Community efforts breathe in new life into Madooru govt school

Mangaluru: With the involvement of locals, alumni, parents, and well-wishers, DK ZP Govt School in Madooru in Ullal taluk, which was once on the verge of closure, is set to receive a new lease on life. The school, which started in 1979, was deteriorating in terms of both infrastructure and admissions. This was noticed by former students, who came forward to rejuvenate the school in 2023.
"When I was elected as councillor for Kotekar town panchayat, I visited my alma mater and found it in dire need of help. The admissions were declining due to poor infrastructure. I started speaking to the headmistress, who showed little interest in reviving the school. However, after several meetings, we finally started our campaign by organising Aatidonji Dina about 1.5 years ago. This is where locals, parents, and others came, saw the condition of the school, and the campaign kicked off," said Sujith Madooru.
He said that with the help of CSR funds and the local panchayat, the school infrastructure is being renovated and improved. The next step is to attract more students by starting an English medium of instruction section on the campus. Sujith added that assembly speaker UT Khader attended one of their meetings held at the school, which was participated in by all stakeholders. They put forth the suggestion of starting English medium of instruction as well, and he readily agreed to support it. He suggested that in order to start LKG, UKG, and Class I in English medium classes, there is a rule that the school should have above 80 stdudents admitted. He has asked us to increase admissions soon, so that permission can be granted to start the classes from next academic year, Sujith said.
Sujith added that now local representatives, political leaders, SDMC members, and alumni have come together, setting aside political differences, to start an English medium section. Many local parents have already expressed interest in enrolling their children in the proposed English medium section, preferring it over private schools. "We also have plans to appoint qualified teachers if the English medium section is sanctioned," he said.
Plans for a new building have been laid out, with support from both local Congress and BJP leaders. The school, which started as a lower primary school in 1979, became a higher primary school in 2010 with the addition of Class VIII. Currently, the school has 67 students and three teachers, including one guest teacher.