Page 66 - EW November 2024

People

of Punjabi University, attractive for children. It is very
Patiala, Singh ideated important that schools are student-
and spearheaded a door- friendly and welcoming institutions
to-door campaign across which children love to attend. I hope
16 neighbouring villages my success will inspire government,
to boost GPS, Bathinda’s parents, and teachers to collaborate
enrolment to 240 cur- to make children’s schools attractive
rently. destinations,” he says.
Direct talk. “In 2016, Divya Sharma (Gurugram)
after teaching in an all-
boys school for six years,
I was transferred to Rural children's
GSSSG, Barnala. Soon,
I observed that many
Goyal: gender equality imperative parents were pulling guardian
their girl children out
Newspeg. On the occasion of Teach- of school to do household chores RINDA POORNAPRAGNA is
ers Day (September 5), President or menial jobs to supplement their the CEO of Bengaluru-based
Droupadi Murmu conferred cer- household incomes. Appalled by this Bnot-for-profit eVidyaloka,
tificates and Rs.50,000 cash prizes waste of talent, I began to counsel promoted under the aegis of eVidya-
on Goyal of the Government Senior parents to practice gender equality loka Trust and co-founded by former
Secondary School for Girls (GSSSG), as mandated by the Constitution of Microsoft India professionals Satish
Barnala, and Singh of Government India. Simultaneously to incentivise Vaidyanathan and Venkat Srira-
Primary School (GPS), Goniana parents, I offered to coach girls to man in 2011. Entirely funded by
Mandi, Bathinda. prepare them to win NMMS scholar- individual and CSR (corporate social
Every year, the Union education ships. It’s a matter of pride that thus responsibility) donations, eVidyaloka
ministry selects 50 best primary- far, 55 of our girl children have been connects volunteering and digital
secondary teachers from across the awarded this scholarship. I hope my technology to reach supplementary
country for these prestigious awards. story will inspire other teachers to English, science and math education
History. A postgraduate in English enable and empower girl children,” to class V-X government school chil-
and political science of Kamraj, says Goyal. dren in rural India in nine vernacu-
Madurai and LPU, Jalandhar uni- Likewise, lar languages. In the span of a year
versities, Goyal began his career as a Singh believes this enterprise has mobilised 6,340
government school clerk in 2001 ris- that all chil- global teacher-volunteers and local
ing to the position of senior teacher dren should community partners.
at GSSSG, Barnala. A champion of have easy ac- Digital classrooms apart, under
girls education and empowerment, cess to schools eVidyaloka’s TTT (teach through
Goyal went beyond the call of duty to in their neigh- television) supplementary classroom
provide after-school coaching to girls bourhood. “In teaching program which attracted 30
aspiring to crack the National Means 2015 when I million views last year, video lessons
cum Merit Scholarship (NMMS) was appointed are broadcast through local TV chan-
exam, a Central government ini- teacher at GPS, Rajinder Singh nels in nine languages across 256
tiative for meritorious class VIII Bathinda, all districts and ten states.
students. NMMS toppers are entitled senior teachers had retired, and Newspeg. In August, Poornapragna
to a stipend of Rs.12,000 per year in the student enrolment had fallen launched eVidyaloka’s National Stu-
classes IX-XII. to 33. The local government was all dent Innovation Challenge (NSIC)
Similarly, Singh, an elementary set to shut down the school for lack Ver 8 in collaboration with the Mum-
teacher at GPS, Bathinda, went the of students. That’s when I started bai-based LTIMindtree Foundation.
extra mile and led a successful cam- a campaign in 16 villages urging NSIC is a pan-India competition
paign to boost student enrolment parents to send children to school. designed to stimulate class VI-VIII
to prevent the school from shutting During school hours, I taught chil- children towards innovation, creative
down for shortage of students. In dren, and after school, I took on the thinking, teamwork and leadership.
2015, GPS, Bathinda had an ag- roles of mason, electrician, plumber, History. A computer science en-
gregate enrolment of 33 children. and painter to improve the school’s gineering postgrad of Bangalore
A postgrad in Punjabi and English infrastructure to make the school University with nearly three decades

66 EDUCATIONWORLD NOVEMBER 2024