Banaskantha, July 11 (IANS) Educating girls is essential for the overall development of society, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said on Saturday as he urged parents to ensure that every child receives regular schooling, while interacting with students who have been brought back into the education system under the state’s ‘Back to School Mission’.

Addressing re-enrolled students, their parents and mentors at Teniwada village in Banaskantha district, Patel said girls are capable of excelling in education while also fulfilling household responsibilities.

“Our daughters are capable of performing well in education while also discharging household responsibilities. For the overall development of society, it is extremely important that girls are educated,” he said.

The Chief Minister also appealed to parents to support their children’s education, saying it was the responsibility of every mother and father to ensure regular schooling and encourage them towards a brighter future.

Patel reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision is that no child in Gujarat or the country should remain deprived of education.

“This vision had led to people-centric initiatives such as Shala Praveshotsav and Kanya Kelavani Mahotsav during Modi’s tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister, helping create greater public awareness about the importance of education,” he said.

He noted that teachers today were not only responsible for classroom instruction but were also actively identifying children who had dropped out of school and bringing them back into the mainstream of education.

Calling education the most effective means of ensuring the holistic development of individuals, families and society, Patel said children from poor and ordinary families could overcome economic and social challenges through education.

“While governments provide welfare measures such as food security, healthcare and other assistance, their full benefits would be realised only if children were educated and able to build better futures,” he added.

During the programme, the Chief Minister interacted with around 12 students who had returned to school, along with their parents and mentors.

He asked about the reasons they had left school, their experiences after re-enrolment and their future aspirations, and encouraged them to attend classes regularly, study diligently and pursue ambitious goals with confidence.

One of the beneficiaries, Suhani, said she had discontinued her studies while in Class 10 because she was apprehensive about the board examinations.

She said her teachers later visited her home, counselled her parents and motivated her to return to school.

“I appeared for the board examination again and passed. I have now taken admission in Class 11. The Chief Minister spoke to me today. I felt very happy, and from now onwards I will attend school regularly,” she said.

Another parent, Maniben, said financial and personal circumstances had forced her to withdraw both her daughters from school midway through their education.

“Village school teachers explained the government’s initiative and persuaded us to resume the girls’ education, following which both daughters were re-enrolled,” she said.

The ‘Back to School Mission’ has been launched by the state government to reconnect children who discontinued their education during the academic years 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 with the formal education system.

According to the state government, an extensive survey in Banaskantha identified 37,415 children who had dropped out of school.

Of these, 29,451 have been successfully re-enrolled, including 14,875 boys and 14,576 girls. Among the re-enrolled students, 23,032 have been linked to the Gujarat State Open School (GSOS), while 6,368 have returned to regular schools.

The state government said the mission is being implemented through the efforts of the district administration, education department, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, teachers and taluka-level officials to ensure that children who have left school are brought back into the education system.

–IANS

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