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Meet Saran’s teacher who built separate toilets to prevent girls from dropping out of school
He joined upgraded high school of Chainpura village in 2017. After two years, he joined government middle school in the same panchayat after getting a promotion.
In an attempt to prevent girls from dropping out of school, Akhileshwar Pathak—headmaster of middle school at Chainpura village of Saran district--- built separate toilets in the school to improve their attendance along with other multiple upgradations.
Pathak’s effort has been recognized by the ministry of education and the National Teachers’ Award was conferred upon him on Saturday.
He joined upgraded high school of Chainpura village in 2017. After two years, he joined government middle school in the same panchayat after getting a promotion.
Recalling what made him step towards building toilets at upgraded middle school, Pathak shared, “When I joined the school two years ago, I was shocked to know that there is no toilet in the school. After querying about how students especially adolescent girls manage to attend nature’s call, people said that they go behind trees making a cover using their ‘duppattas’.
This moved him to step towards building toilets, shared 55-year-old Pathak, a father of two daughters and two sons.
He said “I appealed locals to contribute to school’s infrastructure. People voluntarily contributed land and a cash of Rs 98,176 in two days. My teachers and I contributed the amount of falling short for constructing amenities.”
Utilizing the fund, four washrooms, two each for boys and girls’, were built within 14 days followed by other additions like drinking water facility.
Pathak is also constantly working to improve the condition of girls belonging to the backward classes.
He said, “I identified several unprivileged girls who skipped school one or two days after taking admission while several others of their age group never entered any school. After looking into the matter, I found that these girls belong to the poverty-stricken family and they were engaged in cattle grazing, wood picking, and similar activities to support their family earn a two-square meal.”
“I visited their home and counselled their families for sending them to school. As I was running Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya since 2016, I convinced them to accommodate their daughters and avail hostel facility along with numerous schemes launched by the government for encouraging girls’ education.”
After the constant effort, around 1000 drop-out girls gained education and vocational training like cycle repairing, gas repairing, tailoring, and computer knowledge, for earning a bare minimum income.
Also, of 49 girls from his school who appeared in the Class 10 board exam, 30 secured first division, he claimed.
Pathak, who has been contributing in the field of education for 26 years after getting selected through Bihar Public Service Commission in 1994, said, “I firmly advocate girls’ education as it will not only make women empowered, aware of their rights, financially independent but also help two families to grow better. Our society can’t attain balance without empowering girls.”
