Three out-of-school children identified in Dakshina Kannada; two back, efforts on to bring third

Mangaluru: The Department of School Education and Literacy identified three out-of-school children during a survey conducted during the year. Of them, two have already been brought back to the classroom.

DDPI Shashidhar G S said that two of the children were from Bantwal and one from Mangaluru South. The child from Mangaluru South has migrated to another state. Among the two children from Kavalakatte in Bantwal, one has returned to school, while the other is not interested in continuing studies. “Efforts are being made through the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and other local organisations to bring the child back to school. We are also trying to convince the parents,” he added.

Responding to a query on a survey conducted by the RDPR Department that identified 923 out-of-school children, officials clarified that the survey was not conducted by the Department of School Education. They said that even students who had been absent for just two days were considered dropouts in the RDPR survey. “When we cross-verified the data with schools, we found that the students were actually attending classes,” the officials said.

Fewer than 10 students

Regarding schools with fewer than 10 students, the DDPI said that 63 elementary schools in the district have fewer than 10 students. Of these, Sullia has the highest number (19), followed by Bantwal (15), Puttur and Mangaluru North (7 each), Moodbidri (6), Belthangady (5), and Mangaluru South (4).

A total of 116 schools have between 11 and 20 students, while 118 schools have between 21 and 30 students. Only one school in the district has more than 1,000 students.

In the secondary school category, one school has 11–20 students, five schools have 21–30 students, and 67 schools have 51–100 students.

Lodge complaints

On private and CBSE schools not adhering to guidelines on the weight of school bags, Zilla Panchayat CEO Narwade Vinayak Karbhari said that the issue would be examined. “If parents lodge complaints with the DDPI, an inquiry will be conducted,” he added.

Regarding the sale of drugs and tobacco products near schools and PU college premises, the CEO said that PDOs and headmasters have been directed to ensure that such products are not sold within a 100-metre radius of educational institutions. “Last month, a shop in Bantwal was fined and closed for 10 days for selling tobacco products near a school,” he said.