Jharkhand: How Gumla teacher increased enrolment from 0 to 67 in 12 years

GUMLA: Once staring at closure due to lack of students, a government primary school in Kanchora in rebel-hit Raidih block in Gumla district is today brimming with students, thanks to a tribal teacher who since his posting here in 2000 worked hard to revive the fortunes of this educational institute.
The school, which teaches students from Class 1 to 5, was set up in 1959. It was on the verge of closure in 2000 with zero students on its rolls. Today, it has managed to bring 67 students back to classes from neighbouring villages. This school has recently been nominated by the state government for Rashtriya Swachhta Puraskar too.
On his efforts, in-charge of the school, Prakash Kujur, said, “I joined in 2000 as a teacher here. I was appointed on compassionate ground after my father, who was a teacher, passed way. We had nil students here. So I began meeting parents one by one to motivate them to send their children back to school.”
He said that he took it up as a challenge and continued to persuade the villagers. “Jagarnath Singh, who was the president of gram shiksha samiti, also supported me in initial days. To motivate children, I introduced games in school. Slowly students started to come. Villagers too started supporting me after seeing that even if one student came, I used to teach them,” he said.
Soon, one more teacher Ajay Alok Tirkey was posted here to assist him.
Puja Kumari and Arti Kumari, Class 5 students, said, “We are taught daily in the school. The school has only two teachers. Besides studies, we are made to do different activities to engage us, and build our confidence.”
Kujur, who stays on the school campus also began free Ratri Pathshal (night classes) in the school hall to offer free teaching to those who wished to study at night. The hall also serves as hostel room for many who chose to stay back after classes.