Ahmedabad: When her Class 8 results were declared, a bright young student scored good marks and was looking forward to continuing her education. But her parents and grandfather had other plans. Despite her strong academic performance, the girl was told she would not be allowed to pursue further education. Unwilling to give up on her dream, the student reached out to her school principal for help. That call eventually led to an intervention by the Bodakdev police station’s She-Team, which spent weeks counselling the family before convincing them to secure her admission to Class 9.According to police, the girl, a student of a primary school in Thaltej, contacted the principal after learning that her family would not permit her to continue her studies. School authorities made repeated efforts to convince the family, highlighting the student’s academic performance and potential. However, their counselling attempts failed to change the family’s stance.“With no progress being made, the principal approached the Bodakdev police station’s She-Team for assistance,” said inspector S G Khambhala. The She-Team, along with police personnel, visited the girl’s residence and conducted counselling sessions with her parents and other family members. Police said the family was not financially well-off and believed that, since she was a girl, there was little reason to spend more money on her education.Officials said the discussions focused on the importance of education, the girl’s future prospects and the family’s responsibility towards her development. The breakthrough did not come immediately. Police said it took three to four follow-up counselling sessions before the family finally agreed to allow the girl to continue her education.“The parents eventually consented to her studies. We then ensured her admission to Class 9 so that there was no interruption in her education,” a senior police officer said.To support the student, police arranged textbooks, study materials, a school bag, a school uniform and assistance towards school fees. Officials also assured the girl that she could approach the police whenever she required help in the future.Inspector Khambhala said the She-Team remains available to students and educational institutions facing similar situations and can be contacted for counselling, guidance and intervention whenever required.
