The Diocese of Miao, Arunachal Pradesh, recently organised a musical dedication for school dropouts to highlight importance of education and rekindle their desire to study.
The event held at the Light of the World School Hall in Miao brought together 70 kids who once again found the joy of being with their friends. Half of them promised to restart their education in the new academic year.
According to Father Felix Anthony, spokesman for the Catholic Church in north-eastern India, education is important for the kids' better future. He believes the initiative undertaken by the local bishops will improve the status of education in Arunachal Pradesh.
In districts like Tirap, Longding and Changlang where development initiatives of the government do not reach as far, the rate of school dropouts is almost 50 percent.
Boys and girls discontinuing school is a common phenomenon in this part of the country due to multiple reasons. "Lack of local educational infrastructure requires students to walk for hours to reach a school. Lack of motivation for education as it does not guarantee any future, and financial difficulties are other major reasons. This leads to early marriage which is again a reason for dropping out," Fr Anthony explained.
One of the musical dedication participants, Sonia Pansa from Longding district, dropped out after grade four because her parents worked the land and they had five other small children. She stayed at home to take care of her siblings. But the musical reignited in her the desire for an education and she is one of the first to enrol in formal education in the next academic year.
