ગુજરાતી
English
July 2024
A school running on the footpath in the light of street lights is shaping the educational future of 150 children. Vadodara: A lamp of education can brighten the lives of hundreds of students…..A young civil engineer from Vadodara has proved this sentence meaningful. Nikunj Trivedi, who lives in Anand Nagar near Amitnagar intersection of the city and works in a private company based in Halol, runs an evening school every evening in the community building of Tulsiwadi area or the open space of the pumping station of the same area, which is shaping the future of 150 children studying from class 1 to class 12.
After finishing his eight-hour job, instead of going home, Nikunjbhai goes straight to his evening school to teach the children. His school starts at 7:30 pm and runs till 10:00 pm. If it is rainy season, the children study in the community building and when it is not rainy season, Nikunjbhai teaches these children under the light of street lights at the pumping station. Seeing Nikunjbhai, 6 other people have also joined his education yagya. They also come here regularly to teach the children.
Nikunjbhai says, “I lost my father in my childhood. My mother raised me. I studied in a government school and then got a degree in civil engineering from M.S. University. Many children studying in government schools are not in good financial condition. Apart from this, they also need additional tuition apart from schooling. With the intention of helping such children, I started an evening school with five children on the footpath of Karelibagh some time before Corona came. When the number increased a little, Corona came. Due to opposition from the local people, it was my turn to shift the school. Now I run this school in Tulsiwadi area with the help of the councilors of this area.” During monsoon, the children sit in the community hall and the rest of the time, in the open space of the parking station built in Tulsiwadi and our team teaches them. Every year, we also provide textbooks and stationery. Every year, a large part of my salary is spent on running the school.
Four students pass Class 10
Four students have passed the Class 10 examination by studying every evening at Nikunjabhai’s school. In which Vaidehi Makwana has scored 80 percent marks. Vaghela Aarti has scored 66 percent, Jadav Ankita has scored 64 percent and Maheshri has scored 72 percent marks. One of these students has decided to take science, another student has taken diploma engineering and the remaining two students have decided to take commerce subject. These students also help in teaching younger children when they get time.
On Diwali, every child is gifted clothes, crackers and sweets.
Festivals like 26 January and 15 August are also celebrated in this school running on the footpath. On Diwali, every child is given a pair of new clothes, a box of sweets and crackers. Donors also come to help the children when they come to know about the school. A rule has been made for them. They cannot help the children in any way during school hours. So that the children’s studies are not affected.
How many students in which class
Kindergarten, class 1 and 2 30
Class 3, 4 and 5 50
Class 6, 7 and 8 45
Class 9 to 12 16
B.Com, BA and LLB students teach
At present, those who come to teach regularly in this school include Brijesh Singh Raj and his son Dev. Brijesh Singh himself works in the school and his son is studying LLB. Apart from this, there are also two sisters named Janvi Wankar, who has completed B.Com, Harsh Khuman, who is doing BA, and Jasmita Madhad and Jaimini Madhad. They also studied in the same school. Both have studied Home Science after scoring 75% marks in class 12.
Sends bright children to other tuition classes and private schools at his own expense
If needed, Nikunjbhai also sends additional tuition to many of these children and pays their fees from his own pocket. He says that if some children look smart in studies, then I get them admitted to private schools and vocational tuition classes. I bear the cost of their fees myself. Every year about five lakh rupees of mine are spent on the education of these students. Some donors help and in this way the education of the children is going on. At present, I have got about 15 such children enrolled in private schools or tuition classes.
There is a different joy in doing good for someone
Nikunjbhai says, I enjoy doing this work a lot. The joy of things like new clothes or a new mobile phone also lasts for a very short time, but the joy of doing good for someone continuously is different and it gives you a different kind of satisfaction. I know that children studying in government schools need other educational support, but many children who come to me are not in a position to pay tuition fees. So I teach them. I feel that the quality of education in government schools needs to be improved. Many children who come to me need to be taught afresh and their foundation needs to be strengthened. It is sad to see the way education is being privatized and now education has become a means of earning.
