Want college, not another school, say Daula residents

The village already has a senior secondary school. However, students have to travel 30 km to attend college.

Residents of Daula village, while appreciating the development that is taking place in their village under the Smart Gram initiative, on Friday said they would prefer a government college for higher education to be set up in their area in addition to the proposed Smart Gram Model Higher Secondary announced by President Pranab Mukherjee.

Daula villagers attend the inauguration of Drivers’ Training Institute and Government Senior Secondary School, for which President Pranab Mukherjee laid the foundation stone, in Sohna, Gurgaon, on Friday. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

Daula already has a senior secondary school in the village and students said that they have to travel 30 kilometres daily to Gurgaon to continue higher education as there is no college nearby. “We already have a senior secondary school that serves the educational needs. However, a large number of girls have to drop out after Plus Two as there is no college nearby,” said Neha Raghav, a Class 12 student of the government school.

The Class 12 result of the government school was satisfactory this year, but students said their main concern is how to manage the daily commute between their village and Gurgaon, when they opt for higher studies. “We had asked the district administration to set up a college here, apart from the skill development institute. No doubt the drivers’ training will help, but most families in Daula and adjoining villages focus on higher education,” said Rahul Tomar, another student.

Majority of the students, who had come to visit the foundation stone laying ceremony by President Pranab Mukherjee, admitted that their lives had improved after they were adopted under the Smart Gram Initiative. “A large number of women who stayed at home earlier have now acquired different skills through the skill development centre. Infrastructure has improved, health facilities are also better,” said Lalit Raghav, a student, while adding that the village population has been quite vociferous in demanding a college from the state government.

The students also said that the problems of girl students should be considered by the government as they are the worst sufferers in the absence of local avenues for higher education.