Girls need support to pursue higher education: RDEO D Vasanthi

Warangal: A lot has to be done to ensure that girls can pursue higher education, Warangal Rural District Education Officer D Vasanthi said.

Speaking at a workshop that focused on the 'Role of Education Department in Facilitating Secondary Education to Girls' jointly organised by the Girls Advocacy Alliance (GAA) and FMM Social Service Society here on Thursday, she said that barriers faced by the girls need to be addressed so that they could get higher education without any hiccups.

"Even though the government is providing quite a few facilities in schools, a sizable number of girls have been dropping out from studies even before SSC. Many of such students were subjected to the malady of child marriages and trafficking," Vasanthi said.

She emphasised the need for creating awareness about the schemes and programmes introduced by the government for the welfare of girls. The teachers have to play a proactive role in pursuing the students to continue their academics, the DEO said, referring to the dropout rate of girl students.

Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Chairman Mandala Parashuramulu urged the teachers to show special interest on students who are bereft of family love and affection. He emphasised the need for inculcating awareness on social media.

Warangal Rural District Child Protection Officer G Mahender Reddy said that due to lack of knowledge among the people about the ill-effects, the practice of child marriages is still in vogue.

Warangal Urban District Child Protection Officer (NIC) S Praveen said that child marriages can be averted with the concerted effort of agencies concerned and the education department. Referring to their survey, the GAA Project Officer Erra Srikanth disclosed the reasons behind the girls dropping out during the secondary education. CWC member K Manjula and GAA Coordinator Bathula Karuna were among others present.