Teachers of a state-aided school in North Dinajpur’s Raiganj town have launched a drive to enrol girl students in its higher secondary classes.

Teachers of the 70-year-old Raiganj Mohanbati High School, Netajipally, are fanning out in teams across the town to urge girls who have passed Madhyamik to continue with their higher secondary education at this well-known institution. The teachers are also putting up posters and banners across localities to draw girl students to the school.

Till 2022, Raiganj Mohanbati High School was a boys’ school. As of now, there are 700 boys from Classes V to XII in the institution.

Last November, the state education department approved an application from the school to introduce the co-educational facility for higher secondary classes.

Hence, from this year, girls can also pursue science and humanities streams at the school in Classes XI and XII.

“That's why we have started admitting girls along with boys to Class XI from this academic year onwards. So far, 21 girls have been admitted to the school. We appreciate the efforts of teachers,” said Amal Biswas, the headmaster of the decades-old school.

Ever since Madhyamik results got declared, every day, the teachers of the school are visiting Mohanbati, Bidhannagar, Milanpara, Ashokpally, Tulsipara, and Kashibari, the localities closer to the school, with public announcements to encourage girls to study at the institution.

“We are also putting up posters and festoons and visiting households to know if there is any girl student who has passed Madhyamik this year. In case such a student is found, we request her parents to enrol her in our school,” said a teacher.

Some non-teaching employees are also joining them in the endeavour, the teacher said.

A source said that to encourage the admission of girls, the school has not fixed any cut-off mark for them.

“However, those in the science stream must compulsorily take coaching for NEET (an entrance test to medical courses),” said the source.

Debabrata Bhowmik, the president of the school’s managing committee, appreciated the initiative by teachers.

“We thank our teachers as they have gone beyond the call of duty to get girl students for higher secondary classes. We want to make the school’s co-educational facility a success and see the girl students of our school do very well in the coming years,” Bhowmik said.