Mhalwadi, a ‘learning village’ in Pune district

Pune: The Covid-19 has resulted in schools being shut, children out of classrooms, and teaching being undertaken remotely and on digital platforms

Pune: The Covid-19 has resulted in schools being shut, children out of classrooms, and teaching being undertaken remotely and on digital platforms.

A school-going student in Mhalwadi village notes down multiplication tables painted on the wall of a shop. (HT)

However, there are some villages with no internet connectivity.

Mhalwadi, a village 50 kms from Pune in Bhor taluka, has found a way to overcome the situation. It has turned its walls into colourful blackboards for students.

More than 100 walls in the village are painted with lessons on various subjects. Drawings, formulas, diagrams and other details that are taught in schools are painted on the walls of buildings and homes across the village for the benefit of children.

A wall in Mhalwadi village painted with useful information for students. (HT)

The initiative is taken by Rajesh Bodke from the village.

“The students of our village used to study at the zilla parishad school that is closed since the Covid outbreak last year. Their parents are farmers with limited economic means. They do not have smartphones to study online and even the mobile connectivity at the village gets disrupted often. As I also did my primary education at this zilla parishad school, I decided to do something to help the students. I met the school teachers and we came up with the idea to turn the entire village into a school. Accordingly, since the last two months, we have painted over 100 walls across the village with information and lessons for school-going children,” said Rajesh.

According to Rajesh, the project was inaugurated on Sunday.

Parts of the male body sketched on a wall in Mhalwadi. (HT)

“Any student can learn from these information boards and school lessons from anywhere around the village. There are Mathematics formulas, tables, history and civics lessons, body parts information, science related diagrams and other details that student can learn while walking around the village. I have spend around ₹1.5 lakh on the project and am feeling satisfied to do something for my village,” Rajesh said.

The village has one zilla parishad school with around 52 students. As schools are closed across the country since March last year, those studying outstation have returned to their hometown, and their count is 50.

Appreciating the work of the learning walls, Ketan Patil, a 12-year-old student from the village, said, “Our studies are affected by the pandemic. These learning walls help us to sit and read the information and lessons as a fun activity.”