“The Maoists didn’t want young people to get enrolled in schools as they feared that education might challenge their ideology and existence. So, as soon as children entered teenage years, pressure started building on them and their families to join the movement. Gradually the conflict-ridden Bastar zone strategically countered the barriers created by Maoists, beat the odds, won people’s trust,” said Bastar IGP Sundarraj P.Last year, Dantewada stood at 8th position with 85.13% in Class 10 results. In Class 12, the district climbed from 11th to 6th position, with 87.66% pass percentage.Officials associated with the school education department shared that there were regular monthly tests, teachers worked together to create high-quality papers, fair evaluation of answer sheets, tracking every student’s progress, extra-support and workshops for students among other effective practices keenly followed across the district.Every quarter of the year, review meetings are held to discuss performance of students, schools and quality of teaching.Parents in Dantewada now realise the value of education. UNICEF and Bachpan Banao conducted sessions on mental health, reading skills, and motivation.Irregular or drop-outs were checked by village-based Bal-mitras (education workers). Shiksha Samarthan, in which graduate youths were appointed as guest teachers to mitigate the shortage of teachers.
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