A pilot project on adolescent girls’ education, operative in Ajmer district’s Srinagar block, has brought 794 out-of-school girls to the formal system of education through admissions and enrolments during the last two years. The project succeeded with the activities such as door-to-door surveys, counselling, remedial classes and enrolment campaigns.
The project’s results were analysed at a stakeholders’ workshop at Rajasthan Praudh Shiksha Samiti here on Thursday. The mobilisation of rural communities in over 80 villages to bridge the gender gap in education, which broke down barriers for young girls, was identified as a major factor leading to the project’s success.
Civil society members, educational experts, government officials and activists said the girls’ dropout from schools, reported on a large scale in Rajasthan, was a serious challenge that should be tackled with an “intelligent planning” covering different aspects of education, including the infrastructure available in villages. According to an estimate, 55,000 girls below 19 years are out of schools in Rajasthan.
The project, started by “Educate Girls” group in 2017, has benefited young girls who face challenges of physical and emotional changes and often confront gender-based discrimination. Project leader Shabnam Aziz said while the girls were forced to drop out under pressure from their families, the boys of the same age were found to have opted out on their own.
In the rural and educationally backward areas, “Educate Girls” generated awareness among villagers through Ratri Chaupals , established advisory councils for leadership development and organised remedial classes and foundation courses as academic inputs. Ms. Aziz said 1,550 girls had been identified as the target group and 794 of them were enrolled.
Depending on the educational gap duration, the girls were enrolled either in the regular government schools or the Rajasthan State Open School (RSOS). The pilot project has optimally utilised the community and government resources while ensuring that the girls, once admitted, stay in school and learn well.
Model praised
Arvind Ojha, Secretary, Urmul Trust, Bikaner, O.P. Kulhari, Secretary, Centre for Unfolding Learning Potential, and Akhtar Rizvi, Deputy Director, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, praised the mentorship model evolved for providing guidance to adolescent girls.
