SSA’s ‘back-to-school’ campaign pays dividend

The initiative launched after a survey held from April 15 to May 20

The student enrolment campaign organised by the Sarva Siksha Abiyan (SSA) for identifying the school dropouts and re-admit them in schools has evoked good response in Karur district.

The main initiative of the SSA is to initiate concerted efforts to streamline education to make rural people aware of its value. These ‘student enrolment rallies’ drive home the need for protecting the child’s right to education as guaranteed by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

A survey was conducted from April 15 to May 20 in all the municipal and panchayat limits in the district to identify the school dropouts. The students, teachers, members of Parent-Teacher Associations, along with the local people conducted a survey by making door-to-door visit of the households in both the urban and rural localities to identify the school drop outs. The reasons for the dropouts like poverty and migration was taken into account.

Besides creating awareness among the people on the importance of education, they informed the rural masses that elementary education played a significant role in the overall development of society.

A total of 319 student dropouts — boys 175 and girls 144 — were identified during this campaign which was undertaken in 1,866 rural and 216 urban localities spread over in all municipalities and village panchayats in the district. The district administration has initiated steps to streamline all of them and re-admit them in the schools in their respective areas, with the active cooperation of the School Education Department.

District Collector S. Jayandhi inspected the progress of the campaign in the villages of Sathiamoorthynagar and Kolanthakavundanur in Thanthoni Panchayat Union on the penultimate day of the campaign on Monday. She made enquiries with the SSA officials on the success of the campaign, action to be taken, and the initiative taken for streamlining all of them

Ms. Jayandhi said the campaign was aimed at putting an end to child labour menace. The parents should accord priority for the education of their wards from a young age.

Keeping the children in the 6-14 age group without sending them to schools or sending them to work place was a serious crime. Special care should be taken to ensure that girls get proper education. She assured all assistance from the district administration for the re-admission of the dropouts.

Tamil Selvi, Chief Educational Officer, SSA, accompanied the Collector.