As many as 98 pc girls from SC and ST studying in junior colleges complained that they were discriminated against and mocked at by their teachers mainly due to caste factor, in a study conducted by MV Foundation, an NGO dedicated to child rights.
“We have conducted the study at the individual and family levels, and took into consideration school experiences and infrastructural factors, said M Vikram, secretary-trustee of MV Foundation at a press conference here on Monday.
“We have mainly Focused on different obstacles faced by girls in pursuing higher education,” he said.
About 30 pc girls said they ate only thrice a week before going to the college while the 25.1 girls admitted that they did not eat due to lack of time. Around 34.1 pc of the girls agreed that they faced sexual abuse of one kind or the other.
On government and institutional support, 21.6 pc girls said their colleges lacked toilets while 27 pc said that even if toilets existed in their colleges, they were not fit for use.
“We are working on the KG-to-PG free education scheme and are planning to accommodate students in hostels after they reach 5th standard. A committee was formed to revise the syllabus of ‘Ethics and Human Value’ module to curb sexual advances on young girls,” said Shailaja Ramaiyer, commissioner of collegiate and Intermediate education.