She gave up govt jobs for ‘nation’s future’

Vadodara: She could have well settled for a comfortable government job or aimed at civil services. Instead Rinku Rathod decided to spend time with children to nurture the future generations. She took up the job of a teacher on fixed salary and changed the way the school where she worked was.
Rathod, a tribal woman from the Navanagar Bordi village in Dahod, works at the Vaghjipur primary school around 20 km from Godhra. “I don’t regret giving up government job opportunities. I like to be among children and would rather work with the young generation that can shape a better country,” said Rathod, 26.

Rathod was working as a clerk at the forensic sciences laboratory in Surat and had also appeared for Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) exams. “I made the cut for deputy mamlatdar and deputy section officer. I gave in writing that I don’t want these jobs,” she says. Rathod had cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) prelims too but did not appear for the finals.

Rathod had initially done only a primary teachers certificate (PTC) course but went on to get BA and MA degrees. Presently, she is pursuing a Bachelor in Education degree from an open university.

Rathod had transformed the way her school looks and has important material related to course painted on the walls of the school along with some interesting quotes and pictures. She has even made classrooms colourful. “The children decide the theme and we work together on the décor. This ensures that the classes are the way children like them,” she says.

The efforts have ensured that the absenteeism of children is minimum in the school. She even travels to her school from Dahod and works on a Sunday if the children want her to do so.

She has also contributed her bit to deaddiction after she noticed some school children had addictions. “We not only ensured that they gave up the habit, but children also started writing letters to their parents asking them to give up such habits,” she says.