Boodha (Mandsaur), Madhya Pradesh

At around 2 PM when the students exit the local primary school, it is almost impossible to pass through the streets of the Boodha village in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district and not come across some child singing songs which have a moral or educational undertone.

Even the aged residents of the village hum the songs which they have picked up from the children. Rakesh Gupta, a 48-year-old teacher at the primary school is the man behind this musical ambience in the village.

Gupta, who was appointed as a teacher in the primary school in 2015, faced serious challenges upon reporting on the first day of his duty.

“The children were so detached from education that they simply found school learning useless. They roamed around aimlessly and had no patience to sit at one place for long. In such a situation, it was almost impossible for me to ensure their attendance at school,” Gupta told Gaon Connection.

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“The school was on the verge of shutting down as there were hardly any students staying for the classes. They just arrived, hadthe MidDay Meal and left. They weren’t convinced to stay back to learn in the school,” he added.

The teacher had no option but to spend some time with them in order to develop a rapport.

“I spent days loitering around with them, playing marbles and other odd games. This was vital for me to be taken seriously as the books and the lessons were not enough to gain their attention. Finally, I began composing educational songs which were an instant hit amongst the children,” Gupta said.

So far, the teacher has written 280 songs which are used to engage the children in the classes.

School gets a makeover

In order to make the classrooms attractive for the students, the teacher also got the building painted with his own expenses.

“It was the need of the hour to get the school painted afresh. Children cannot be expected to come to a dark and dull building on a daily basis. I also designed the worksheets for the students to help them revise their lessons in an efficient manner,” he said.

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Kalu Lal, the father of a student named Manish, told Gaon Connection that he is glad to see his son taking interest in studies.

“The entire mahaul [environment] has changed now. The children are taking interest in studies. It feels good to see that they will grow up to become educated adults,” he told Gaon Connection.

Meanwhile, Rajendra Prajapati, a Mandsaur-based senior officer in the state’s education department, told Gaon Connection, “It is remarkable that Rakesh Gupta has been so successful in changing the educational environment in the village. He takes his job very seriously and gets himself so much involved with the children that they respect him as if he is a part of their family”.

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