For some of these children, days are spent at brick kilns. Others accompany their parents to pick potatoes in the fields. Going to school is a luxury they simply cannot afford. They are all children of migrant labourers, who move to Khanakul from other states for seasonal work. To ensure these children receive basic education, a new initiative titled “Gachhtolay Pathshala” (Classroom Under the Tree) has been launched in the Krishnanagar area of Khanakul.
On Friday, Children’s Day, the open-air school was formally inaugurated through the efforts of Amit Addya, headmaster of Khanakul’s Ramnagar Atul Vidyalaya. Arambagh SDPO Suprabhat Chakraborty, Khanakul Block 1 BDO Arindam Mukhopadhyay, and Khanakul police station OC Samir Mukhopadhyay were present at the event alongside other dignitaries.
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Why did the idea of such a school arise?
Amit Addya, one of the key architects of the initiative, explains that many migrant labourers from outside Bengal come to Khanakul in search of work. Some work in brick kilns, while others are employed as agricultural labourers during paddy harvesting or potato planting and digging seasons. For several months each year, they live in makeshift tents along roadsides or in vacant spaces, often bringing their children with them. These boys and girls have rarely seen the inside of a school. Despite the government spending crores on universal education, these children remain beyond its reach.
The new school has therefore been set up beside a brick kiln. Addya notes that many of the migrant workers are Adivasi families, originally from Bihar or Jharkhand. For this reason, classes will include the Ol-Chiki script, along with lessons in Bengali, Mathematics, and English. At present, seven teachers from various schools in Khanakul have volunteered to conduct classes every Sunday. Initially, the Pathshala will teach children from 25–30 migrant families.
At a time when Bengali migrant labourers face harassment in other states over suspicions of nationality, Amit Addya’s move to create a school for migrant children from other states has drawn widespread praise from locals. At the inauguration, Arambagh SDPO Suprabhat Chakraborty said, “The initiative to bring education to the children of migrant workers is a matter of pride not only for Khanakul but for the whole of Bengal.
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The Hooghly Rural Police has also launched a free ‘Arambagh Pathshala’, where many talented students study, and some have even succeeded in government examinations. This school too will light the path for the children of migrant labourers.”
Amit Addya added, “Several teachers from different schools in Khanakul have extended their help. Their support is what will make this initiative a success. The families of the students are extremely happy and hopeful.”
