Farmers in Bihar use barter system to pay tuition fees amidst COVID-19
Several students belonging to rural India are grappling to cope with online classes due to a lack of access to digital devices and internet connectivity. Now, their parents have resorted to the barter system to pay the tuition fees.
The increasing number of coronavirus cases in India mandated the government to shut down schools across the country this year, putting over 320 million children’s future at risk.
While schools located in urban areas shifted almost immediately to online learning, several rural regions are still grappling with a lack of access to digital devices and internet connectivity. To help with their children’s education, many parents in rural India are using vegetables and crops as a mode of payment — like a barter system.
Children studying at Nayagaon in Begusarai district
Photo credits: The Indian Express Photo by Santosh Singh
Farmers in Maithani, a village in the Begusarai district of Bihar, have not been able to earn an income in the last few months due to a drop in demand for maize crops in the market. Therefore, now, they have resorted to the barter system and are using wheat to pay the tuition fees, reported The Indian Express.
After her school in Nayagaon, Begusarai, shut owing to the nationwide lockdown, Class 9 student Nishu Kumari has been taking private tuitions. Her father Shivjyoti Kumar, who is a farmer from the region, is all set to give a part of the harvested wheat as payment for her tutelage.
“Wheat is our cash. Several farmers give wheat as tuition fees on most occasions. Subodh Singh, the teacher charges Rs 1,000 per month for teaching for an hour daily,” Shivjyoti told The Indian Express.
Sudhir Singh, a tutor with over 35 years of experience, is known to charge much less than other teachers – Rs 200 per month. Today, he is working solely to ensure the continuity of learning among students.
“I have a total of 50 students and have divided them in 10 batches. I follow social distancing norms and ensure the use of masks in my classes. I teach in the open spaces in the village. I am happy to contribute to the cause of education at a time when schools and colleges are shut. And I have no problem with getting wheat in return for my lessons,” Sudhir said.
Edited by Suman Singh