Back to classroom for dropouts’ sake

Sarthi Sikshan Yojana of Ashutosh Kamble is giving free coaching to 70 school dropouts of the neighbourhood

Education is base of nation building. Since Independence, the government has brought many inclusive policies to curb school dropout ratio. But many children have to drop out from school due to various reasons like when they become orphans, parent is in jail, lack of fees and other basic needs, negative approach of parents who are illiterate.

Ashutosh Kamble, 29, has started the initiative to teach school dropout children in his neighbourhood. Pursuing M Phil in economics from Garware College after completing his MA (economics), Kamble believes in doing his bit to educate the society rather than pointing fingers at the authorities. He visits the neighbourhood and encourages dropout kids to attend his personal coaching classes held on the terrace of his friend’s bungalow. His sincere efforts have led to 70 children of different age groups attending his night coaching given at the Jai Bhavani Tarun Vichar Prasarak Mandal Hall at Jai Bhavani slum in Kothrud area from 6 pm to 11 pm every day, for free. Kamble calls his initiative ‘Sarthi Sikshan Yojana’.

A college dropout, Kamble could not pursue further studies for four years, before realising the importance of education and joined the college. With a desire to help school dropouts, Kamble and friends visited Jai Bhavani Nagar, Kishkinda Nagar and Sutardara slums and found four children who left school in IV and V standard due to family problems.

He met the parents of these children and requested them to send their wards to the coaching class. Kamble enrolled these four children directly to standard X under Form No 17 that allows a student to appear for the board exam as an external candidate, on June 25, 2015. And two of these youngsters, Tanmay Pol and Babasaheb Magar cleared the tenth board. Tanmay, who left school in standard IV, now hold a tenth board pass certificate and works at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital. He aspires to be a paramedic

Kamble said, “Our education system honours only those who gets high grades. Those who fall in the less percentage category are looked down upon, and I belonged to this ‘grade’. It was only when I rejoined college did I valued the power the education. I found that education is the only way to uplift lower and middle class people. The school dropout children just need words of encouragement and have to be sensitised about education. Taking part in National Social Service (NSS) activities during college days gave me the idea to start such an initiative.”

Ashutosh Kamble

He started the coaching class on June 25, 2015 with four students and prepared course materials for standard V-XII.

“I started coaching them on the terrace of my friend’s bungalow. Starting with four students now we have a student strength of 70 from various age groups. My colleagues Poonam Shinde and Pradnya Chaudhari also extend help in teaching the kids. I had requested PMC Commissioner and school board to give me a classroom for night coaching but they declined,” he said.

The coaching classes are held at hall of Jai Bhavani Tarun Vichar Prasarak Mandal from 6 pm to 11 pm daily. “My Garware College teachers Dr TS Kamble and Dr Atul Kulkarni have appreciated my effort and extended support. We now enrol students who have passed standard IV but could not pursue education and have touched 14 years to standard X. Students who have completed 17 years and cleared standard X but dropped out are enrolled directly in standard XII. Our free coaching is on all days of the week. Cognizant company officers recently visited our coaching class and taught soft skills to students.”

tushar.rupanavar@goldensparrow.com

Originally published on The Golden Sparrow