Mangaluru: The Governor of Karnataka, Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala will be inaugurating a newly constructed building of the government higher primary school in Daddalakadu of Bantwal taluk on January 5.
Speaking to reporters at the Patrika Bhavan on Tuesday, January 1, Durga Friends Club President Prakash Anchan said, “Along with the governor, Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, Dakshina Kannada District In-charge Minister U T Khader, Bantwal MLA Rajesh Naik Ulippady, MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary among others will be present during the inaugural programme. The club has adapted this government school in order to provide education on par with the private schools”, he informed.
Specialty of Daddalkadu school
Though it is a government school, no single rupee was spent by the government for this newly constructed 16-classrooms building. This new building was constructed at a cost of Rs 1 Crore by ‘Sri Durga Friends Club, Karenki’, a group of 80 youth from Karenki and other surrounding areas, headed by Prakash Anchan who is a businessman in profession.
“The members of Durga Friends Club are not from the well-to-do families and are engaged in electrical, plumbing works, driving, carpentry, petty shop business among others. As maximum members of this club are from the working class, major portion of the construction work is done by them only. ” Thus, we are able to construct this 16-classrooms building at Rs 1 Crore only. If we had to hire workers, the construction cost would have definitely crossed Rs 6 Crore”, he said.
Prakash Anchan has decided to unite the youth for a good cause in the year 2015. When he noticed that the government school at Daddalkadu was on the verge of closure owing to less number of students, he decided to increase the number of admissions and attendance through a unique move. He decided to adapt this school through Durga Friends Club and take all the measures to provide quality education and also provide the students a platform for extra-curricular activities like Karate, Bharatanatyam, Yoga, music among others at no cost.
By enrolling over 10 teachers and providing transport facilities to pick and drop the children, over Rs 1 Lakh per month is being spent on this government school by the Durga Friends Club. Hence, the flow of students has increased from the past three years and it has shot up from 30 to 500 now. As this government school is offering education in English medium also, some progressive thinkers including Karnataka Development Authority (KDA) Chairman Prof. S G Siddaramaiah had opposed the move.
“Our intention is not to convert Kannada medium school to English medium school. Students who are studying in Kannada medium school should not feel bad for not knowing English fluently. Those who oppose our move, should adopt government schools and strive hard to provide quality education”, he adds.
