A madrasa for girls in Murshidabad has formed a students’ cabinet that will work not only inside the school but also in the community to prevent underage marriages and the protection of child rights.
Such groups were there in Debkunda Sk. Abdur Razzak Memorial Girls High Madrasa in Murshidabad’s Beldanga block earlier but were disbanded during the Covid pandemic.
The cabinet was formed after the new session started in January comprising 60 students from Classes V to X.
If a student remains absent from school for a long duration or if any one of the girls opens up to her friends about circumstances in her home, the students who are part of the cabinet alert the teachers. The teachers, if find it necessary, visit the house of the student.
“The students are our greatest resources and we can use them to create awareness in the society and also uphold the rights of the children,” said Murshida Khatun, headmistress of the school.
“In case a student is not coming to school, those who live in the same neighbourhood can visit the child’s home to find out why she is not attending school,” said Khatun.
Several parents stop sending their girl child to school while they start preparing for their marriage. “It is often the friend of the girl in the neighbourhood who is the first one to get the news,” said a teacher.
If a girl comes to know about her friend or any other student’s marriage has been fixed or even preparations are on, the members of the cabinet inform the teachers.
The teachers then visit the residence of the girl and at times take administrative help to stop the marriage, said Khatun.
The 60 students of the cabinet have been divided into 12 groups of five students each. They are selected on basis of their leadership skills and ability to handle situations.
Another important task that the cabinet members perform is to tell their friends about the harmful effects of mobile phones.
“The cabinet members tell their friends about safe usage of the internet and stay safe while on social media. For example, the cabinet members have been asked to tell their friends not to share their photos with anyone they have met only on the internet as it can lead to problems and their photographs can be misused,” said a teacher.