Tea Plantation Labour in India Post-primary studies: While facilities for primary education. are compulsory under the Plantation Labour Act, further education for the children of workers is not guaranteed. The Act makes provision for education of children till they are 12 years old because the plantations­are isolated and access to education would be difficult, ifnot impossible, for most children residing in the plantations if facilities are not provided. The same problem exists for children above 12 years of age who wish to pursue further studies but there are no provisions for schools at that level. This is perhaps because since the Act permits children above 12 years to work on the plantation, no need is felt to educate them further. There is, therefore, a perceptible link between educational facilities and child labour. Nonetheless, judging from the number of children going to post­primary schools in the three gardens it is evident that there is a desire among the parents to educate their children rather than make them work at a young age. G11is the only garden among the three which has a post-primary school. This is situated in a park and receives some financial support from the management. The parents pay fees which covers the remaining costs, Around 50 to 60 children attend this school. More than 100 children go outside the garden to attend day school. There are a number of middle and secondary schools in the township in the vicinity. The management provides a truck to transport these children to the schools. Most of the parents prefer to send their children to Hindi medium schools run by Christian missionaries as they felt that the quality of education is better there. In G2 around 300 children go out of their garden to attend school. Here too the workers prefer to send their children to Hindi medium missjonary schools. The management provides trucks to transport the children to and from school, Garden 3 has around €0 children attending post-primary schoo]é-’ These children have to walk or use their own transport (bicycles, ete.) to do so as the management does not provide them any transport. The schools preferred by these workers are those run by private bodies having Hindi as the medium of instruction. 58 Teq Plaritation Workers in West Bengal Canteen and Recreational Facilities The Plantation Labour Act states that any plantation employing more than 150 workers must have one or more canteens where workers can buy tea and snacks at reasonable rates. The rules of the State clarify that the eatables must be sold on a non-profitbasis. A canteen committee comprising representatives of workers and management is to supervise the functioning of the canteens. The Act also makes provisions for recreational facilities for the workers and their children. The State’s rules lay down the guidelines for these facilities. It says that employers have to provide and maintain recreational centres which will have provisions for outdoor and indoor games suitable for adults and children. The employers must maintain a playground for workers and their children with necessary sports equipment, provided adequate space is available. If such space was not available in a plantation it could share a common ground with another plantation provided this was accessible to the lines of all workers covered. G1 does not have any canteen for workers. It has a sports club for its workers with a room and a playground. Workers can play carrom or watch television inside. There are two playgrounds where workers play football, volleyball and, at times, cricket. The cost of the equipment for all these games and the TV are met through contributions from the workers themselves. Besides constructing the clubhouse and levelling the playgrounds, the management does not fulfill any other commitment towards recreation.' G2 has a canteen which functions reasonably well. Tea, biscuits and other snacks are available at subsidised rates and even meals are served provided these are ordered in advance. The garden, however, does not have a clubhouse for workers but has a playground where football and volleyball are played. The equipment is provided by the management. G3 does not have a canteen butit has a clubhouse where workers can play carrom or perform on musical instruments whicl are provided by the management. There was a playground where foothall, volleyball and cricket are played. The cost of all the equipment are borne by the management. ' ­59