Ahead of International Day of the girl child on Tuesday, girl students of a government school in Rajgarh, Madhya Pradesh have shown their mettle by forcing government officials to act upon their demand for improvement of amenities at the school.
The rural girls are leading a campaign to get their school periphery free of encroachments and filth so that the students have easy access, better sanitary conditions, and ample space for movement and extra-curricular activities here.
Girl students of class 11 and 12 at the Chatukheda government higher secondary school led a group of 100 students to the Rajgarh district headquarters recently, about 18 kilometres from their school, seeking a meeting with district collector to get their issues resolved.
They squatted at the district collectorate for hours, refused to meet the tehsildar, the sub-divisional magistrate, and even the joint collector. They finally agreed to have a talk with the additional collector as the collector was busy with the arrival of chief minister in the district.
“We have been assured by the additional collector (Kamal Chandra Nagar) that our issues will be resolved in a month. If that doesn’t happen, all the 800-odd students (from class 9 to 12) will go to Bhopal to meet the chief minister. We will see to it that we, and the students who study here in future, get a proper atmosphere for academics and extra-curricular activities,” girls including Kavita Prajapati, Kiran Dangi, Girija Sondhia, Rukma Sondhia and others told THE WEEK.
The students of the Chatukheda higher secondary school are facing several hurdles each day to attend school. The peripheral areas of the school have been allegedly encroached by some influential people in the village, leaving them but a very narrow approach road, which is littered by open defecation everyday morning. The main entrance to the school has been walled up due to this and the current access is through a side entrance.
The school principal had repeatedly written to the authorities about the problem, but nothing changed. “The school building started functioning only last year. It is situated across a huge pond-like pit that gets filled with water. The approach road to school is on the bank of this pit and it poses great danger to the students. While three legal residential structures are built close to the school, much of the remaining space has been encroached upon. There is no parking for the vehicles of students and teachers, let alone any playing space. The surroundings stink because of open defecation. The students wanted all these problems solved and the girls decided to take the lead,” Arun Satalkar of Rajgarh-based NGO Ahimsa Welfare Society that works in education and children’s rights sectors told THE WEEK.
When contacted, collector Harsh Dikshit told THE WEEK that he had sought a detailed report on the issue after which due action will be initiated. “Initial reports suggest that the land around the school has been legally allocated. But, if it is not so, we will certainly take the steps required,” he said.
“It is right of the child to raise issues that are of concern to their education and development; playground and sports are important elements for well-rounded development. The retention of girls in secondary schools is a matter of concern as the data shows fall at secondary level – and the school environment plays an important role here,” F.A. Jami, education specialist of UNICEF, Madhya Pradesh said in a statement to The Week.
“In 2022, we commemorate the 10th anniversary of International Day of the Girl (IDG). In these last 10 years, there has been increased attention on issues that matter to girls amongst governments, policymakers and the general public, and more opportunities for girls to have their voices heard on the global stage. Yet, investments in girls’ rights remain limited and girls continue to confront a myriad of challenges to fulfilling their potential; made worse by concurrent crises of climate change, COVID-19 and humanitarian conflict. Girls around the world continue to face unprecedented challenges to their education, their physical and mental wellness, and the protections needed for a life without violence,” UNICEF says on its website
