Government Higher Primary School at Kookrabettu in Belthangady taluk is set to witness better days thanks to Sri Durga Charitable Trust.
The Trust, deciding to work on the overall development of the school, had submitted a letter on adopting the school to Beltangady Block Education Officer (BEO) through school headmaster.
The Trust is known for developing Daddalakadu Government Higher Primary School when it was on the verge of closure due to poor enrollment.
From mere 30 students, the Daddalakadu school now has 674 students with all basic facilities.
Kookrabettu School in Marodi village of Belthangady was staring at a closure, a year ago. To save the school, like-minded people from the village invited Sri Durga Charitable Trust and Sarkari Shaale Ulisi Belesi Samithi President Prakash Anchan to the school on February 2, 2019.
Anchan, who stayed in the school, created awareness and motivated villagers to enroll their children in the school.
The LKG and UKG classes were introduced during the academic year, in order to attract students. As a result, the number of enrollment increased from 16 to 80.
Anchan told DH that the school now offers karate, dance, yoga and music to the students free of charge.
“During my stay in the school a year ago, I had visited not less than 100 houses urging villagers to enroll their children in the school. Sri Durga Charitable Trust adopted the school to develop it as a model school. We want to save government schools in each and every village.
Only in government school, the education is imparted to all without any discrimination. Along with mother tongue, children should be taught English to compete in this world,” Anchan stressed.
The committee of Kookrabettu School has set a goal of achieving an enrollment of 200 students in the next academic year. The earnest attempts to reach the goal has begun.
“I will hold ‘Grama Vastavya’ once again in the Kookrabettu and motivate villagers. A fullfledged building for the school with 16 classrooms have been planned at an estimated cost of Rs 2 crore. About 50% of the funds will be raised from government and rest through donors,’’ Anchan said.
To help children coming to school from far-off places, the Sri Durga Charitable Trust will donate a bus soon.
Diamond jubilee
Government Higher Primary School at Kookrabettu in Belthangady begun as a Government Lower Primary School on August 1, 1959.
The school was upgraded into a Higher Primary School in 1995-96.
The school with two regular teachers, one guest teacher and five honorary teachers, appointed by the School Development Monitoring Committee, celebrated diamond jubilee recently.