Students in front of Ramakrishna School near Bunts Hostel Circle find it difficult to cross the road due to heavy traffic. There is no zebra crossing, said a girl from the school.
Another student from Government Pre-University College, Car Street, said the government often boasts of creating infrastructure facilities in government colleges. But the toilet facility in her college is not proper. There are issues with the water supply and girls find it very difficult.
Students from different schools and colleges in the city posed questions to government officials at an interaction on matters of civic issues, education, drug addiction, alcoholism, transport, scholarship and waste management here recently.
Makkala Hakkugala Masotsava Samithi, Dakshina Kannada, Mangaluru City Corporation and the Department of Public Instruction had organised the interaction.
The student from the college on Car Street said many government colleges do not have proper laboratory facilities.
Sexual advances
Referring to sexual advances against girls and women, another girl student from St. Joseph’s High School asked why the government should not educate boys and men by organising specific awareness programmes for them. The programmes should not be held only for girls and women, she said.
A boy student from the Government Pre University College, Bokkapatna, said that when the government declares dry days, some government-managed liquor shops in the city remain open. Why should the prohibition be applied only to private bars and liquor shops, he sought to know, adding that it should be made applicable to the government ones as well.
A girl from Ganapathi Pre-University College said vehicle parking in front of the entrance to the college was disturbing many students.
Replying to questions, Gayathri Nayak, Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), Mangaluru City Corporation, said she would draw the attention of traffic police to post a traffic constable near Ramakrishna School to help students to cross the road. She said that the health section officials will be sent to the college on Car Street to check issues related to the toilet facility.
Ms. Nayak said that if any liquor shops were found open on ban days, students could complain to the police control room. She added that students can chalk out awareness programmes on drug abuse, alcoholism and other issues in their schools and colleges by consulting teachers.
Father blocking higher education, says girl
A Class 9 girl student from St. Joseph’s High School said at the interactive meeting with government officials that her father was insisting that she should end her studies after Class 10. She said that her mother wanted her to continue studies but her father was against it. She wanted a solution to the same.
The student said that her community students were facing such issues as some parents were insisting that their children end studies in Class 7 or in Class 10 even though they wanted to pursue higher education.
Gayathri Nayak, Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), Mangaluru City Corporation, asked an official to address the issue by speaking to the parents of the girl and ensuring that she was allowed to continue her studies.
Ms. Nayak said that it was a serious issue and some parents needed orientation as orthodox thinking still prevailed in certain communities.
