Pauri Garhwal (Uttarakhand): Of late, an increasing number of lower-middle-class and middle-class families have come to believe that private English medium schools will ensure their children a brighter career, and they have reasons to believe so, considering the sorry state of public schools in the country.
However, the teachers at a public school nestled in the picturesque Dwarikhal village of Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal district, have been determinedly working towards changing this notion by providing its students with facilities at par with any other private school.
The teachers at Kotmanda Government Primary School, located at a distance of about 50 kilometres from the Tehsil headquarters, have been pooling their personal resources, including its salary, to make sure that the school is well-equipped with provisions that will put a private school at shame.
"The school has earned the title of a model school. The teaching staff has pooled their personal resources and contributed them to the school to improve its condition," acting headmaster Sanjay Dhondiyal told ETV Bharat.
Dhondiyal added, "Since parents are more drawn towards the facilities provided by the private schools, hence we are trying to provide facilities at par with private schools. We have also received help from the government."
While focussing on an "activity-based curriculum" for the students, the teachers also keep experimenting with innovative ideas to enhance the learning experience of its students.
"One of the teachers from the school attended a training session and came back with the idea of setting up a 'book bank' in the school which will contain all stationery items and will function just like a bank, " said a school teacher.
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She further said, "We try to ensure that education is imparted while students are having fun. We want them to flourish in a fear-free environment."
Despite such efforts, the school continues to face an existential crisis owing to its peculiar location. Situated on a hilltop, the school may collapse any day if faced with a landslide.
"The government should extend help to such schools. The government must also look into the fact that the school is facing an existential crisis owing to its peculiar location. It will easily collapse in a landslide," said Mujib Naithani, an elderly local resident while appreciating the efforts put in by the school staff.
While the effort put in by the school teachers deserve appreciation, it is, however, the responsibility of the government to make sure that the schools falling under their ambit are endowed with all necessary facilities.
