SANGAREDDY: To combat child marriages and encourage girls to pursue education, the administrations of Sangareddy and Medak districts are focusing on girls who have passed the Class 10 examinations.
Sources said child marriages are a common practice in Narsapur in Medak district and Narayankhed in Sangareddy district. For many girls, marriage is often planned once they complete their basic education. Many parents, reluctant to send their daughters for higher education, believe that marriage is the right course of action for them.
Counselling held
With this in mind, Medak Collector Rahul Raj has decided to deploy welfare officers and anganwadi teachers to visit the homes of these girls, offering counselling to both the students and their parents on the importance of education and its long-term benefits.
Officials have already begun visiting tandas (settlements) and engaging with parents.
A total of 5,000 girls have passed the Class 10 exams, of whom 2,000 are from rural areas. These students are now the primary focus of the district’s efforts.
“We are working to motivate families through camps in tandas, to prevent school dropouts. Camps have already been held in Narayankhed, and we are also focusing on reducing dropouts between classes 1 and 10,” Lalitha Kumari, district welfare officer, told TNIE.