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Girls shine with reins of village primary school in Varanasi
The novel experiment of putting all meritorious girl students in charge of running the institution was carried out at the state government-run Sairagopalpur primary school in Pindra block of Varanasi district on January 25 and 26, the school’s headmaster Manoj Kumar Singh said on Sunday.
The novel experiment of putting all meritorious girl students in charge of running the institution was carried out at the state government-run Sairagopalpur primary school in Pindra block of Varanasi district on January 25 and 26, the school’s headmaster Manoj Kumar Singh said on Sunday.
Singh said the initiative was his brainchild. The aim was to boost the confidence of the girls and increase awareness about the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme, he explained. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is a central government campaign that aims to generate awareness and improve the efficiency of schemes intended for the welfare of girls.
As the experiment got under way, Roop Rekha, a class 4 student, took the principal’s chair on January 25.
Similarly, Pavni Patel of class 1, Samita Patel of class 2, Sejal Patel of class 3, Rimjhim Singh of class 4 and Amita Patel of class 5 were made class teachers in their respective classes the same day. The regular teachers helped them. The parents were given the opportunity to see their daughters in charge.
The next day, the schoolteachers were happy to take the backseat and let the girls unfurl the tri-colour and lead the singing of the national anthem to celebrate Republic Day.
Singh said, “It was heartening to see girls taking charge and discharging their duties to perfection. They maintained discipline and the students obeyed their instructions. The exercise was carried out to boost the confidence of our girls.”
Sakshi Verma and Apeksha Patel, who donned the mantle of teachers, said it was a proud moment for them as their parents saw them in a different role.
“We were entrusted with new responsibilities in the presence of our parents who could not believe their eyes. My parents got emotional when they saw me sitting on the principal’s chair,” said Roop Rekha.
Her father Ajay Kumar Singh was in tears to see her on the principal’s chair.
Ruby Singh, secretary, basic shiksha parishad, said, “The initiative will promote a sense of belonging among the students. They will be established as role models. It will act as a spark and will remain etched in their memory all their life.”
As news of the initiative spread, Pindra block pramukh Puja Singh, block education officer Ashok Kumar Singh, gram pradhan (village head) Om Prakash Singh and others visited the school to see the change introduced by the headmaster. Regular teachers were seated in the audience.
Block pramkuh Puja Singh laughed when the girl students asked her if she too had enjoyed this privilege during her school days. The girls also sought tips on boosting their self-confidence. The parents were thrilled to see all of this unfolding before their eyes.
