Bengaluru: Life skill training, culture and traditional games and dance forms may not find space in the curriculum of “international, advanced” schools in the state. But an NGO, Sri Mangala Shikshana Samiti, is filling this gap by providing wholesome education to rural children across the state at highly subsidized fee for the last 34 years.
The NGO runs eight schools across the state and at present is educating over 8,000 children. “In 1980, my friends and were discussing about the school education system and that is when we decided that some change needs to be brought about in the system. Life education is needed just like the ancient education system. We thought that instead of pointing fingers at the government, we can start something on our own," said Mr H. Byrappa, president and cofounder of the NGO.
The focus, however, was on rural children as they did not receive wholesome education, like their city counterparts. “We started with a school or Shishu Mandira at a remote village in Somanahalli in Karnataka,” he said.
It has been a long and satisfying journey for them since that early start from a hut in 1982. Already, some 30,000 children have passed out of different schools at Doddaballapura, Magadi, Nelamangala, Hoskote, Varthur and Yelahanka. “Along with educating these children in the regular stream, we also focus on culture, as without it education is meaningless and would not help the nation in the long run. We lay emphasis on yoga, cultural dances and also local games, including kabaddi," explained Mr Raghavendra C.G., Samiti Secretary.
“It is not just high jump and long jump, we also train them in sports like kabaddi, chinni dandu and other rural games. In the present system, there seems to be no room for traditional sports and that is the reason Indian games are vanishing. Our objective is to get many local games into the curriculum," added Mr Raghavendra.
The Samiti focuses on 'Pachamukhi Sikhshana', which includes Yoga, Sangeeta, Natya, Moral Education or Naitik and Sanskrit. Currently, some 800 children are studying in its various schools.
The NGO also runs various district-level competitions for yoga, bharatnatyam and Bhagavad Gita recital. “Most of these students are children of labourers, vendors and other lower income groups. Our motto is that children from even these families have the right to proper education as they are also the future of our nation. Nearly 75% of the fee is waived for children and those who cannot pay even that, we charge nothing,” he said.
Mr Raghavendra proudly informed that those who passed out of the school are in high posts, and help generate funds and arrange sponsors. “We publish magazines and books and we get money through advertisements. Also there are sponsors who donate money for the construction of schools and many alumni also help us arrange for funds," he said.
The dream of better education and infrastructure still keeps motivating the Samiti team. "We still have challenges in terms of funding and there is a separate committee that looks into funding for new schools as we have competition with good schools with great infrastructure and we are trying to get better infrastructure for our children and that is our goal,” summed up Mr Raghavendra.
