by Nandkumar Kamat / The Navhind Times
SADOLSHEM is a tiny village in the tranquil valley of Talapona river, cut off from the NH-17 dissecting the Canacona taluka and recently connected to the highway by the narrow Didkitar bridge, in the Poinguinim assembly constituency. Like an inconspicuous diamond hidden in the rocks, the government high school is hidden in the shadows of a green hill. The politicians who had camped in the constituency during the by-election had discovered this place. They could not believe that a government high school could be maintained so well in addition to its unique garden of rare medicinal plants. The Chief Minister reached there, toured the place and then wrote in the visitors book in his beautiful, straight handwriting � �excellent work... fit to be a model school.�
Indeed, it was a tribute paid by the education minister of the state to the silent revolution that has transformed the government high school, Sadolshem. Behind this transformation is the story of a simple teacher � Mr Ulhas Pai Bhatikar. In January he would complete three years as the headmaster. He had no idea of the challenges, which were waiting for him when he was asked to take over after shifting from government higher secondary school at Canacona. The falling students� enrollment was cause for concern. It was difficult to run six classes, from Vth to Xth. The education department was toying with the idea of closing down the school. The campus, spread over about two hectares was in shambles. Pigs and stray animals had dirtied the place.
But Mr Bhatikar was a possessed man. He has a powerful inner drive, strong self-motivation and a missionary zeal. He did something, which would be considered impossible by government standards. Within two years of his taking over, the enrollment shot up to 124 from just 30 students. He got the campus cleaned. He repaired and beautified the classrooms. He spent money from his own pocket when he could not get timely help.
The local people were watching his efforts with curiosity. He explored the campus. It had good soil. There was a thick forest behind the school. There was a lot of bird life. A brainwave hit him � an idea to grow all the species of Goa�s medicinal plants. Today, we see more than 100 species of carefully maintained medicinal plants in the school�s herbal garden. It represents almost the entire medicinal plant flora of South Goa district.
Mr Bhatikar has also compiled a catalogue of these plants. The students and the staff of the school take care of this plantation. I was thrilled to see the neatness and orderliness in the school. All the classrooms had informative wallpapers. Each classroom had educational display material. The students were neatly dressed and very disciplined. The teachers were conducting classes with a lot of dedication and involvement.
Mr Bhatikar seems to be a perfectionist. He pays attention to every detail. He has transformed a public asset, a government property into a beehive of socially and culturally useful activities. He has provided a lesson, a role model for the pessimists. The campus has become an oasis of rural hope. And all this transformation has occurred in a matter of just three years without any extraordinary government help, so far.
Generally people have poor opinion about government schools. The Goan middle class has shown a preference for privately managed high schools. But Mr Bhatikar�s experiment shows that any government educational institution can be transformed through sustained, self less good leadership. Mr Bhatikar was initially inspired by the revolutionary work by Mr Annasaheb Hazare in Ralegansiddhi village. But at Sadolshem, it was a question of resurrecting a high school.
As he looks back, Mr Bhatikar acknowledges the help given by friends and well-wishers. The people of Goa definitely come forward and help when they see someone like Mr Bhatikar working for a public cause without any self-interest. Anyone coming into contact with Mr Bhatikar gets infected by his enthusiasm. He continues to work beyond office hours and even during school holidays with a single objective � to make his school one of Goa�s best educational institutions.
The quality of teaching has improved. Students� personal hygiene and health has improved. Their class performance has improved. I particularly noticed the pedagogical innovations, which Mr Bhatikar had tried. These could be models for the B Ed students. Sadolshem is a poor village of culturally rich people. If the high school becomes an educational centre of excellence then within a few years the whole village and the surrounding area would be radically transformed.
A country like China has invested heavily in human resources development by building modern infrastructure in the villages. The Chinese have some of the best rural schools in the world. I heard the voice of Mahatma Gandhi echoing in my ears when I sat down to write my remarks in the visitors� book. What could be the greatest tribute a teacher can pay to the nation, to the deprived and depressed villagers? I thought that Mr Bhatikar had found the answer. He is in pursuit of excellence in a very humble manner. I am sure that the students leaving this school would be citizens of merit with good character having a lot of initiative and creativity.
If all the government schools in Goa get leadership like Mr Bhatikar then we would see a great social revolution. The government claims that rural development and empowerment would be its priority. The Governor, Mr S C Jamir also remarked recently that rural areas in Goa need more attention. On November 18, Mr Bhatikar, encouraged by the visit of the Chief minister and the education secretary forwarded a list of simple requirements to the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC). He has not asked for a heaven but a few basic facilities which are justified for the school.
The Chief Minister who is also the chairman of GSIDC needs to follow his remarks in the visitors� book with some practical action, now. It is unbelievable that the school does not have a telephone connection. The education department needs to sanction it immediately. Exceptions have to be made always when there are exceptional cases like the Sadolshem high school. The government needs to showcase this school as a model of rural excellence. The school bears the stamp of one man�s struggle. It offers a lot of hope for us for a bright future of our great country.
Make it a point to visit Sadolshem government high school when you visit Canacona and you would experience every word in this article. Goa needs such rural success stories. The Goan society needs to strongly support such initiatives. We salute you Mr Ulhas Pai Bhatikar. May your tribe grow by leaps and bounds.
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