After witnessing a drop in turnout of children out of fear of being attacked by leopards, schools in villages of T. Narasipura taluk are reporting a moderate rise in attendance as people are overcoming their fears. A woman and the school-going boy were killed in leopard attacks in January.
The most reluctant parents are those whose children are enrolled in schools in the vicinity of sugarcane fields.
The boy, Jayanth, a class 5 student at Horalahalli, was killed by a leopard on the outskirts of his village. A day earlier, 60-year-old Siddamma died in a leopard attack at Kannayakanhalli. In total, four deaths were reported due to leopard attacks in the taluk, including those of two college students.
While admitting that attendance had declined after the leopard attacks, Mysuru DDPI Ramachandra Raje Urs told The Hindu that the attendance has now improved marginally. Barring some villages where parents are still unwilling to send their children to schools, most schools located in gram panchayats that faced the leopard menace have reported an improvement in attendance. “I think all schools will have 100% attendance soon with the exam season approaching,” the DDPI said.
Mr. Urs said the department has taken precautionary measures, with instructions given to the heads of schools and teachers of the respective schools, to ensure that the children are picked up by their parents or relatives after school hours, or either picked up in vehicles or leave the premises in groups to their respective homes.
The initial fear subsided after the capture of the leopard that was suspected to have killed the boy. “The fear among parents and children that existed 15 days ago is not there now,” he said.
“Forest personnel are present in sizeable numbers in affected areas. There is no need to panic. I inspected schools in Sosale and other places. Initially, teachers too were worried, but they have overcome their fears. From a 10% drop in attendance, the turnout has improved with about a 3% shortfall,” the DDPI said.
In some villages, children had to pass through sugarcane fields on their way to schools. This got parents worried as leopards tend to take refuge inside sugarcane fields. “The discovery of leopard cubs in a sugarcane field perturbed the locals,” Mr. Urs stated.
T. Narasipura BEO Mariswamy said arrangements had been made for about 15 children, who were coming to Horalahalli school from another village, to attend classes in another nearby school as they had to pass through sugarcane fields to access the school in Horalahalli. This addressed the anxiety of their parents. A teacher from Horalahalli goes to that school exclusively to take classes for the children. A marginal decline in attendance was noticed in schools, mainly the lower primary and higher primary schools, located in three gram panchayats.
