In Bihar, cops herding kids to school

7 Mar, 2007
PATNA: With National Democratic Alliance in the saddle in Bihar, times are changing in the state. And for a change, the men-in-khaki have picked up slates and chalks. Not for studying themselves, but for herding all out-of-school children to school.

The state is home to around 24 lakh children between six and 14 years who do not go to school. In its effort to increase school enrolment, the state government has hit upon a novel idea to use the police for spreading the importance of education. Local police constables now move around in neighbourhood villages looking for children who should be in school. They also visit homes and check out commercial establishments to locate child labourers. The campaign has been on for about a month now and 20,000-odd new students have already been added to the rolls of government primary schools. Preliminary reports say children feel very important to have policemen requesting them to attend school. Policemen, on the other hand, are enjoying their new role which allows them to break out of their stereotypical “tough” image. Additional DG (HQ) Abhayanand said the campaign has evoked good results. “In the past one month, the task has not been very difficult. But now our people will have to exert even more to keep the new enrolments going,” he said. Among the families that do not send their children to school, a large number are averse to school education. These are the people who need counselling and coaxing the most. “We do not have a set method. We have asked our district forces to innovate. They are using their own ways to convince such families,” the ADG said. But there is no use of force. No threat. The policemen have been asked to motivate both children and parents. More than half of the children who do not study are believed to be working as child labourers. “Our men visit shops and dhabas to see if children have been employed there. These children are then enrolled in schools,” he said. Abhayanand admitted the bigger challenge will be to ensure the newly- enrolled children do not drop out. “We will tackle the qualitative issues at a later stage. As of now, we want full enrolment,” he said, adding the education department would later have to step in to ensure the schools function properly.