Two tribes from Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu clear class 12

TIRUVANNAMALAI: Two students in Tiruvannamalai – KR Sivaranjani (20), a Malayali tribal girl hailing from Thongumalai, and S Santhosh (17) from the Irular community in Kilpennathur – have cleared their class 12 public examinations despite all the hurdles were raised against them.

Sivaranjani, a biology/maths student at Polur Government Higher Secondary School, managed to score 361 out of 600 while he was a daily wage laborer in Kerala during holidays.

She started working alongside her mother when she was 10 years old, to support herself and her three siblings at home. “We provide gardening work for Rs 350 per day. We send the money to my brothers and sisters. Until recently, we worked 24 hours a day,” Sivaranjani told TNIE.

When Sivaranjani was 12, one of her colleagues told her about the Right to Education Act, which piqued her interest. However, she remained confused about the procedure to start her training at RTE.

Subsequently, under the guidance of one Mahalakshmi, a teacher at a government school in Jamunamarathur, Sivaranjani was directly admitted to class 5. She shifted to the school in Polur for her higher secondary education, before completing class 12.

“After I enrolled in RTE, I quickly learned the basics of class 5 and from then on I have not failed in any subject,” Sivaranjani said, adding, “I would not have been able to complete class 12 without knowledge of RTE or teacher Mahalakshmi’s guidance.”

Throughout her school years, Sivaranjani stayed away from daily wage work and accompanied her mother to Kerala only during holidays. Notably, she is the first person in her family to complete a school education. However, her family’s financial situation prevents her from continuing towards higher education. “I want to study nursing, but my mother’s salary wouldn’t be enough for that,” she noted.

Another tribal student from Tiruvannamalai, 17-year-old Santhosh, managed to score 318 out of 600 in the biology/computer science group.

The parents of Santhosh, a hostel student at the government-aided school Vandalur Ekalaivan, were bonded laborers at a brick kiln in Tiruvallur and were rescued by the Tiruvannamalai district administration in 2010. “My wife and I worked all day for three years,” says Senganni, Santosh’s father.

“My generation did not study, I don’t want my son to end up like me,” said Senganni, who currently works as a day laborer. Despite clearing Class 12, Santhosh’s educational prospects remain bleak due to his financial situation. “I would like to pursue zoology studies and become an IAS officer,” Santhosh told TNIE.

Readers who would like to help Sivaranjani and Santhosh can contact 99445 04521.