When education has to wait: growing up in a tea garden in the Dooars

Every morning in the tea gardens of the Dooars, some children leave home for school while others head to the tea bushes or the factory. I grew up in a tea garden in the Dooars, where most families rely on tea plantation work. As children, many of us were encouraged by our parents to study so we wouldn’t have to do the same hard work they did.

However, I saw some of my classmates gradually drop out of school. Some stopped attending regularly. Others worked during holidays and weekends. Many eventually left school altogether. At that time, I thought this was just part of life in a tea garden.

Now, as a Development Studies student at Azim Premji University, I understand those experiences differently. After speaking with families in my community, I found that continuing education closely ties to household income, transportation, healthcare, and the necessity to work.

Studying after working at night

One young student from the tea garden, whom I will call Abhay, had to balance school and work. Abhay worked at night and attended school during the day. His family relied on tea-garden wages, which are around Rs. 250 a day.

Working at night and attending school during the day left him with little time to rest. For families like his, education costs more than just school fees. There are expenses for books, uniforms, transportation, examination fees, and later, college costs.

Eventually, Abhay had to stop studying due to financial pressure.

His experience was not just about his desire for education but also about what his family could afford. His two brothers also encountered struggles in their studies. His elder brother finished his undergraduate degree but could not go further due to financial issues. He now runs a small online service center in the village, assisting people with photocopying, online forms, and other digital services. For young people in tea-garden communities, finishing school or even college does not always guarantee a secure job.

When the school bus does not come

Students from Chalouni Tea Garden travel about 10 kilometers to reach Matelli Rashtra Bhasha High School.

The tea garden provides a bus for students, but the service is not always reliable. When the bus doesn’t show up, students may need to use bicycles, private vehicles, or autos.

A private vehicle can cost around Rs. 40 per student. I witnessed this issue myself on January 15, 2025.

It was winter, and I was at home. More than 10 students were waiting for the school bus, but the driver never arrived that day. The students were left waiting. I spoke to them and then reached out to the tea-garden management. Eventually, a local vehicle was arranged so the students could get to school.

For these students, a missing bus means more than just an inconvenience. If transportation is not available, they could miss school for the day. People from the tea garden also told me that sometimes buses break down due to poor maintenance. When students return late, their parents must go out with torchlights to search for them on the road.

Some students also ride bicycles or use private vehicles when the bus is not available. For families already facing financial struggles, regular transportation costs become an additional burden.

What schools see

Teachers working with tea-garden children say that the challenges do not end once students reach the classroom.

Akash Gowala, a teacher at Chalouni T.G. ITDP School, said that many children struggle during their early years because they speak their tribal mother tongue at home.

He also believes that learning is affected by what happens after school. 'Most students study only during school hours. After going home, they play, eat and sleep. There is no regular study routine at home,' he said. While many parents spoke about financial hardship, Giwala pointed out that government schools provide free textbooks, uniforms, bags and shoes. 'The biggest challenge is not the availability of these facilities but the lack of study support and guidance at home.'

Anupama Minj, a teacher at Sita Pradhan Memorial English School, described a different challenge. Although children generally attend school regularly, she said many struggle to stay focused in class. 'They don't have concentration in their studies. They get involved in outside activities like gossiping and playing games.'

Minj also highlighted the school's own constraints. 'Sometimes there is a shortage of teachers, and we also have limited infrastructure,' she said. Despite these challenges, the school organises sports and extracurricular activities, conducts parent-teacher meetings, and helps families access government welfare schemes.

The teachers' experiences suggest that while financial hardship shapes educational opportunities, schools also see language barriers, limited support for learning at home, and shortages of teachers and infrastructure as significant challenges affecting tea-garden children's education.

‘Majburi mein kaam karna padta hai’

Abhay's father told me he earns about Rs. 250 a day as a tea-garden worker.

Talking about the challenges of managing the household, he said:

He mentioned that the income often falls short for food and healthcare. For a family living on such income, education is not just about school. It connects to everything else the household needs to pay for. If someone gets sick, money may need to be spent on treatment. If transportation isn’t available, the family might have to pay for an alternative vehicle. If a child goes to college, new expenses arise.

Tea-garden workers also shared that some benefits they received in the past have decreased. Older workers recalled getting items like umbrellas, mosquito nets during the season, kerosene, and housing support. Today, they mentioned that only a few benefits remain. Healthcare is another worry. Workers noted that for serious or emergency cases, patients are often referred to hospitals outside the tea garden.

The promise of higher wages

The education of children relates closely to their parents' wages. Tea-garden workers I spoke to mentioned they earn around Rs. 250 a day. They also said wages are paid regularly in their garden, while payment can be delayed in some others. During the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election campaign, political parties promised higher wages for tea-garden workers. Both TMC and BJP pledged to increase the daily wage to Rs. 300 if they returned to power but promises were never fulfilled. But for families living in tea gardens, the immediate concern is how much money comes into the household and what that money can cover. When income is low, education competes with food, healthcare, transportation, and other basic needs.

When education stops

Abhay from Chalouni Tea Garden, had to stop studying due to financial issues. His family relies on tea-garden work. He has two brothers. Two of them stopped going to school, while the eldest brother completed undergraduate studies. The eldest brother now runs a small online shop in the village where he handles photocopying and online form filling.

For some families, education stops not because children lack interest in studying, but because the family needs money. Some young people start working locally; others migrate to cities or other states. The result is that many remain in low-paid and uncertain jobs.

Another student chose to continue

Not every child from the tea garden leaves education behind. I also know a young man from an Adivasi tea-garden family who continued his education despite facing severe financial challenges. I will call him Suraj.

Suraj was primarily raised by his grandparents. His grandfather struggled with alcohol addiction while his grandmother took care of the household. She did not have permanent work in the tea garden. At one point, Suraj went to Hyderabad to work. But he realised that without further education, his opportunities would remain limited. He decided to return and focus on his studies.

Today, he is pursuing an MA in Development Studies at Azim Premji University. His story is different from those who leave school, but the financial challenges are similar. For some students, education continues because they find a way to remain in school or college. For others, work takes priority.

What parents want

The parents I spoke with did not consider education unimportant. They wanted their children to have a more secure life. Many tea-garden families deal with multiple issues at once: low wages, limited healthcare, transportation challenges, and uncertainty about their future.

Parents want their children to have opportunities beyond tea-garden work. But wanting children to study does not always mean they can afford their education. In the tea garden where I grew up, I still notice children leaving home in school uniforms while others head towards the tea garden for work or the factory to work. They grow up in the same community. They know the same paths and live around the same tea gardens. However, their opportunities are not always equal. For some children, education offers a chance for a different life. For others, the need to work comes first. Sometimes, the decision to stop studying isn’t truly a choice made by the child. It is influenced by the family's economic conditions.