Narsinghpur, Madhya Pradesh: When thinking of government schools in India, the mind usually comes up with images of dilapidated classrooms in dark buildings, negligent teachers and carefree students. However, a government school in Madhya Pradesh is challenging all these notions. Situated in Narsinghpur district of Madhya Pradesh, the Khamariya government school has facilities that even most private schools in the country dream of and such is the influence of the school that no private school has opened or is functioning in the surrounding 15 villages.

Established in 2012, the school is equipped with closed-circuit cameras for security, and classrooms with smart class technology, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) TVs, skill development classes and vocational training for the students making it the first digitally-enabled government school in Madhya Pradesh. To overcome the irregular power supply, the school also has power backup so that these facilities are not affected by regular power cuts. The man behind the vision, Narayan Gupta, not only wanted to improve the situation of academics, but he also wanted the students to have all-round development. Students are not only taught for exams but are also offers career-oriented classes in the field of computers, health and engineering.

Not only this, but they also have gym classes for the physical development of the students. Currently, with a strength of 3,117 students, the school is one of the most sought after schools in the region.

The headmaster of the school Narayan Gupta, who had been a student of the school, highlighted that the school has gone from being a mud-tiled hut to a building with public participation. He said the initiative started in 2012 when they collected over Rs 1.5 lakh. He asserted that the support of the residents have enabled the development of the school, even with regards to physical labour. Whether it’s the installation of tiles or the construction of classrooms, public support has always been crucial, he stated.

He added that in 2013 CCTV cameras were installed in the entire school campus, then came the sound systems, the projectors and the LED TVs. He said that every year they make it a mission to improve one facility in the school and plan on how to execute it. He added that a National Cadet Corps unit was started in recent years, and nine students have already decided to join the military forces.

Nazmi Khan, a teacher imparting medical education at the school, emphasised on the importance of both theory and practical classes to impart knowledge. With regards to healthcare classes, the students are taught how to deal with emergencies and then we show them how the knowledge gained from books is used in hospitals so that they have a better understanding of the topic.

A vocational courses teacher Ankit Jaiswal informed that vocational training is provided to students from class nine to twelve so that students can earn a living when they grow up. Most classes have theory and practical examinations, he added.

School with a difference

Not only the children, but even the environment is also taken care of. There is greenery around the school with a special focus on cleanliness. The vision of the school focuses on all-round development, so the students are taught to improve their surroundings as well. A lot of the classes provide them with enough training for them to get a basic job at the village level. 

A student of class 11 Hemlata Patel stated that the teachers teach them everything from cleanliness and hygiene to primary medical courses and sports with the help of smart class technology. She added that the computerised health centre has helped a lot of students develop skills in that area and claimed that might prove to be useful later.

Hemlata’s father Ramsevak Patel stated that conducting smart classes in a government school in a small village to impart training based on vocational education is unprecedented. He added that the students of the school are not only leaving the students from urban areas behind.

Even the officials with the district education department speak highly of the institute and believe that the facilities in the school is helping combat illiteracy in the region and increase student participation.

Arun Ingale, district education officer (Narsinghpur), stated that the school itself is unique because it is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment by funds collected from the residents. The district has the highest recorded number of rural schools, the biggest reason being that this school is completely digital and it has emerged as a model school in the state, he commented.