LAHAN, April 22: The government has launched a special campaign in Siraha to encourage people to sponsor the education of children who are out of school because of poverty. Named 'One child's admission, my social responsibility', the campaign aims to bring more children to school in the district where some 1,600 children of school going age are still deprived of education. The campaign also encourages people to accept the guardianship of deprived children.
On Thursday, Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli launched the campaign by enrolling two Dalit children of Kalyanpur Municipality-11 at Ram Dulari Secondary School. PM Oli took the guardianship of Pawan Dom and Rupa Kumari Khatbe, both five-year old, by admitting them in grade 1.
PM Oli stressed that all aware citizens must take the responsibility of enrolling at least one child to school. According to Mahendra Mahato, chief of Education Development and Coordination Unit, government officers, leaders, entrepreneurs and other social figures have been urged to support this campaign by enrolling children, who are out of school because of poverty, to schools. "We have launched this campaign to make sure that no child gets deprived of education," said Mahato.
There are many children in the district who have been forced to discontinue going to school after being unable to pay their fees and buy stationeries.
1,595 students still out of school in Siraha
Mahato informed Republica that another campaign has been launched to pledge the financially able people to take the guardianship of the children of underprivileged and marginalized communities. Those taking the guardianship of students will be responsible for paying their yearly fees and buying their uniforms and stationeries, according to Mahato.
Surveys have been conducted in various parts of Siraha to collect details of children who are of eligible age to go to school but are left outside. Later, officials said, efforts will be taken to enroll those students at schools, conduct orientation for them, provide them their text books before starting their studies among others.
According to the census of 2011, the total population of the district is 637,328, including 310,101 males and 327,227 females. The literacy rate of Siraha district is 51.15 per cent. As many as 1,595 children of eligible age are still out of school, according to the census.
