From a headmaster who doubles as a driver to pick and drop students to school, to an alumnus who converted a soon-to-be-scrapped bus into a functioning smart classroom, people are going an extra mile to ensure classes are being held for students living even in the remotest of areas.
Narayana Devadiga is the headmaster of Government Higher Primary School in Heroor near Byndoor, Udupi district. As many as 35 students from nearby villages and hamlets attend his school. He is the only permanent faculty of the school. Every morning he drives a Maruti Omni car and picks every child from their homes in batches and drops them at the school. Later he attends the classes and finishes his duties as a headmaster. In the evening, after the classes get over, he drops all kids to their homes safely.
“There is a thick forest around school due to which parents fear sending their children by walk. I was transferred to this school in January this year. My predecessor Venkatesh was also doing this thing and I have continued his work. The vehicle was donated by the alumni association and they also bear the fuel expenses” said the headmaster.
In another incident, a government higher primary school in Bagwadi of Udupi district has a shortage of classrooms. A total of 87 students are studying from class 1 to 7 in a five-classes school. Hence Prashanth Achar, an alumnus of the school had requested transport minister Laxman Savadi to give a scrapped old KSRTC bus which he would help convert into a ‘smart class’.
Excited by his idea, the minister agreed and in 2020, a very old bus that had run 9 lakh kilometers and was about to be scrapped was granted to the school. Due to the lockdown, the conversion of bus into school started with a delay. But now, Prashanth Achar who is an artist himself has changed the whole look and feel of the bus and made it into the most happening classroom.
25 little seats are installed in the vibrantly colored bus. It is lit by the solar panels fixed outside. A part of it has dark curtains to give it a project room effect with sound effects. Another part of the bus will have a library.
“Though we receive the old bus in 2020, due to covid scenario the renovation took time. Now, the entire bus has changed into something else and kids are very elated. We will make the best use of it,” said Shailaja V Shetty, headmistress of the school.
Vibrant colors and images on the outer part of the bus are attracting children. It cost around 2 lakh rupees for the total makeover of the ‘smart class’ which was crowdfunded majorly by local people and the artist himself.
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