JOIN USThe Rotary Club Shivamogga East has joined hands with government schools
in the district to ensure that the kids get the best of all resources, something that is vital to shape their future, writes Nrupathunga S K.
Intelligence is not the monopoly of any caste, race, region or creed, but facilities are still being majorly enjoyed by the elite class. And education sector is no exception in this regard. It is an open secret that children studying in government schools in rural areas are deprived of several facilities. But there have been several efforts to bridge this gap and one such effort is that of Rotary Club Shivamogga East to provide necessary facilities for a government high school at Kommanal, nearly 15 km from Shivamogga. The Club aims to support the 25-year old school, which comprises 227 students, till it attains the status of second to none in the education sector. The Club has joined hands with the school development and monitoring committee to create an ideal academic environment in the school.
Aiding development
G Vijay Kumar, director, Rotary Club Shivamogga East Community Services, states that the school has come a long way since its establishment. One of the major necessities of the school was water. Obtaining a grant of rupees one lakh from the Netherlands wing of Rotary Club and Rs 25,000 from teachers, the Club solved the water conundrum in the school. A borewell was dug in the school. In order to keep greenery alive, a garden was also developed within the premises. The headmaster of the school, Krishnappa H, believes that it is not possible to provide all facilities to students with only government grants. “It is inevitable for government schools to seek aid from civil society organisations,” he says.
Later, the Club adopted the school with the sole intention of developing it into a model school in the district. They realised that simple things like a gate and a bandset deprived the students of many activities. So, keeping in mind the interests of the students, the Club donated a gate and a band set worth Rs 25,000 to the school. Apart from this, the Club has plans to donate a 100-litre water filter so that students have easy access to potable water. A school compound is also in the making.
The Club conducts various quiz programmes, workshops and personality development programmes regularly for the academic growth of students. The quiz programmes have been highly beneficial to students as the questions are related to the subjects they study in the class. Notebooks, dictionaries and other useful stationery materials are also provided.
In order to keep the students in sync with the modern world, a teacher donated five computers to the school. However, there is a need for 10 more, which the headmaster believes will be provided by the Club eventually.
In focus
He explains how the constant growth of the school has even drawn the attention of children studying in the city. Villagers now prefer this school instead of the ones in urban areas. Expressing her view about the school, Meghana, a Class 10 student, says that the audio-visual room in the school is helpful. “Teachers could make use of pictures while teaching complex concepts in the class. Pictures speak louder than words,” she says.
Referring to the drinking water facility, she said students are finding it difficult to drink borewell water. Some carry their own water from home but it doesn’t suffice the day’s needs.
Suchitra, a Class 9 student, says, “At present, students can only play volleyball and badminton in the school grounds, but an athletic track would be ideal.”
Narasoji Rao, a senior teacher who has been working in the school for the past 20 years, said the role of the Club in upgrading the school deserves applause. Talking about future plans he says, “We have plans to seek aid from alumni of the school in order to transform this into a model school.”
The Rotary Club has also made contribution to the government schools functioning in villages such as Abbalagere and Beeranakere in Shivamogga taluk. Apart from notebooks, textbooks and bags, water purifiers have also been provided to both the schools. But the major contribution has been made to the government high school at Kommanal as majority of the students come from deprived backgrounds here.