Single Teacher Schools
Single Teacher School projects
Dr. K. S. Lakshmi whose life mission is imparting education to young women was totally impressed by the Single Teacher School projects – a noble effort made by voluntary organization in the name of Swami Vivekananda Rural Development Society.
Swami Vivekananda Rural Development Society
This organization has taken upon itself to improve the education and health care status of the children of remote and backward villages in Tamil Nadu.
They recruit and train teachers to take classes between 5.30 and 8.30 P.M every day for the target group of students in the age group of 3 to 15.
They are taught a well-structured syllabi on par with main stream education.
The stress is not only on formal education but also on values such as integrity, comparison, patriotism, heritage and culture.
A noteworthy feature of these classes is the fact that all the students are taught to chant Gayathri Mantra – What a beautiful way of taking education beyond frontiers of caste, creed and gender.
The organization also has an army of well-trained health workers who teach the children and their parents basics of hygiene and health care.
Visit www.singleteacherschools.org for more details.
Visit to Single Teacher schools
As part of the extension activity our students visit single teacher schools once in a year. Its has been three years since this activity started.
On the day of the visit the campus of Meenakshi College for Women will be bustling with activity. Around 30 buses would be parked crisscross on the grounds where around 1000 students would be waiting to get into one of them. The leader in the group is leading dozens of lunch boxes, seat mats, and snacks to be distributed to the students at the single teacher school. There is lot of enthusiasm and excitement in the air. Dr. K. S. Lakshmi, Secretary, Meenakshi College for Women, and Dr. Vasanti Rajagopalan, Principal would direct the students and staffs in-charge into their respective buses and waving out cheerfully to every one of them as the convoy of buses set out on their journey to one of the 60 villages earmarked for them in the districts of Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram and Vellore.
Our institution is immensely happy to make our students a part of this fight against illiteracy and morbidity. These annual visits expose our students to the plight of rural life and kindle in them the spirit of service and sharing. Our students interact with these children, teach them songs, conduct games, and motivate them to take education seriously.
Games/Activities conducted by the students
Distribution of Tiffin Boxes, notebooks, Seat mats to the students
To the children of these Single Teacher School these visits are God sent opportunity. Their interaction with our students leaves lasting impression in their young and aspiring minds. Our 3000 strong student community will be aspiring ambassadors and we hope will go a long way in bridging the gap in rural and urban divide. We are happy to record that our students look forward to these annual visits with genuine enthusiasm and compassion. Even though it is only a part of their routine extension and community service activity.
It is true that India lives in her villages and her salvation lies in their empowerment. Hats off to the relentless effort put in by the Vivekananda Rural Development Society. We are proud to join shoulders in their war against this rural/urban divide.
