A crowd-funding campaign to shore up infrastructure in government schools of rural Karnataka is drawing good response if the initial response to the concept is any indication.
The Happy School programme – as the concept is called – not only aims to upgrade the existing infrastructure and co-scholastic facilities in the government schools but also aims to make them a secure and attractive learning place for students and teachers.
S. Suresh of Rotary Bengaluru Junction who is backing the initiative said the concept envisages providing hand wash stations, water purification systems and E-learning kits to the schools which will help them provide better education to children.
The cost to equip one school has been pegged at ₹ 70,000 and the campaign launched through crowd-funding platform “fuel a dream’’, has helped raise ₹9.5 lakhs within a few days. The immediate goal is to raise ₹15 lakh which will help cover about 20 schools each with about 300 students and is expected to impact over 6,000 students, Mr. Suresh added. With the amount raised so far, at least 9 schools and nearly 2300 students stand to benefit.
The E- learning kit includes a 43-inch Smart TV with built-in android, WiFi etc., and this will be loaded with the contents for coaching the students as per the syllabus prescribed by the State government in the local language and all the subjects are covered.
The first such facility was inaugurated recently at Doddaballapur where a new school building was constructed by L & T. The campaigners aver the timing is perfect as the schools are closed now but once they reopen the students can return to a better environment. The long-term plan is to cover at least 100 government schools and equip them with better infrastructure, library, clean toilets for both girls and boys, play area, greenery in the campus etc, according to the fund raisers.
