By Ramji Mishra
Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh: The School Management Committee (SMC) of Tikra Raksohiya primary school in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur district has achieved what few government schools in the state can claim: full attendance. Parents and teachers meet every month to track students, question absences, and ensure that no child is left behind.
The results show up clearly in the school’s attendance register. From 85% in 2015, attendance rose to 92% in 2018 and touched 95% even during the Covid years by arranging classes in open spaces once the lockdown lifted, said headmaster Sarnam Verma (40). By 2023-24, it reached 98-99%. For the past three months, the figure has held steady at a rare 100%. Not a single girl has dropped out, he added.
Enrolment has also grown. From 28 students in 2020-21, the school has 40 this year. Twelve passed out of Class 5 in April, leaving 32 currently registered – all with near-perfect attendance.
Much of this progress is credited to the SMC’s vigilance.
Formed every two years under the guidance of the Gram Shiksha Samiti (village education committee), the SMC focuses on the day-to-day functioning of the school, from ensuring regular attendance to addressing parents’ concerns. While the village education committee oversees broader issues like hiring decisions or the school’s external environment, the SMC brings parents directly into matters of teaching and learning.
Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of every month, and members keep a diary of issues raised, from absenteeism to excessive mobile phone use, along with the steps taken to address them.
“People in villages take their children out of studies and put them to work,” said Verma, who also chairs the committee. “Many teachers tell us that children go with parents to the fields, or they help in household businesses, and their attendance gets hampered. Improving that environment and ensuring the child comes to school every day is challenging. For this, we need the cooperation of the child, the family, and the School Management Committee.”
100% push
Tikra Raksohiya, in Maholi tehsil, has about 550 residents across 120 families. Most earn their livelihood through agriculture and daily wage labour. The government primary school was established in 2012 and today has three teachers, including headmaster Verma, who joined in 2015, Diwakar Singh in 2021 and Ravita Singh in 2024. Together with the SMC, they sustain the effort that has led to full attendance.
Many families initially saw little value in primary schooling, preferring to send children to the fields or to help with small household businesses. The SMC responded by going door to door to speak with parents, explaining why regular attendance mattered and assuring them that the school could open a better future for their children. Teachers also kept in touch with families where parents struggled with addiction or financial hardship, and made repeated home visits to persuade guardians to send children back to class.
“First we try to understand the reason for a child’s absence,” Verma said. “Sometimes parents are not educated themselves, sometimes they are dealing with illness, loss, or economic problems. With the help of the SMC, we stay connected to homes and find ways to address these situations so that the child does not drop out.”
Migration posed another challenge. Around 20–25 families leave each year for work in nearby districts or states like Himachal Pradesh. The SMC noticed that children were often left in the care of grandparents, uncles or aunts, and worked to bring those students back into the fold so they would not drop out and could continue schooling in the village.
The committee also stepped in to address behaviour and discipline. Teachers flagged issues such as children skipping class to play marbles or using abusive language, and parents discussed them in SMC meetings. “We also came to know about the atmosphere of drug addiction in some houses,” said Diwakar Singh. “We met those parents and explained the bad effect it has on children. Although some parents have not given up completely, their attitude has changed. A parent who once thought studies were useless now carries his children to school in his lap.”
Another concern was excessive mobile phone use. “It hinders the all-round development of children,” Verma said. “We identify such cases and take them up in SMC meetings, where we seek the cooperation of parents to curb the habit.”
A community movement
To ensure accountability, the SMC maintains a diary of problems raised and solutions attempted. For parents like Ranno Chaurasia, now vice-president of the committee, the experience has been transformative.
“I once asked the teacher what he would do if children don’t improve even after beating them,” she recalled. “The teacher laughed and said children should not be beaten, they should be improved psychologically. The child’s problem will definitely be solved.”
Today, all three of Ranno’s children, Aastha in Class 5, Shraddha in Class 4 and Anmol in Class 1, are enrolled in the school.
Other parents echo her sense of ownership. Shanti Devi, who lost her husband to a snakebite, said the committee plays a crucial role when guardians are absent. “Teachers motivate children to come to school regularly and prepare their details through meetings,” she said. “They ensure that such incidents do not create obstacles in their education.” Her son Naimish is now in Class 4. In another household, Suhani, who lost her father in a road accident, continues her studies in Class 3 with support from the school and community.
Teachers say such cases show the value of the SMC in understanding families’ circumstances. “We cannot bring back a child’s guardian, but we understand how badly this affects their education, so we do not let them feel inferior,” said Verma. “Many times, we have bought such children essentials like jackets in winter.”
Parents across the village credit the committee for shaping their children’s future. Farmer Sanjay Kumar, who earns Rs 300-400 a day, said he motivates his two children, Arpita and Aman, to attend school daily. Chandni Chaurasia, whose husband runs a sweet shop, said: “We have to give full cooperation to the teachers. We learn this in the SMC meetings. I am committed to sending all my three children to school every day.”
For teachers like Diwakar Singh, this partnership has transformed the classroom. “Children try to improve by repeating the same thing again and again. Similarly, we also try to solve whatever problems keep on coming by doing the work again and again.”
This article is republished from 101 Reporters under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
(101Reporters/NS)
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