Shivamogga Police join hands with Education Department to bring school dropouts back to schools
Shivamogga District Police have brought back 250 school dropouts to classrooms in the past month under a special campaign named “Marali Shalege” (Back to School)
Shivamogga District Police have brought back 250 school dropouts to classrooms in the past month under a special campaign named “Marali Shalege” (Back to School), reuniting children who had discontinued their education midway. The initiative was carried out in coordination with the Department of Education, school authorities and teachers. Superintendent of Police B. Nikhil said the department followed a structured process: identifying dropouts, ascertaining the reasons for their absence, holding consultations with the family, school and teachers, ensuring coordination among all stakeholders, enrolling the child back in school.
As part of the campaign, police officers collected data from the Block Education Officers, attended School Development and Management Committee (SDMC) meetings, and appealed to parents to ensure their children attended school daily. Mr. Nikhil, the SP along with Shivamogga BEO Ramesh met the families of children and convinced their parents to send their children to school without fail. Nikhil said the outreach was aimed at preventing children from being trapped in child labour, child marriage or other forms of exploitation, and at reinforcing that education is mandatory for all children.
Nikhil identified primary reasons for dropouts: a lack of awareness among parents about the importance of education, frequent migration of families for livelihood, and learning difficulties that leave children unable to keep pace with classroom teaching. Financial hardship and exposure to anti-social influences in the neighbourhood were cited as additional factors. He said dropping out carries lasting consequences for a child — loss of education and future employment opportunities, erosion of confidence, and, in some cases, a higher risk of becoming a victim of crimes.
Nikhil told The Hindu that the response to the campaign had been encouraging and commended his staff’s efforts in identifying and reintegrating the children. Asked whether the initiative would be extended to colleges, he said the police were currently focused on schoolchildren.
The BriefWire