Private tuitions are boosting Shubham's aspirations now

Shubham Sekhar Sethi, quite a big name for a boy in Class 5, was still in school when I visited his house. My interactions were mostly with his parents. His mother is a housewife while his father works in the Odisha Steel Corp. Mr. Behera was home today as he had an off from work, but the stress of the never extending loans was clear as daylight on his face. I asked them why they needed a loan amount of Rs.30,000 for a class 5 student and that's when the parents painted the reality. Shubham studies in a government school, which his parents believe is not enough for his growth and education. Shubham has a private tutor for Math, Science, and English, who comes home and teaches him. But the tutor demands the fee for 6 months in advance, something which the parents do not understand. For Sanskrit, Social Science, Hindi, and Computers, Shubham goes for classes at a nearby coaching center. "The tuition fee itself takes up close to Rs.20,000 per annum, then there's school fee, his uniforms, the books, the commute to school and back. At this rate, I will be taking a loan every year for his education." Says Jyostnarani, Shubham's mother. Although she is super proud of the fact how her son is way more educated than her already and can talk fluently in English, she wonders until when will she have to keep taking a loan for his education.