Poor connectivity to the higher secondary school and junior colleges is the main reason why most students from Pisepada hamlet drop out of school after Class 7
Ngo volunteers teaching Avinash Waghe and Dipali Katkari. Pic/Aniket Salvi
Two HSC students from Pisepada, a tribal hamlet in rural Thane’s district, have created history and are now an inspiration to other students.
Avinash Waghe and Dipali Katkari belong to the first batch of students from their hamlet who continued their studies after Class 7 and have now cleared Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exam with flying colours.
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After facing various socio-economic barriers, Avinash (Arts stream) and Dipali (Commerce stream) have secured 46.5 per cent and 41.5 per cent respectively. The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) on Wednesday declared the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) result 2022. The overall pass percentage in the Maharashtra Class 12 board exam is recorded at 94.22 per cent. The Konkan division in the state registered the highest pass percentage with 97.21, followed by Nagpur - 96.52 per cent, Amaravati - 96.34 per cent, Latur- 95.25 per cent, Kolhapur- 95.07 per cent), Nashik- 95.03 per cent), Aurangabad- 94.97 per cent, Pune- 93.61 per cent, while the Mumbai division recorded the lowest pass percentage of 90.91.
Poor connectivity to the higher secondary school and junior colleges is the main reason why most students from Pisepada hamlet drop out of school after Class 7. Students study in a zilla parishad school up to Class 7, but it is challenging for them to go to higher secondary school and junior college that is located over 8 km away in Padgha village from their hamlet.
Dreaming to make a career in sports, Avinash Waghe says, “There is a long way to go. I am yet to decide on the graduation course I will enrol in. I am also planning to join a sports club to learn cricket with the financial help of an NGO.”
Also Read: Maharashtra Class 12 result declared: 94.22 per cent students pass, girls outperform boys
He adds, “I am happy that my efforts of walking every day for 8 km to attend college lectures paid off. During Covid-19 pandemic, attending online lectures was a challenge due to poor internet connection and power cut issues in our hamlet. During the pandemic, I also helped my parents on the rice farm.”
Waghe along with other students will have to face more difficulties as there are no undergraduate colleges nearby. The closest college is around 1.5 hour away by road. These students belong to the Katkari community, a scheduled tribe community spread in various districts of Maharashtra.
Group of students with volunteers. Pic/Aniket Salvi
Speaking about the issues faced, Aniket Salvi, a political science teacher and founder of Rajani Foundation India, says, “Connectivity, fees and transportation costs are the reasons why students in these tribal villages drop out of schools after Class 7. They prefer to work and help their family financially. For seven years, we have adopted students in these villages to meet their financial needs such as paying their fees, looking after their transportation expenses, and providing them with stationery items so that they don’t drop out of school and complete their education. Our volunteers visit these villages every weekend to teach the students of all age groups.”
Transportation is a big challenge for the students that keeps them disconnected from education.
Dipali Katkari (18) says, “There is no public transportation (ST buses) connecting our hamlet. My dad usually drops me to college every day so that I can study further. While a lot of girls in our community get married at an early age, my parents motivated me to concentrate on my education.”
Dipali, had joined a computer class during the pandemic with the financial help of an NGO. Now, she works in the same class and earns around Rs 2,000 per month. Dipali says, “I teach computers to students. It is a learning experience as well as an income opportunity for me. It helps me secure some funds for my future education and support the family financially.”
“We are happy to see that these students have cleared the HSC exam and set an example for other students. This will motivate other students to continue their studies,” says Rupesh Ghosalkar, a Mumbai resident, who along with young volunteers extended support to over 50 students in the tribal hamlet of Avinash and Dipali.
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