Visakhapatnam: Making a difference in their lives

Visakhapatnam: Imagine if there is no need to wake children up to get ready, force them to eat before heading to school but they actually look forward to attending the classes, jumping out of bed the next day.

Students of Mandal Praja Parishad School at G Boddaputtu village of Hukumpeta mandal in Alluri Sitharama Raju district could hardly wait to go to school as they have so much to count on at the campus.

There are videos to be taken, activities to participate, farms to visit, speech to deliver on social media platforms and so much more. “These apart, we also get to connect with those residing in international destinations and listen to their inspiring stories,” the students share with excitement writ large on their faces.

Making a difference in their lives and exposing them to newer facets of learning, Secondary Grade Teacher (SGT) Gamparai Venkata Ramana makes sure that close to 40 students studying from Classes I to V learn something new each day and take home a message in addition to meeting curriculum deadlines.

The school has neither an internet facility nor a smart classroom. “But that does not stop us from using a laptop and mobile phone,” responds the 27-year-old SGT, who used to visit MPPS at Surlapalem village in G Madugula mandal by mounting on a horse to maneuver through a hilly terrain to reach the school.

Although big relief came in the way of better roads now, Venkata Ramana says there is no mode of transportation to access at G Boddaputtu. “This is one of the main reasons many teachers do not prefer this school as it is a time-consuming exercise to commute in the nondescript hamlet of Hukumpeta mandal. It is only recently, another teacher joined the MPPS here,” he shares with The Hans India.

But the students here speak decent English and look confident when they deliver a talk on diverse themes as a part of the ‘topic of the day’ introduced by Venkata Ramana. “The topic varies from controlling pollution to leading a plastic-free life and getting hands soiled while farming. But the interest evinced by the students in picking up the language as well as subject is highly appreciable,” says the SGT ahead of the ‘Teachers’ Day’.

As the students speak with ease before the camera, Venkata Ramana captures them in his mobile phone and uploads them on his YouTube platform ‘Venki’s library’. Going forward, the SGT intends to introduce the students to various government departments and make them understand how each wing functions. “Of the 10 students, even if one draws inspiration after meeting the Collector, it means I have made a difference in his or her life as a teacher,” says Venkata Ramana.

From the stage of struggling to pronounce a word, today, the students of Mandal Praja Parishad School at G Boddaputtu can speak in English for 15 to 20 minutes at a stretch. “All we have to do is just give them a topic,” adds the proud SGT.