Protecting the future: How village tutors keep children out of the mines

By Rohit Rakshit* 

"The happiness and satisfaction I see on children's faces when they learn and understand new things motivates me to continue teaching," said Jitendra Kumar, one of fifteen community tutors from a remote village in Jharkhand’s Koderma district who continues to teach, even though the project that trained and supported them has ended.

In many development and social sector initiatives, activities cease when funding stops. Classrooms close, community groups dissolve, and interventions fade away. But in parts of the Koderma and Giridih districts of Jharkhand, fifteen bridge classes are still functioning months after support ended—sustained entirely by local tutors who have chosen to teach without any financial incentive.

These bridge classes were established in 2023 to support children who had dropped out of school, attended irregularly, or were struggling academically. Many came from mica-mining families, where poverty, migration, and child labor continually disrupt education. Thirty bridge classes were initially set up across the two districts, with local youth selected and trained as tutors.

Today, half of those centers remain operational. Most of the tutors are young adults between eighteen and twenty-five years old, many of whom are pursuing their own education while teaching children from their villages. Eight of the fifteen tutors are women. Repeatedly, they describe teaching not as a job, but as a responsibility toward their community.

Anjana Hansda, from Asuradih village, explained that she became a tutor because she wanted children in the mica region to receive a good education and build a better future. Other tutors spoke about preventing children from leaving school to work in the mines. For them, the bridge classes are more than educational spaces; they are protective environments that keep children connected to learning. Their motivation is sustained by small but powerful moments: a child grasping a lesson for the first time, improved school attendance, growing confidence, or simply seeing children excited to learn.

Unlike formal educational institutions, these tutors belong to the same communities as the children they teach. They speak the local language, understand everyday realities, and hold the trust of parents. Government school teachers point to this deep local connection as one of the model's greatest strengths.

Children often view their tutors not as formal instructors, but as elder brothers and sisters. That sense of closeness creates a learning environment where children feel comfortable asking questions without fear. The benefits are evident: children's participation in these classes and their overall school attendance have shown significant improvement.

Children report a clearer understanding of school lessons, better attendance, and greater confidence. Parents have observed positive changes in study habits, behavior, and interest in education. Local government school teachers have also confirmed marked improvements in attendance, reading, writing, and overall learning levels among children attending the bridge classes.

What is equally striking is what the tutors request when asked about their needs. Few ask for salaries. Instead, they request books, teaching-learning materials, sports equipment, and continued engagement with parents and community members.

Ultimately, the success of any development project cannot be measured solely by the number of children enrolled, trained, or mainstreamed into schools. While those figures matter, they tell only part of the story. The deeper question is whether an initiative changes how a community thinks. Have parents begun to see education as an investment in their children's future? Do children believe that school offers opportunities beyond the mines and daily wage labor? Will families continue supporting education even when outside resources are no longer present? For communities to break the cycle of poverty, viewing the gains of education as a long-term investment is essential.

In these villages, the survival of the bridge classes suggests that genuine change has taken root. Parents continue sending their children, tutors continue teaching, and communities continue providing physical space and encouragement. The fact that children have rejoined formal schooling and attend regularly is particularly telling—a sign that education has gained lasting value beyond the lifecycle of a funded project.

The story of these tutors is a reminder that lasting transformation often begins with individuals. In every community, there are people willing to step forward—individuals who believe things can be different and are prepared to invest their time and energy to make it happen. The bridge classes survived because a handful of young people chose not to walk away when the formal support ended.

True impact does not always require a massive budget. It requires trust, commitment, and people who care deeply about their communities. Above all, it demonstrates that change requires heart—and that there are always dedicated individuals ready to drive it forward.

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*Development sector professional