A zilla parsihad school in a small village in Buldhana is an example of innovative practices.
Savargaon, a small village in Motala taluka of Buldhana district, has a unique school: It is managed by students with the guidance of the headmaster, Deepak Chavan (39) and his colleague, Pravin Wagh.
The 66 students of the zilla parishad (ZP) school take care to see that they progress in studies and manage the administration on their own with the guidance of the two teachers. Savargaon has a population of 1,313.
The most ambitious programme of the school is that students weak in studies are adopted by peers who are bright to make them understand the studies and teach them what they did not follow in the classroom.
The students have come up with many innovative learning methods. While entering and exiting the classrooms, they have to pronounce one English word along with its meaning in Marathi to do away with the fear of the English language. Student members of the health committee check whether the students keep their hair and nails trimmed and whether they take a daily bath.
An honesty box has been put up. If students find anything on the school premises, they drop it in the honesty box so the lost property can be returned to its owner.
Sharing the concept, Chavan told DNA, “Initially, we planted some saplings, but one day we found that those plants were uprooted by someone. So we kept a watch and found that former students of the school were doing this.”
“We made them our friends, got saplings planted by them and took photos of the event to display in the school to commend their help. This worked and the school dropouts and former students started guarding the school premises as if it is their own home,” Chavan said.
He added, “To imbibe good habits and increase intelligence of the students, we have been implementing projects like honesty box, savings, laboratory for students, value education and weak students adoption scheme.”
Chavan and Wagh included the students in the day-to-day running of the school and formed committees similar to a council of ministers to look after the school.
Moreover, for managing the school, the two teachers shell out money from their pockets itself.
The teachers have set up a public address system in the classrooms so that one teacher could teach students in two or three classrooms at a time in case the other teacher was engaged in government duties.
Even the keys of the school building and cupboards including savings locker are kept with the students.
Initially, the sarpanch of the village was at loggerheads with the teachers and opposed any development in the school for no reason. Repeated efforts by the teachers made him and the villagers extend a helping hand, Chavan said.
Both teachers have been trained under ‘child rights for change’ project. Media and communication coordinator of the project for Maharashtra, Nilesh Nikade said all the credit for the success in running a ZP school goes to Chavan and Wagh.
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