Karnataka’s Barali Government Higher Primary School was losing students who did not want to go to a school without a bus. The Barali Government Higher Primary School, located near the Bramhavar town in Udupi district, Karnataka, would’ve faced certain closure, for the lack of students.
Karnataka Teacher’s Genuine Action
https://twitter.com/Radio2000ZA/status/1016574183449473025
However, reports say that a few determined teachers worked to ensure that this did not happen. Among the teachers, the physical education teacher, Rajaram, deserves a special mention, as he took it upon himself to drive the school bus so that the students would not seek admission elsewhere.
Rajaram noticed that the school’s strength kept dropping and realized that one of the main reasons for this was that parents preferred sending their children to schools which had a bus facility. Hence, with the help of the old students’ association, they bought a mini-bus last year.
“With the help of old students’ association, especially Savyasachi Vijay Hegde, who works in Bengaluru and Ganesh Shetty, an engineer with Nirmithi Kendra, we managed to buy a bus. But then there were other issues, like maintenance and all,”
said Rajaram.
Appointing a driver would’ve meant additional financial burden.
“At least, Rs 6-7,000 would have to be provided as salary. We were concerned about the safety of students as well. Since I stay close to school, I decided to take up the responsibility of driving the school mini-bus. This way, the student’s safety is also taken care of and the dropout rate is also under control. Until we got the bus, I noticed that at least 7-8 students were leaving the school every year and opting for schools that have a school bus facility. Once we introduced a school bus, the strength that was about 60 has increased to 90,”
he said.
To Stop Students Leaving The School
Inspiring! #Karnataka teacher turns driver to ensure students come to school#Udupi pic.twitter.com/z29KTjmUAf
— ABP News (@abpnewstv) July 9, 2018
According to Rajaram, the dropout rate has drastically reduced, and the school’s strength has increased from 60 to 90 students. Rajaram’s day is very hectic. He leaves his house at 8:10 a.m., and ensures that all students are in their classrooms by 9:20 a.m. He makes 4 trips of around 30 km, one way. Most students, live in rural areas, and their parents are connected with the school, so they don’t have to worry about a driver coming late.
Rajaram wants the school bus facility to continue, irrespective of where he is. The cautious teacher ensures bus trips are not affected even if he takes leave, and is putting into place a system so that the old students can be actively involved in supporting their Alma mater.
According to Headmistress Kusuma, the school has just 4 teachers, with Rajaram being the most dedicated member of the staff. He teaches physical education, science, and math, and now, drives the school bus. What do you think about this incident? Let us know in the comments below. Also, read about this Teacher from TN who had a heartwarming reaction from students when he got transferred to another school.
