also want to
come with us. We have to take them" (A 35 year old man In a group
d~scuss~on)
6. "Sometimes they complain of headache or stomach ache and don't go.
Sometimes the teacher asks for money to buy notebooks.
Bring Rs.4i-,
bring Rs.51- like that. We don't give them. So, the children don't go" (A 33
year old woman in a group d~scuss~on)
7. "Sometimes a child looses a pencil. We ask him to get one. His parents
don't get him. He doesn't write anything in class. Not only that, he
disturbs others. So, we tell him not to come to class if he doesn't have a
pencil" (A pnmary school teacher In a group discussion)