A model library in the Pydibhimavaram Zilla Parishad High School is helping students acquire writing skills, imparting training in activities such as writing poems, short-stories and doing book reviews.
Normally, one will not find libraries in a majority of the government schools due to lack of special funds to buy furniture and books.
However, the situation is different in the Pydibhimavaram School where the library is being maintained with around 3,500 books.
Reading habitMagatapalli Ramachandra Rao, one of the teachers, took the initiative in developing the library to inculcate reading and creative writing habit among the students.
Initially, it was a challenge for him as majority of the students were confined to books with the unusual competition to score good marks in examinations.
He thought that the students could become good citizens only when they were able to understand the real world through an extensive reading of books written by great scholars and freedom fighters such as Mahatma Gandhi, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru and others. With the support of colleagues, he could publish two books Toli kusumalu and Melukolupu incorporating all the poems and stories written by the schoolchildren.
The Aurobindo Pharma Company, which is located in Pydibhimavaram, was impressed with the innovative teaching methods and provided infrastructure to improve the facilities in library.
“We want to prove that the government school students are second to none.
Students bring laurels“The library is helping them to think creatively. Many youngsters are able to get prizes in essay and elocution contests at district level with the enhancement of knowledge with vast reading,” Mr. Ramachandra Rao told The Hindu .
According to him, students including J. Kavya, V. Divya and others brought laurels to the school by winning medals, thanks to the improvement in the presentation of their ideas coherently in the competitions.
Srikakulam District Education Officer D. Devananda Reddy and Headmistress V. Rajyalakshmi congratulated the teacher on identifying the hidden talent among the rural students.
“Mr. Ramachandra Rao’s efforts inspired many of us. It made me spend extra time with students and listen to their ideas. It gives us lot of self-satisfaction. Many teachers from other schools are visiting the library, making us feel proud of ourselves,” said M. Sridhara Kameswara Rao, another teacher.
