Dropout crisis: Govt schools to get sanitary napkin vending units

With a view to retain adolescent girls from dropping out, government schools might soon get sanitary napkin vending machines and disposal units.

The idea has been suggested by the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) sub-committee working on preventing drop out of School children. CABE is the highest decision making body on all matters related to education. According to sources in the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the department of school education is keen on implementing the idea.

“A study was conducted to find out the reasons due to which children, specially girls drop out from schools. It was found that a large number of girls leave school because of not having access to hygienic toilets and sanitary napkins during their menstrual periods and they prefer to stay home during those days, some of them eventually drop out of school after attaining puberty,” said an official privy to the developments.

“One of the important suggestions that came up during the CABE sub-committee meetings, to prevent drop-outs, is installation of sanitary napkin vending units, keep napkins in schools and a separate unit to dispose the waste, in schools. Ministry is keen on implementing this idea in schools, specially in rural areas where girls do …read more