How far would you go to retain students if your school is close to shutting down? Two teachers in Panemangaluru turned drivers for it!
The academic year 2009-10 for the Kannada-medium Darul Islam Aided Higher Primary School in Panemangaluru was gloomy – to say the least.
Students were dropping out incessantly. Some to join the burgeoning English medium schools in the vicinity. And other for reasons unknown.
But two teachers, physical education teacher Radhakrishna Naik and assistant teacher Nooruddin G M decided to go the extra mile to stop the school from shutting shop.
They literally set the wheel rolling by starting a doorstep pick and drop service for students between their homes and school to stop them from dropping out.
While Nooruddin bought an Ambassador, Naik went for a Maruti Omni by pooling in their own money.
Both teachers now make numerous in the morning as well as evening and interact with parents to reassure them of the students’ safety, reported the Times of India.
The success of this pick and drop facility reflects in the strength of the school which now has 185 students studying in Classes 1 to 7. More than 50% of the students are entirely dependent on this pickup-and-drop facility today.
Speaking to the Times of India, Pakruddin B K, headmaster of the school, said, “Most of the kids are locals. They stay within a 7 km radius of the school. The two teachers pick up the students from their homes at 8 am and ensure all the students are in by 9.15 am. The school begins at 9.45 am and closes at 4.30 pm. Soon after, the two teachers drop the students home.”
For more than seven years, the two teachers bore the cost of the fuel and maintenance of the vehicles, which costs up to Rs 2 lakh a year from their own pockets. It is only in the last two years that residents have come forward to pool in to manage the costs.
For almost nine years, both teachers rarely remained absent and continued to serve their additional duties dedicatedly.
“I have to reach the school from Mangaluru, covering 22km. I reach by 8 am, take the Ambassador and drive to the houses of these students. I’m happy that the students enjoy the drive. They wait eagerly at their doorstep for my car,” Nooruddin told TOI.
Read more: Child Actor Turns Real-Life Sanitation Hero, Offers Movie Fee To Build Toilets
Good teachers always go the extra mile for their students. Radhakrishna Naik and Nooruddin GM are shining examples of all teachers!
Feature image in-set credit: Times of India
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