There is an encouraging change in the schooling opportunities in rural India.There is more effort to draw children to school with offering of free education, uniform, mid day meal and activity based learning in early school years. We are seeing a new impetus to school attendance unlike in the past, where the school drop out rate was about thirty percent.
One aspect that needs further attention is to promote more compliance of school attendance of girl children. Their attendance suffers due to demands on them- to be available to look after siblings at home, attend on family members who are sick, go out to work for earning an extra income, or struggling with learning due to irregular class attendance.
I met a teacher yesterday, who offers free coaching assistance for girls at her home for those who find the class room learning difficult. She enhances their understanding of English and offers some help in some subjects. She has been doing it for ten years with a determination to let every girl child interested and able to go through school. This has enhanced their prospects of passing at the tenth grade school examination.
I am afraid girl children in rural areas are still disadvantaged. The urban girl children have already established their high level of motivation and achievement. Let there be a focus on enhancing the learning prospects of girl children in rural India by volunteers taking initiatives to support them!
No comments:
Post a Comment