Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (MS)

Puttur, Jan 5: Most of the government schools are on the verge of getting closed due to shortage of government grant and shortage of teachers. Some other schools are facing a shortage of students. However, in one particular government school in the taluk, the number of students is increasing day by day.

When the number of students increased and there was a shortage of teachers, this school appointed honorary teachers in a bid to save the school from getting closed. The jasmine flowers grown in the school garden are used to pay the salaries of these teachers. Jasmine farming has helped in the development of the school too.

The name of this unique school is Ojala government higher primary school situated in Kula village of Bantwal taluk. This school, which is in one of the remotest villages of the taluk, has developed into a model school. The reason behind its development are the jasmine flowers in the garden of the school.

This school had only seven students and was on the verge of closing. The role played by the school development committee and the then teachers of the school was prominent in preventing the schools from getting closed. Due to the continuous efforts of the committee and teachers, the number of children studying in this school has crossed 80 now. But when the number of students increased, the school faced a shortage of teachers. The school development committee recruited honorary teachers. They paid the salaries of these teachers by selling the jasmine flowers that are grown in the garden of the school.

In 2013, Dayanand, who is a member of the school development committee, involved himself in the Dharmasthala village development project and brought 10 jasmine plants and planted them in the school garden. The plants were looked after by the parents of the students by providing required manure. When the time came to harvest the crop, the school committee was surprised to see that they are getting a substantial amount from the sale of jasmine. Now the school has 30 Jasmine plants and earns an income of Rs 45,000 per annum. The school development committee had recruited two teachers earlier and has recruited one recently and pays their salaries through the income generated from the sale of jasmine only. When there is a shortfall of funds to pay the salaries of honorary teachers, parents and the government recruited teachers pitch in according to the information provided by head teacher Wilma Sequeira.

The school development committee is striving continuously to provide more facilities in the school. Already, with the help of donors, an additional classroom, repair of roof and construction of toilets is done. The school needs an additional building as the number of children is increasing day by day. The school is looking for donors as the government grant is not available.

The effort put by the members of the school development committee and teachers of the school along with the support provided by the parents of the students is really laudable.