ALAPPUZHA: Mridul K, 16, of Poochakkal in Alappuzha, had no words to describe his happiness when he cleared the SSLC exam this year. The past year was a testing time for the teen after he failed to clear the exam. It dented his confidence and he was on the verge of quitting studies. Thankfully, the Hope Project of the Kerala Police came to his rescue.
Timely mentoring by experts helped him get back into academic mode and clear the crucial milestone in his second attempt. “I thought I would never clear the SSLC when I failed in my first attempt. The trauma of being seen as a loser was really painful. But now I’m happy and excited. I want to pursue higher studies,” Mridul said.
His is not an isolated case. For the Hope Project has given wings to the dreams of 365 students who cleared the SSLC exam this year after failing in their previous attempts. “Of the 394 students we mentored this year, 365 cleared the SSLC exam. It was a collective effort by a lot of noble-minded people that resulted in the success of so many students. We will continue offering our support to these students for higher studies,” said Inspector General (IG) P Vijayan, the nodal officer for Hope Project.
The officer said they first identified the students who needed support and then put them back on the academic path. Expert teachers were arranged to conduct regular sessions like in a school. Residential programmes were also organised for some batches. “We are also planning to offer a skill development training to these students so that they can earn while pursuing higher studies,” Vijayan said. A police officer was assigned as liaison officer for each student enrolled in the project.
“We are happy to be part of the project. We ensured that the students attended coaching classes regularly,” said civil police officer Kannan Kesav of the Mavelikkara police station, who was the liaison officer for Nicksy Manu.Vijayan said Hope Project was conceived after it was found that students who fail in SSLC and Plus Two exams tend to drift away from mainstream society and end up in criminal activities.“The project is aimed at enabling these children cross the threshold of Class 10 and open up a brighter world for themselves,” he added.