For some Ludhiana government school students, exams not the only worry

Some of the city’s government schools hold special classes for students from financially weaker sections who have taken up jobs to help support their families

Amid the hustle and bustle of the exam season, where most students are focused on securing good grades, a group of young warriors from Ludhiana is fighting a different battle. For these Class 11 and 12 students, the struggle goes beyond academics — it is a daily grind to meet both ends and provide for their families.

Students at a Ludhiana government school. (Manish/HT)

Shubham Kumar, a 17-year-old student from Government Senior Secondary School, Gobind Nagar. In the bone-chilling winter mornings, while his peers stay indoors fearing sickness, Shubham is up at 4 am, beginning his day as a car washer.

From 4.30 am to 9 am, Shubham is immersed in his first job before going off to school, where he stays until 3.30 pm. But his day does not end there. Shubham shifts gears to his second job as an electrician, which can stretch until 11 pm. Despite working 10 hours a day, he manages to squeeze in study time, dreaming of pursuing mechanical studies and opening his own workshop to lift his family out of hardship. “I do not want my younger siblings to go through what I am experiencing,” he said.

Shubham is not alone. Dozens of his classmates, hailing from financially weaker backgrounds, engage in jobs both before and after school to support their families. Waiting tables, ironing clothes, working as house helps, sewing assistants, or factory labourers, these young minds cling to their academic pursuits, viewing education as their ticket to a brighter financial future for their families.

Khushboo, a Class 11 student from Government Senior Secondary School, Cemetery Road, works alongside her mother as a salesgirl in a local shop. The duo’s earnings of ₹10,000 a month go towards repaying loans for her father’s treatment, rent, and ration. Despite the challenges, Khushboo is determined to ensure her younger brother focuses solely on his studies for a secure future.

Many of these students come from migrant families, their parents working daily-wage jobs as vendors, labourers, or helpers. Regardless of their age or class, they shoulder responsibilities alongside their parents to survive in a city far from their native homes.

Vikas Kumar, a 17-year-old from Cemetery Road School, narrates his story of supporting his father, who can no longer stand for long periods due to age. “I try to help him before and after school hours because he alone cannot iron as many clothes as needed to make a decent earning for rent and other debts,” says Vikas.

Recognising the efforts of these young warriors, Principal Charanjit Kaur Ahuja of Government Senior Secondary School, Cemetery Road, notes, “Respecting the hard work these kids put up, our teachers go out of their way to help them. We provide study materials to lessen their financial burden, conduct doubt-clearing sessions after school hours, and remain vigilant, ensuring they don’t take academics for granted.”