For many years, students from remote tribal villages in Thalavadi Hills have been forced to reach school nearly two hours before classes begin as the long-pending demand to revise the timing of a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus remains unaddressed. Students, parents and residents have once again urged the authorities to intervene.

More than 200 students study at the Government Tribal Residential Higher Secondary School in Hasanur. Around 80 students from Classes VI to XII commute every day from Kuliyada, Osatti, Kottadai, Sokkithotti, Kalkuthi, Uppatti, Pudukadu, Devarnatham, Mavallam and other remote habitations.

The first TNSTC bus from Kuliyada, about 20 km from the school, departs at 6.30 a.m., reaches the school at 7.20 a.m. and proceeds to Thalavadi. The second bus leaves Kuliyada at 7.30 a.m., reaches the school at 8.45 a.m. and continues to Sathyamangalam. As the second service is packed with college students, workers and other commuters bound for Sathyamangalam, most school students are left with little option but to travel by the first bus. “The school begins at 9.20 a.m., but students travelling on the first bus reach the campus by 7.20 a.m. and have to wait for nearly two hours before classes commence,” said Kadirvel, a resident of Hasanur.

Most students carry breakfast from home as they reach the campus well before classes could start. A few either skip the meal altogether or share food with classmates. Residents said repeated representations seeking a 7 a.m. departure for the first bus had yielded no result. “Students have to wake up by 5 a.m., while parents have to prepare food before 6 a.m. Frequent power outages during the monsoon make it even more difficult,” said R. Arulsamy of Mavallam. He said a 7 a.m.-departure would enable more students from the remote villages to attend the school in Hasanur.

Residents also pointed out that the return bus leaves Hasanur at 5 p.m., with students reaching their villages around 6 p.m. The return trip is delayed many times because of the movement of wild animals within the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, they added.

School authorities said they had appealed to the Education Department to take up the issue with TNSTC and revise the departure time of the Kuliyada service to 7 a.m. The request, however, is yet to be acted upon.