HYDERABAD: When the district collectorate in Warangal put up complaint boxes in residential welfare schools about four months ago to know the grievances of the students, they were expecting the usual peeves - bad food, strict teachers, too much homework...
And they received many such complaints. But then they also got complaints that gave them insight into what the students were thinking and feeling. A handful of the boys said they wanted a haircut like Tollywood star Prabhas' flowing mane. The girls, on the other hand, wanted the freedom to keep their hair longer and to put on bangles.
Wondering if the children were playing a prank, a senior officer sat down with them and asked them why they came up with such requests. It was then that the students told the officer about barbers in some of these schools who gave all the boys the same hairdo - a flat 'tapeli cut'. Their desire to emulate their favourite film stars was often ignored.
The students were not playing a prank, say officials. They were expressing a desire to not be part of some cookie-cutter system where their identity is suppressed.
"Because these children don't have access to phones and can't regularly interact with parents, we thought of introducing complaint boxes where they could silently drop their grievance. The range of complaints and concerns was interesting," said a top official from the district.
'Important kids express themselves' During the Ganesh festival, some students even requested puja arrangements, some wanted storage facilities for extra snacks they got from their parents, " the official said.
Development experts say these responses show the impact of social media. "Though phones are not allowed on the campuses, computer science labs are set up in many schools, giving them access to social media and the latest trends," said a development professional consultant who works with school children. "It is important that the children express themselves and tell us what is affecting them."
Sources added that in the pre-Covid-19 era, complaints were related to food and strict teachers. "Some girl students wanted to emulate their female teachers in appearance and wear sarees like them," a district-level official said.
Few female students also complained about being bullied by seniors.
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