A “well-meaning” circular issued by the Education Department in Palakkad which says ‘teach school girls to behave’ has left everybody fuming. The circular is issued to the Principals of all the state schools in the district by the Education Department. The circular plans a 3-step awareness campaign to warn girls about the risk of exploitation who fall prey to boys who try to take advantage of them.
The Deputy Director of Education has listed three simple steps in the circular. Firstly, lectures will be given to the high-school girls. Secondly, an awareness session to parents of girl children during parent-teacher meetings (PTM) will be given. And at last, short films will be filmed and screened at schools for girl students to highlight the risks of relationships.
Reportedly, the measures were formulated by the Education Department in consultation with the district collector Marykutty.In this whole
In this whole process, only the girl and girls parents will be taught. But where are the rules for boys and who will teach them about their interactions with girl students.
Speaking with Asianet News Collector Marykutty said, “in many places, girl children get trapped in love affairs during their school days, which end up destroying their lives later. There are people who persistently go behind girls, but the girls must be told not to take them seriously and not attribute importance to such advances.”
Rubbishing the allegations of lovejihad Marykutty said, “that is not the aim of this circular. Our teenage girls need to be warned against such traps that are lurking around, and the circular was issued keeping in mind the welfare of the girl children.”Lashing out at the circular issued by Marykutty, Aleyamma Vijayan, co-founder of Sakhi Women’s Resource Centre said, “what is as horrifying as the contents of the circular, is the fact that such a circular came out in consultation with a woman collector”
Lashing out at the circular issued by Marykutty, Aleyamma Vijayan, co-founder of Sakhi Women’s Resource Centre said, “what is as horrifying as the contents of the circular, is the fact that such a circular came out in consultation with a woman collector”
Aleyamma further asserted, “we feel that there is a huge change in the attitude of the boys, once we are done with the classes. It is through such classes that the boys get to learn more about women, that they need to respect girls, that eventually changes the way they think about women.”
