Even basic education eludes Chattogram tea garden children

Children of tea garden workers in Chattogram are deprived of compulsory primary education for a lack of schools, teachers and infrastructure in the tea estates.

Tea workers say that due to the crisis, many children are not attending school and instead assist their parents in plucking tea leaves. As a result, these children continue the generational cycle of working as tea workers.

Pradip Das, an adviser to the Bangladesh Tea Workers' Union, Chattogram Valley, said among the 23 tea gardens in Chattogram, only Rangapani and Baramasia tea gardens have government primary schools, with a total of around 550 students enrolled.

He added that although tea garden owners are required to provide primary education facilities in the other 21 tea gardens, the facilities currently available are insufficient.

Although there is no official estimate of the number of children out of school in the tea gardens of Chattogram, leaders of the tea workers' union estimate that as many as 10,000 children may not be attending primary school.

Niranjan Nath Montu, president of the Bangladesh Tea Workers' Union, Chattogram Valley, told TBS that nearly 20,000 workers are employed in the 23 tea gardens of Chattogram, and these workers have over 30,000 children.

"Of these, around 20,000 children are of primary school age. About 10,000 children are enrolled in two government schools and those set up by garden owners, but more than 10,000 children remain deprived of primary education," he said.

However, tea garden owners say the tea industry is currently facing a crisis, with production costs not being covered. Despite their intentions, they are unable to ensure sufficient educational opportunities under such circumstances. They have plans to increase the number of schools in tea gardens and provide more educational resources to improve the sector in the future.

Kamran Tanvirur Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Tea Association, told TBS that tea garden owners operate primary schools within the gardens, and teachers are appointed based on the available resources. Additionally, if any students wish to attend nearby government primary schools, they are given that opportunity.

In response to a question about nearly 10,000 children in Chattogram's tea gardens being out of the primary education structure, Kamran Tanvirur Rahman stated, "I cannot comment on this without seeing any statistics."

Suman Sikdar, acting deputy director of the Bangladesh Tea Board, told TBS that in tea gardens where there are no government primary schools, the garden owners ensure primary education. He added that the board is not aware of any internal issues regarding this.

Tapan Dutta, the chief advisor of the Bangladesh Tea Workers' Union, told TBS that according to the country's labour law, tea garden authorities are required to establish a school if there are at least 25 students. Despite agreements with the workers' union to set up schools, the garden owners are reluctant to implement them.

According to the Tea Association, there are over one lakh workers in the country's 167 tea gardens, along with an additional 3,000 workers employed as clerks.

Poor facilities in existing schools

A visit to the schools in the tea gardens operated by the authorities reveals a grim picture, where the lack of infrastructure and teachers undermines the basic right of tea workers' children to receive primary education.

For example, Udalia Tea Garden in Chattogram has over 1,000 workers. However, the authorities operate four schools where educational activities are run in small temples. Around 300 children are enrolled in these schools run with only four teachers.

A senior official of Udalia Tea Estate told TBS on condition of anonymity that nearly 50% of the students in the garden do not attend school. The estate is currently operating at a loss, but it plans to ensure that all children attend school once the situation improves.

In Chattogram's 23 tea gardens, there are only two government primary schools: Rangapani Tea Garden and BaramasiaTea Garden.

Additionally, there are five government primary schools close to the tea gardens, including two schools near the entrance to the Karnaphuli Tea Garden. Within the Karnaphuli Tea Garden, City Group operates two private primary schools under its own management.

At the government primary school in BaramasiaTea Garden, classes are currently being held in a cramped tin shed at the top of a hill. Construction of a two-story building is underway. Established in 1998, the school was initially operated under the supervision of the International Labour Organisation and became government-run in 2013.

Murtuja Begum, headmistress of the school, said that 165 children of tea workers study there. However, nearly 25% of school-age children in the area are still out of school.

Jyoshna Rajni Das, an assistant teacher at Rangapani Government Primary School, told TBS that 405 children of tea garden workers, mostly from the Tripura indigenous community, study at the school. The garden owner managed the school until it became a government-run institution in 2013.

She added, "We are trying to encourage more children to attend school."

In Chattogram, 17 tea gardens are located in Fatikchhari upazila, which has a total of 229 government primary schools.

Fatikchhari Upazila Education Officer Md Hasan Murad Chowdhury said approval for schools in the tea gardens cannot be granted due to complications related to land registration for school construction.