Visakhapatnam: Tuition classes turn out to be a saving grace!

Visakhapatnam: Amid unending arguments exchanged between their parents, S Lavanya, a Class VI student, finds it difficult to complete her homework. The ordeal Vennela Mahesh faces at home in Santoshi Mata Colony is a shade bigger. "My dad comes home drunk and picks up a fight with my mom for no reason. In the process of venting out his anger, my dad often ends up beating me," laments Mahesh, who was quick to discover that it is impossible to spend time with books at home.

Another student Asanala Devena from ASR Nagar mentions that she needs to put up a constant fight against distractions as the atmosphere at her residence is not study-friendly at all. However, tuition classes come as a saving grace for them as it is here, they finish their homework at peace, do subject wise study, engross in life skills, cartoon drawing, indoor gaming, storytelling and learn from one another.

Initiated a year ago by Dharani Social Welfare Society (DSWS), an NGO that works for social causes and empowering children with skills, a team of subject teachers, take turns in imparting lessons to children frequenting the community centres of Thatichetlapalem, Kobbarithota and Bhupeshnagar where tuition classes are taught free of cost.

"After convincing the parents, children who need coaching have been picked up from slum areas and imparted classes. Community centres serve as a shelter for them to attend classes. Children spend three to four hours every evening here to complete their homework, learn subjects, play indoor games, draw cartoons, narrate stories, etc," explains B Hari Venkata Ramana, cartoonist and secretary of the society.

Supported by Child Rights and You (CRY), the free tuition classes have garnered an encouraging response over the months. From a mere 10 participants a year back, the coaching classes now draw 150 children from weaker sections studying from Classes I to X.