Manoj (name changed), 9, is a very hard-working child who studies in Grade four at UWS Kanpur. His father is a daily wage earner and his mother looks after the house, the field, and the cattle. Apart from studying, he helps his parents with household chores. His family’s financial condition is very poor. Managing time for his studies is a struggle for him as it is a 1.5-hour walk for him through the forest and mountain streams to reach school and he spends most of his time doing household chores.
Manoj, who is very interested in reading stories and playing games, spends his time studying after completing the work at home and playing with his friends during his free time.
Despite being busy with housework, Manoj has been attending school regularly, and his family is proud of his consistent attendance. Previously, he did not like to go to school because of household work and the long distance from his home to school. Manoj was admitted as a new student at UWS Kanpur at the beginning of the academic year. His average attendance within seven months of joining the school was 47 percent.
However, the various interventions run to retain students like him by UWS under the Dropout Prevention Program (DPP) including regular monitoring, door-to-door campaigns, and providing school uniforms and educational materials, motivated him to go to school every day. Also, parent counseling was conducted by the UWS team to help his parents understand the importance of education and send him to school regularly. His attendance increased to 81% and his academic performance also improved according to his teachers. His second terminal examination showed 67% of achievement in major five subjects, which was only 34% previously.
“I am very happy with the improvement of Manoj in his studies and look forward to him achieving greater things in the future,” says Manoj’s father.
Everyone in the school, including the Headteacher, is very impressed with Manoj and his academic results. “I want to continue my studies and serve my country in the future,” says Manoj.
