Ratua gets its first girls’ secondary school after junior school upgrade

Malda: In a landmark boost for girls’ education in Malda district, Ratua has got its first-ever girls’ secondary school. The State Education department has officially upgraded Ratua Junior Girls’ High School to a full-fledged Girls’ High School, allowing it to run classes up to Madhyamik (Class X). The move has ended years of hardship faced by girl students and their families in the area.

District Education department sources confirmed that the affiliation for upgradation from junior high to secondary level has reached the district. The school authorities have also received formal recognition from the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education. The announcement has created a wave of happiness among students, guardians and residents, who had been demanding a separate girls’ high school in Ratua for a long time.

Ratua Junior Girls’ High School was established in 2008 beside the Ratua-I block headquarters bus stand. Since its inception, the school had been imparting education only up to Class VIII. After completing junior high, girls were forced to seek admission in distant high schools, often travelling up to 16 kilometres to Samsi. Due to safety concerns, financial difficulties and social barriers, many students were compelled to discontinue their education after Class VIII. “Sending our daughters so far every day was not possible for many families. Several girls dropped out despite being meritorious,” said a local guardian.

With the upgrade, students from surrounding schools such as Ratua Junior Basic School, Ailpara, Ratua C.S., Raghunathpur, Dakshin Ratua, Purba Kamalpur and Faridpur Primary School will now have access to secondary education within the block itself.

The school earlier had around 250 students, but enrolment gradually declined due to the absence of Madhyamik classes. Expressing her satisfaction, headmistress Rini Majumdar said: “Girls will no longer have to travel long distances after Class VIII. From now on, they can complete their Madhyamik here itself. This will significantly reduce dropout rates.”