Ensuring Primary Education

“I want to became a teacher “ says Ms.Harita. She is a member of Ten roses adolescent girls group member at Poonthamallinagar cluster in Sellur Vattara Kalanjiam. Her mother name is Mrs. Kavitha, her mother is a housewife and a member of Senpagapoo Kalanjiam in the same cluster . Her father is a construction worker. She is a twin; she and her sister Jothy are studying 5 th std. She has one elder brother studying 9 th std.

Harita and her brother have speaking deformity. While they speak, others could not understand properly what they are articulating. After two, three interaction only we can catch what they are communicating. Since they started speaking they are speaking like this. Their parents are concerned and met doctors. The doctor arrives at a conclusion that the birth deformity is due to the marriage between close relative. Harita’s mother got married with her maternal uncle.

Earlier Harita’s brother studied at a private School up to 8 std. The pears used to ridicule him due to his poor academic performance and his speaking deformity; While graduating from 8th to 9th her brother persued her parents to change the school for him at 9th std. Because he has to do the public exam the next year, as he is not good at his studies and could not speak well Harith’s mother tried to convince him to study in the private school, But her brother has not obliged to her request and convinced his parents to take him out of the school. Finally they got the TC to her brother. They had to persue his education in a government school now.

Due to these happenings Harita’s mother felt that again she may have to encounter the same situation with her when the situation arises again. However at school her peers used to ask her “why you are coming to the school when you are not able to speak properly?”. This started to be every day routine that because of this incidents Harita lost her interest in schooling and discontinued her schooling though her parents were reluctant to this. Her patents and their relatives could not convince her to continue the schooling. Midway in the academic year she discontinued her studies and moved to her grandma’s home for 3 months.

At the time of conducting adolescent group meeting, she was absent for 2 months. So the health associate visited her home and spoke with her mother. Harita’s mother said that she was in her grandma’s home and she is not going to school anymore. This was a shock for the health associate. Then the associate told to her mother to bring back Harita, so that she could speak with her.

When Santhi the health associate spoke to Harita, “Why you are not going to School?” She is not answering anything initially. But repeated questions made her to express the ordeal that her peers at school used to mock her regularly, so I am not interested to go to school. Shanthi has to give lots of references and examples regarding girls education, importance of education for her personal life in future. Initially She didn’t got convinced, then the health associate took her to cluster office and shared lots of stories regarding girl child education and her personal motivation started enhancing. Finally she got convinced, she accepted to go to school. Then the health associate informed to her mother to take her to school and regularly interact with her and encourage her going to school.

Her mother has initial hesitation to approach the school management as she has discontinued her studies without informing the school management, but the associate gave inspiration to her, and she said if HM has not accepted her peal please inform this to Sellur Vattara Kalanjiam, we will take care. Gaining confidence her mother visited the school and talk to HM, the HM accepted to reenroll her and put re-admission for 5th Std. Now she is going to School. Our health associate started following up Harita regularly and enquired her about the school activities and motivate her to be confident. Nowadays she is regularly going to her school.

Now she is saying “I want to became a teacher, I will not scold my students. I will always motivate my students like you akka”