EDUCATION NEGLECTED : Away from school, kids have a field day : हिन्दुस्तान टाइम्स की पढ़ाई छोड़ कर अपने खेतों में कार्य कर रहें बच्चों पर Live Report

Some sow paddy in their own fields as their parents can’t afford additional labourers while others work in fields not owned by parents

LUCKNOW: For most children in urban areas of the city, going to school is a must and playing with paper boats in the rain is sheer joy. But kids in rural pockets find fun, camaraderie, and of course money by planting paddy in slushy fields of Barabanki while staying away from schools.

Each child working in the field earns ` 70-100 per day. While some work in their own fields as their parents can’t afford additional labourers, others work in fields not owned by their parents.

These children also possess good labour management skills. They move in groups, bargain for sowing paddy and take contracts for every bigha of land for the task. This way, they get a handful amount in a go and working together is also fun.

So, while children remain in the fields, the classrooms in schools of their areas remain vacant during monsoon. “The attendance in schools is fairly low during this season. But there is simply nothing that we teachers can do about it,” says Ashutosh Anand Awasthi, teacher at an upper primary school in Miyanganj area of Barabanki.

The teachers say that no matter how many times they visit the fields and ask children to rejoin school, there is only one plea from the parents – that they cannot send children to school while the paddy season is on and thus they be exempted from school for these many days.

“In this entire region of UP, you would find only children engaged in paddy sowing. In some parts of the state, women along with children are engaged in paddy sowing. This is because the task requires bending and children find it easier due to their height and flexibility,” said Ramteerath Verma, a villager.

Despite the scorching heat, working in fields is fun for these kids. “I know I am missing out on my classes. But we make it a point to go through our syllabus while working together,” said Rajkumar, a student of Class 8 who is always among the top scorers in school.

Staying in the mushy fields for long hours often leads to skin infections among children. But the money earned often makes them forget the pain.

“I would buy a pair of slippers and new clothes with my earnings,” said Dharmeshwari, a student of a government school working in the field. A major chunk of the children’s income goes to their parents and the kids’ pocket money is fixed.

“People may call it child labour, but children find their own ways of having fun. Since they work in their own village and often in their own fields with their friends, they can be seen playing and dancing while at work,” said Sarvesh Kumar, who runs a garment shop in the village.