Kasturba Schools a boon for rural girl students

Vikarabad: With the State Education Department providing better facilities like stay, food and quality education at Kasturba Schools for classes V to VII in rural areas, as part of a new thinking to tide over the mounting dropout rate, such institutions are proving to be a boon for girl students in rural areas. The dropout rate was rising because of schools being located at far off places and the not-so-sound financial status of the parents.

With the new facilities, Kasturba schools have now become centres of stay for girls belonging to poor families. Also, their SSC pass percentage has crossed 80. The girls also have the advantage of pursuing vocational courses, along with their regular study. Soon these schools will also have Intermediate courses.

The Kasturba schools have helped overcome a tricky situation faced by parents on whether to continue their girls’ education after class V, particularly if they are illiterate. Such parents are forced to take along their daughters when they go in search of means of livelihood, as they can’t think of leaving the girls alone at home. Hitherto, these parents had failed to take note of the nearby Kasturba schools.

Now the rural scene surrounding these institutions is fast changing with the department bringing girls pursuing higher study in government schools as visitors for creating better awareness among the poor students and their families. The officials are trying to motivate the poor girls to join the Kasturba schools soon after completing class V study.

In the last one week, the officials managed to bring in girls studying in IV and V classes to visit 18 Kasturba schools spread over mandals in the district. At least 50 students went around the schools to become aware of the facilities being provided there. The facilities include soaps to last a month, ribbons and combs given in a kit. Besides, laboratories for classes VI to X have been established, with all tools useful for students. They also have computers and grounds to play games. These are seen by students of government schools and are getting encouraged and inspired to join the Kasturba institutions.

As many as 900 students of government schools have visited the institutions, where they have facilities to pursue study from VI class to Intermediate. The visits have helped them overcome uncertainty of where to continue their educations after finishing class V in government upper primary schools. They become aware of the advantages of studying in Kasturba institutions.