Villagers build new building for govt school

“Giving back to the society is not charity. It is everybody’s responsibility,” said Nagaraju Madegowda, a mechanical engineer working for a reputed company in Bangalore.

He is a member of Jnanavi Grameenabhivrudhi Samsthe (JGS), which has constructed two classrooms for the Government School in his native Kunanakoppalu, at a cost of Rs 12 lakh. The new building is scheduled to be inaugurated on February 4.

One Devarajachari of the village donated 15 guntas of land for the new building, 500 mt away from the existing school building. Apart from the new building, the organisation is striving towards achieving excellence in primary education. It plans to develop the school as a centre for overall education of children and farmers.

Eleven persons, including Nagaraju, formed JGS to develop the Government School in the village on the lines of private institutions, a couple of years ago. “If children get quality education in government schools, why will parents queue up before private schools to get their wards admitted? Why will they pay exorbitant capitation fees?” asks Nagaraju.

The school has only up to fifth standard and only one teacher for 28 students at present. Kunanakoppalu is a small village with just 80 families. However, children from neighbouring Chikkanadoddi and Manchanapura attend the school in the village. The school had only two classrooms in an old dilapidated building.

JGS has appointed a private teacher to assist the government teacher, and pays his salary. Nagaraju mobilised Rs 70,000 from his colleagues in Bangalore to set up EduSat in the school. He also invited 30 of his colleagues to visit the school to see how the villagers have contributed to its development.