A RAY OF HOPE FOR RURAL EDUCATION

In the age of internet, e-learning, and modern education system worldwide, our Indian Government is struggling hard to take the education to all, particularly to the rural India. Yesterday it was Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and today it is Right to Education. Whatever high the claims of these projects, they cannot replace the responsibility of a common citizen.

So, let me introduce a common citizen who has done many wonders and achieved great accolades in the field of education and teaching, Vamsi Krishna, a school teacher from a small village Sirivaram, near the border town of Hindupur, Andhra Pradesh.

Government projects often start with a bang in the capitals and fade away by the time they reach the needy and of course border towns and villages are neglected forever.

If you ever happen to travel to Lepakshi, a historical place near the town Hindupur, Ananthapur District, Andhra Pradesh, visit this small village called Sirivaram, around 10 km from Hindupur. Of course, nothing special about this village, arid landscape where temperature soars to 40 degrees during the summer. But thanks to the effort of Vamsi Krishna, the villagers have something to really cheer about. Yes, he has converted the village govt school to an absolute wonder. This MPPS School is situated in the SC Colony, where parents were not interested to send their children to school. When Vamsi Krishna came on transfer to this school 3 years ago, his foremost task was to bring the children back to the school; he had to work on cleanliness of surroundings and personal hygiene of individual kid; he gave more stress on the fundamental teaching; used the school grants to its maximum; he brought on as many teaching tools as possible. He is always looking for useful teaching methods to adapt whenever he visits other schools.

This school teaches from First standard to Fifth standard with 2 rooms and the strength is now inching towards 50, but hold on, Vamsi is not deterred by the lack of space or low strength. He has charts of all the teaching subjects prepared and put on the walls; he has provided necessary teaching tools along with books to each student of the school; he has taken special care about the school surroundings and with the involvement of children has put the saplings allover; and he has taken special care about the midday meal which is also a pulling factor towards the school.

Anyone who visits the school for the first time will be taken by surprise and awe to find so many charts covering all the walls and teaching tools for all the classes. Vamsi tells most the charts are drawn by the children during the class hours. Vamsi's wants his students to excel on par with children studying in town and city schools and convents. Really, in how many govt schools can you see these kinds of changes?

Outside the school also he has been a regular participant in the government’s educational activities. He has designed over 25 books for the district educational board to use as a teaching aid which itself is a remarkable accomplishment for this 35-year-old. He is involved in various teachers training and teaching methodology program for the district.

There are many more things to say about this humble, down-to-earth person, but one should visit the school and talk to him, then only we can understand his insight about the children and education.

You can write to him at omsea76@gmail.com and you can also talk to him on (+91) 9491990409.