National award for Kooteri teacher

To Sir with love

Forty-eight year old G Venkateshappa, an assistant teacher at the Kooteri Government Primary School, Kolar Taluk will receive the award from President Pratibha Patil on Teachers’ Day  - September 5 in New Delhi. The overjoyed residents of the village are planning celebrations for their favourite teacher.

Venkateshappa has been serving past 19 years in the school that has classes from Standard I to V. Since 2004-05, the school has had 100 percent result. Most of the children who come to study here bare from BPL families and they are provided free stationary by Venkateshappa.

The teacher told Deccan Herald that English must be made compulsory from the primary level to attract more students to the government schools. This would help the goverment schools to compete with the private institutions, he suggested.

Before his posting to Kooteri, the teacher served at Maravur in Bangarpet taluk. Since it was a remote village, Venkateshappa did not have proper housing. But such was his dedication to teaching that the impressed residents of the village provided him with housing.

Kooteri school has only three classrooms with three teachers. The total strength of the students is 50. While Standard I and II are accommodated in one classroom, and III and IV in the other. Standard V students have a separate classroom. 

And yet, the school was adjudged the best school in the taluk in 1997-98. Apart from it, the government has also recognised the school for its remedial teaching methods in 2007-08. Besides, the State Quality Education Assessment Centre has appreciated the school for its quality teaching aids.

Officials in the Education Department admired Venkateshappa for his efforts in bringing the dropouts in the taluk back to the school. Recognising his outstanding services to teaching, Venkateshappa was awarded Best Teacher in District in 2001-02 and State-level award in 2008-09.

Residents that Deccan Herald spoke to have the highest praise for Venkateshappa. “Venkateshappa teacher is one of a kind,” said Manjunath.

Tulasamma said he had inspired his students with his dedication and discipline.
“He walks two km to school from home, and yet manage to reach the school on time,” said Lakshman.