For the welfare of tribal students, officials of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) started engaging teachers and volunteers to impart evening classes to the tribal students. Among the tribal students living in a total of 17 tribal settlements in four forest ranges of the Pollachi forest division, the classes already began at the Ulanthy forest range a few weeks ago and the preparation underway at Pollachi, Valparai and Manampalli forest ranges.
Officials of the ATR termed the two hours evening class between 5 pm and 7 pm as 'Pulikutties' (Tiger cubs) since they have been living inside the tiger reserve and their parents are working for forest and wildlife conservation. According to S Arokiyaraj Xavier, Deputy Director of ATR, -"This will helps them to get high marks in the examination especially for the class 10,11 and 12. We are strictly maintaining the physical distance among the students and asking the students to wear masks to ensure that no one is affected by Covid-19. Apart from their subject related queries, the teachers will also be imparting extracurricular activities, self-confidence and the day to day affairs."
"The classes will be free and we will pay Rs 3,000 to 4,000 as monthly salary to the teachers. We have been managing the teachers, who have stationed at Topslip hill where a government high school was functioning for taking an evening class. It is a difficult task to bring teachers for two hours class from plains. Hence, we have also tribal volunteers who have graduated already and engaging them for imparting lessons to students. We will have alternative arrangements if the graduated tribal students go to college," he said. Already the ATR officials have been helping the tribal students including college and higher secondary school students by giving a scholarship of Rs 10,000 through Sagoserveoperative society for sago and starch manufacturers in Salem.
