Rail coaches host this government school in Mysuru
A Government’s Higher Primary School and its distinctive location have proved that necessity is the mother of invention. It was a happy moment for the students of this government school located at Mananthavadi Road in Mysuru when their school re-started with refurbished two rail coaches instead of an earlier made old-style brick building.
Curtains on windows with alphabets and numerals painted on the exterior of these coaches inject an element of ‘joy in learning’ among the young minds. These rail coaches are painted in vibrant colours that attract passersby and children. The classroom coaches have benches, desks, and boards. Here, classes from first to seventh are running.
In an interview with Dr. Anubha Jain, CN Raju, the block education officer of Mysuru South talked about the idea of starting such an initiative and said that the Central Union Railway started a GHPS Railway workshop school exclusively for railway staff children in 1936. But with time in the same school children from slum areas, and marginalized community children along with dropped out school children also got admission. The school building was an old ruined heritage building that collapsed with time. Eventually, the time came to shut down the school.
Later, seeing the worrisome situation railway officials recognized the significance of education, and for uninterrupted children’s education, a unique idea germinated to restore two train coaches into school classrooms. The staff of four teachers with 61 students both boys and girls, are studying here. The school has sports activities, viz., cricket, badminton, kabaddi, Kho Kho and carrom as well.
Bridge Progams
The school runs bridge programs like ‘Dinagalu Aivatthu’-‘Kalika Sampatthu’ which means ‘gain knowledge in 50 days’ in languages like Kannada and English with Math. The bridge program and its concept are Initiated by CN Raju. Talking about the program he said, “This program is designed for students who need academic support, children with learning gaps, special needs children, and in the end, who have dropped out of mainstream school and want to rejoin the school. The criteria behind the program is that all the students of government and aided schools from classes second to ninth should learn the basic competency. Children are taken for this program through pre-tests.” He further said that on June 1st, 2024 the bridge program was started and it will be completed on August 1st. After that assessment will be done. CN Raju further said, “As these children are from slum areas, with learning gaps, hence, we motivate children and their parents to enroll them in the school. And after completing the 50-day bridge program these children can join the mainstream schools,” he added.
