Education
Teacher Renovates School, Coaxes Students to Leave Alcohol, Encourages to Study
Children of Rajewadi village in Trimbakeshwar tehsil of Nashik were caught in the vicious circle of drinking alcohol and there seemed no end to this addiction since their parents were also involved with them.
Boozing among kids was a common sight in this village and education a far-sighted approach until the teachers of the school changed everything. Children of Rajewadi village in Trimbakeshwar tehsil of Nashik were caught in the vicious circle of drinking alcohol and there seemed no end to this addiction since their parents were also involved with them in the hideous act of drinking.
Talking about the schools of the village, it has only one, built in 1958 and has far more number of dropouts than the number of admissions every year.
Everything changed when the charge came into the hands of Pankaj Dashpute, a teacher who let go his comfortable teaching job to take it in Rajewadi in 2013. Dashpute along with two of his colleagues, Hemant Kumar Ahire and Sunita Sonawane not only coaxed the parents to send their kids to schools but also renovated the two classroom school. It took them sometime, but finally their efforts started showing results and the school today has as many as 106 students from classes 1 to 5.
Dashpute and his colleagues, teachers who gave their all to the students, believe in innovative teaching aids to impart education to students.
This is what Dashpute says, “I don't believe in expensive teaching aids but in giving a learning experience to the students.”
“But I still don't think our attempts at reforming the children is sufficient. They are with me for only 5-6 hours. The culture at home is very important for them,” he added.
Boozing was not the only evil habit in kids; they were also involved in hunting of rare birds. Dashpute has been trying to bring about a change there as well, educating them about the ecosystem and how preserving such birds could be useful and important to us in a long run. “Sometimes, the birds would not even be roasted before being eaten. Parents would consume liquor with their children in the evenings. Over the last two years, we worked with families to try and wean them off alcohol. The progress has been slow, but I have had three families come to me and say they have given up alcohol.”
Way to go, Mr. Dashpute. It’s teachers like you who can and will bring about a change in our society.