Venkatesha's Contribution To Education Sector

Education is very important for each and every child in India. The government of India is working hard to provide at least basic education to all children. The goal is difficult to achieve because India does not have adequate number of schools that have the capacity to educate such a huge population. If this has to be turned into reality then there is need to bring all the government schools at par with the private ones. It is our duty also as private citizens to take care of this goal.

One such responsible man is 69-year-old H Venkatesha. He has spent nearly four decades working for the upliftment of Kodigehalli Primary Government School, located in a suburb in India’s Silicon City. As per statistics, there were close to 2750 private schools in Bengaluru in the year 2016. People take pride in getting their ward enrolled in a private school even if it means spending all their saved money. In the Kodigehalli district there are hardly any government schools in comparison to the private ones. In an interview conducted with Venkatesha he stated that the condition of government schools presently is not very good. He informed that he feels extremely happy when he sees children excelling in the field of academics. Venkatesha is a retired officer from the Indian Telephone Industries. He has four children. Venkatesha's father was also in ITI. He explained about his own education in a government school that he completed with great difficulty. He informed that his parents could not pay the hefty school fee that the private schools used to charge then and even now. He stated that he has educated his children and he is very proud of himself. His educated children are his biggest earning. Throwing light upon the challenges faced in running an efficient government school he stated that the government's duty doesn’t come to an end just by opening a government school but it is very important to ensure that the school is working and functioning properly. He informed that the government has made one school in Kodigehalli but no officer is bothered about its functioning. It was established in 1978 and presently it is in pathetic condition. It is absolutely impossible for students to excel in such an environment. Although there is a classroom but absolutely no furniture, there is a toilet but no water and many things alike. He stated that he used to get devastated looking at such terrible condition therefore he decided to take action on his own. He explained the challenges he faced in getting the children of labourers enrolled for school. He went door to door and convinced parents and students to pursue education. The school consists of classes 1-5 and presently there are nearly 80 students enrolled already. Venkatesha is acting as the President of the School Development and Maintenance Committee for the last 39 years. He stated that he has been elected for 39 years repeatedly because parents wanted him to be in that position. His goal in life is to serve education to every student. No deserving students should be left uneducated. He informed that it would not be fair to make the students compete until they are at an equal pedestal. There is need for introduction of technology in these schools as in today's era everything is based on technology. He proudly informed that he himself has been hosting flag on Republic and Independence Day at his school. He doesn’t invite any politician. He and his family have been readily taking care of the provision of basic facilities in school. He has made a request to anyone and everyone who can donate books, clothes, and other necessary items to come forward and contact him at his email id: vivekind23@gmail.com.

By: Anuja Arora

Content: https://www.thebetterindia.com/171106/bengaluru-govt-school-inspiring-hero-education-india/