Couple successfully revamps village government primary school using their own salary
From renovating the infrastructure to building an in-house library, this couple has rebuilt the government school without any government funds.
Imagine a school that gets Rs 14 per day for its maintenance, including all expenses, for school infrastructure, health and sanitation facilities. Seems impossible, right?
But this is exactly what a government school in Lormi village of Mungeli district of Chhattisgarh had to do. The school received Rs 5,000 from the state government for its infrastructural management annually. The situation turned worse when the funds stopped in 2017. Assistant Headmaster Ram Prasad Dhindore recalls,
"The school was in shambles. With no benches, broken floors, and roof, it was no place to study anymore.”
But tides turned in 2018 when the State Government revised the income of government school teachers. Ram and his wife Rita, a Biology teacher, started earning Rs 29,000 per month each. The two then decided to take matters into their own hands and fix the school by using their increased incomes.
How did it all start?
Comprising classes up to the fifth grade, Shaas Prathamik School Barampur has over 80 students. It has three teachers and two classrooms, one of which is used only for Class 5 students, while the other students work together in the other room.
Having worked at the school for the past 14 years, Ram always wanted to improve the school’s infrastructure. However, with their previous income of Rs 12,500 per month each, he and his wife were unable to contribute much.
Ram says,
We wanted to do something for society so that the children would remember us for our efforts towards improving education in the village.
When they first got their hike, the two were confused about how to best use the money. Ram and Rita deliberated if they should use it for personal investments or spend on getting better amenities for their home. In the end, they decided that they were content with what they had, and decided to use the extra money for the welfare of the village’s education.
The transformation begins
In November 2018, Ram began renovating the school’s infrastructure. He decided to start by fixing the existing sanitation provisions. The washrooms, he says, had no toilet seats or even a proper structure. Ram revamped the toilets with proper toilet seats. It cost Rs 16,000, including the cost of labour.
He also installed shelves for the students to keep their books, and curtains were put up in both the classrooms. Ram ensured the children have access to books despite having no library and got over 600 books for them. He built small cupboards as a makeshift library and kept 300 books in each classroom.
These books, Ram says, include autobiographies of leaders like Subash Chandra Bose, books on science and current affairs, and more. Walls were painted black to make a blackboard instead of buying a ready-made one. Each blackboard has a glass case to store dusters and chalk.
Ram bought 18 sacks of wall putty to revamp the school’s wall at a cost of Rs 850 per sack, which took 18 days to be done.
He says he had to pay Rs 150 per day to each workerfor the task.
Ram believes that children are the future of our society and should have great idols to look up to and follow. He adds,
"I have ordered 35 posters of great personalities from India’s history to adorn the school’s walls."
“Despite our efforts to bring the school back on track, we aren’t getting the required facilities like computers for our students.” He adds that government officials have not paid any attention to the welfare of the school.
Because a student needs to have a well-rounded development, Ram made sure to revamp the playground too. He called for seven to eight trucks of sand to pad it up at a cost of Rs 1,000 per truck of sand. The couple has spent over Rs 94,500 for the overall development of the school until now.
Transforming education
Ram doesn’t expect a monetary reward for his efforts. Ram, Rita and another teacher, Pramod Kumar, teach the students Mathematics, Environmental Science, Hindi, English and Science.
Ram shares the story of a student Mukul.
"Five years ago, Mukul used to stroll around the village. I would encourage him to pursue at least basic education so that he could become independent in the future. I went to his parents, who worked as daily wage workers in neighbouring states, and spoke to them personally. Later, Mukul enrolled in the school in Class 4, and within a year, the boy aced all subjects and passed Class 5 with 90 percent."
Ram says he ensures that his students see him as a friend first and then as a teacher, and frequently invites them to his house. He says,
"A student learns better if a teacher makes them believe that a teacher can be trusted at the time of need. It not only improves the teacher-student relationship, but also helps them learn and grow together."
Ram and Rita have a eight-year-old son who studies in Lormi and a two-year-old daughter. While they do not have very big dreams for either, the parents hope that they receive proper education and lead independent lives.