In a bid to keep tabs on the drop-out rate in government schools, the Uttar Pradesh government has planned an attendance audit of girl students in state-run schools. The audit will be carried out among girl students in government primary and upper primary schools.
The state basic education department will carry out the exercise on the last Saturday of every month and such girls, who are usually absent, would be identified. Teachers will then visit the family to ascertain the reasons so that these girl students can be brought back to school, reported IANS.
Vijay Kiran Anand, Director General of School Education, detailed the process to all district magistrates in a letter and said, "The idea is to minimise the number of girl drop-outs. There is no problem with their enrolment. But it is the dropout rate of girl students that needs to be addressed. A list of such girls should be prepared and their parents should be contacted so that all the girls may be encouraged to come back to the school daily."
The DG also added that parents whose daughters attend school regularly, should be honoured at parent-teacher meetings. "It was also decided that during the sessions conducted under life skills education in upper primary schools on Saturdays, the students will be informed about child rights, safety and security such as domestic violence, violence against children, sexual violence, molestation, good and bad touch. Information about helpline numbers etc should be provided to the girl students in particular," the letter read.
IANS reported that schoolchildren will be made aware of legal provisions like the Right to Education, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), child marriage, dowry practice and domestic violence by the facilitator/teacher. Additionally, information about child helpline number 1098, women helpline number 1090, helpline number 112 for contacting the police in case of any kind of harassment and helpline number 181 for any kind of police assistance will be provided.
Also in the works are paintings, debates and discussions to be organised for children on the importance of girl child education in the meetings of the parents every month and an exhibition should be shown to the parents by preparing a children's newspaper, said the DG. Along with this, while discussing the importance of girl child education, girls should be made aware and encouraged to give more and more opportunities to study at home, he added.
In upper primary schools, teachers have been asked to regularly discuss menstrual hygiene management with girls. As part of the programme, children's parliament should be organised in every primary school and "Meena Manch" in every upper primary school and Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, the letter said.
