Scores of girl students of Class X at Shamshabad in Ranga Reddy district are staring at a bleak future. This is notwithstanding the government’s claim that it is making every effort to promote girls’ education.
The sad fact is that there is no Intermediate college in the government sector in the locality that offers Urdu or English-medium instruction, though most students complete their schooling through the two mediums.
Every year, close to 30 girls pass out of the Zilla Parishad High School, Shamshabad, but most of them do not go for higher studies.
Call for alternatives
The sorry state of affairs has been in existence for the last several years, and it will continue to be so if immediate alternatives are not worked out, says Syed Shahbaz, a social activist.
Girl students here have to enrol at two colleges in the city - Government Junior College for Girls, Falaknuma, which is about 15 km away, or Government Junior College, Hussainialam, which is 20 km away. But, most parents are disinclined to let their children to travel so far.
“Students seek our help in convincing their parents to allow them to pursue higher education in the city,” says a schoolteacher.
There is only one junior college at Shamshabad, and it offers instruction only in Telugu medium. Residents and social activists are of the view that introducing Urdu and English medium sections in the existing Intermediate college will help in checking dropout rate to a large extent.
