School offering free edu since a century

Mangaluru: This Kannada medium primary and high school run by the Besant Group of Educational Institutions has been offering free education from class I to the SSLC level, for the past century. However, not everyone was aware about it, and its management has taken the initiative to popularise it this academic year, to attract more students, especially those who have been grappling with financial crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Apart from free quality education, the private institution provides free uniforms, midday meals and transport facilities to students. Currently, the institution has about 220 children studying from class I to the SSLC level.
Satish Bhat, advocate and correspondent of Besant Kannada Medium School, told TOI that the institution which is named Besant National High School and Besant Higher Primary School, has been offering free education for the past one century.
“The Kannada school has been a great source of support to the poor, in providing them quality education, which has led to them being uplifted socially. The Kannada school is the maiden institution of Besant Group established in 1918. It follows the Karnataka state government curriculum,’’ he said. The school functions in their Kodialbail North campus.
Bhat added that the school started by Dr Annie Besant, completed its centenary in 2019. Initially, it started off as a girls school, to empower women in the region. “Though it is an aided institution, the primary section has no government teachers, and is run by the management staff, whereas the high school has only a few government teachers, and the rest is managed by management staff.”
Bhat said the institution has arranged two buses to pick up and drop children from far-off places like Kavoor and Marakada. The school provides a midday meal, which is tied up with Iskcon, free uniform, books, computer lab and other facilities. “Per annum, the institution spends more than Rs 4 lakh to educate these Kannada medium school children free of cost. This year, we have taken the initiative to create awareness about the facilities provided by our institution, and banners have been put up in our school buses. The pictures of the banners have gone viral on social media,” said Bhat, adding that they are ready to take up any number of admissions.