Selfless service scripts govt school’s turnaround, principal wins award
LUCKNOW : The facilities on offer would do any swanky private school proud.
But this institution at Moorghat in Basti district is a government-run model primary school.
Yet, it boasts of smart classes, a neat campus, the latest course curriculum, activity-based learning, English speaking classes, excursion trips, biometric attendance for teachers and adoption of innovative teaching methodology.
Only two years ago, the institution had no takers and faced a bleak future. But today, it is among the select government primary schools where there is a rush for admissions.
All this is courtesy its 39-yearold principal Sarvesht Mishra, who has been just named for the National Award for Teachers. He is the only teacher from UP to get the coveted honour this year and the youngest of all the awardees so far.
“When I took over two years back, there were hardly any students. But I took it up as a challenge. I put in my money and then sought help from society to paint the school, clean up the campus, construct toilets, set up smart classes and then went door to door, urging people to send their children to school,” Mishra said on phone from Basti.
He raised around Rs 10 lakh to improve infrastructure of the school without any help from the government. With just two ‘shiksha mitras’ or para teachers, he imparted education, even started taking students on educational trips funded by his own money.
“I also arranged for a projector, laptop, webcam and online virtual classes so that experts across the country could share their expertise with my students. However, the virtual class project was hampered by variety of factors. Broadband connectivity came in the way. Nevertheless, people started sending children to the school. In fact, since there weren’t any full-time teachers, I had to stop admissions,” he said.
In two years’ time, the enrolment that was hardly anything improved considerably.
The student strength at present is above 200, a giant leap from the 10-odd students who had been enrolled in the school two years back. On Saturday, chief minister Yogi Adityanath singled him out for special attention at a function in Lucknow.
“Look at this teacher, who single-handedly scripted a turnaround. If he can do it, so can others. In fact, I would like all the other schools to take inspiration from him,” Adityanath said.
Basti district magistrate Raj Shekhar has promised Mishra that he would get full time teachers for his school soon. “Things are changing and for me this is the biggest reward,” he said.