How A Teacher Transformed This Govt School In Bathinda

For a very long time, government schools have been criticised for not providing good infrastructure and quality education. However, looks like times are changing rapidly and government schools are quickly earning the respect back as they have begun offering great infrastructure instead of dilapidated buildings and the quality of education has also improved and is almost at par with private ones. One such example is from Punjab’s Bathinda.

In Bathinda’s Giana, a government primary smart school in the village is offering top-notch education to its students. What was once in a poor condition, is now helping students gain admission to Navodaya Vidyalayas. In a report by The Indian Express, it credited the school’s headmaster, Gurdarshan Singh. Reportedly, he studied at the school in his early years. In 1994, like other students, he sought admission into Bathinda Navodaya School. Decades later, he returned to the school as a teacher.

As per reports, after Gurdarshan Singh returned to the school as a teacher, he saw the buildings in a dilapidated state. The boundary walls were broken and parents were hesitant to enroll their children in this school. Now, only 150 students are studying in the school. To improve the infrastructure, he and a few of his fellow teachers reached out to HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited Refinery in Bathinda.

The initiative transformed not just the school but even its reputation. The walls were repaired, there were new classrooms, new furniture, RO water systems and even inverters for power backup. This boosted the admission process and now the school has 375 students and 11 staff members.

As the headmaster of the school, Gurdarshan Singh prepares the students for the Navodaya Vidyalaya entrance exam. This year, 11 students from the school were accepted to Navodaya Vidyalaya. Since 2018, a total of 23 students have gained admission there.

As the reputation built, parents from about 20 kilometres far away also began to send their children. Computer teacher Kulwinder Singh’s son would travel 20 kilometres from Talwandi Sabo city to study at the Giana village school. Now the son studies at Navodaya Vidyalaya.