A class 8 student from Ballari district lamented, “My teacher contacted me over the phone and scolded me for missing class. But what can I do? I cannot stay alone in my village when my parents are here.” The boy lives in a temporary tent on the road between Chikkamagaluru and Adlur. He is one among hundreds of children from central and north Karnataka who miss school for months. Their parents move to Malnad districts during black pepper harvest season for work. Many families from Davangere, Haveri, and Ballari set up tents by the roadside in Chikkamagaluru and Aldur. While parents work in pepper estates all day, their children stay in the camps, mostly aged 2 to 13 years. They take care of younger siblings but miss their classes back home. A class 6 student said, “My mother prepared rice and sambar in the morning before leaving for work. We had the same for lunch. Our parents will come back by evening.” Most migrant workers belong to Lambani tandas. With little land in their villages, they seek better-paying jobs. Some leave children under older relatives’ care, but many bring them along. Harvesting black pepper needs skill. Workers use ladders carefully to avoid damaging plants. Vishnu, from Davangere, said, “The employers pay ₹12 per kilo of pepper harvested. A couple can harvest about 150 kilos a day, earning about ₹900 each.” Compared to the ₹400 daily wage in their villages, this is better pay. Labour contractors called mestris arrange jobs, accommodation, electricity, and water. However, there are no schooling facilities for children at these sites. Shashidhar Kosambe, Chairperson of the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, told The Hindu, “There have been instances of such children being subjected to various forms of abuse. They deserve proper care and education. Earlier, there were tent schools for the children of these workers.” He promised to contact officials to ensure children’s safety and schooling. “As per the Right to Education Act, children of migrating workers are tagged to the nearest schools,” he added.