Udupi: School is the place where students earn the great asset of knowledge that leaves them rich and armed to face the challenges of life. However, Nittur Government Kannada Medium School in Udupi is a fine example of how schools can looks beyond education and bring about social change. 

Nittur Government Kannada Medium school teachers, under the initiative of the school headmaster recently provided free cooking LPG connections to 28 poor students in the school.

This was possible because of school headmaster Murali Kadekar who has been taking an initiative to serve poor students from past several years. When he was approached by a couple of donors to help the poor students in the Nittur Government Kannada Medium school, Kadekar thought of providing gas connection to economically backward students in his school.

When he undertook a survey he found out that many students did not have cooking gas connectivity at home.So he contacted his old students and donors and with their help provided gas connections to these families.

Since most of these families had migrated to the district they were not in possession of documents such as the present address proof to apply for the gas connections. Hence the school applied for the connection, with an undertaking for the address requirement of these families.

Speaking to Newskarnataka Murali Kadekar said that he is into this social service from past thirty years. “Nittur Government Kannada Medium with help of donors had started ‘Ganji-Uta'(mid-day meal) for the first time in the year 2000 but later state government introduced mid-day meal. Student exam fees too is being paid by the school with help of donors,” says Kadekar.

“When children or their parents suffer from illness the school has provided medical assistance to them. Moreover, with help of donors, we have been able to provide electricity and solar lights to over residences of over 100 poor children from the school. With help of resource person, the school also trains the students in Yakshagana, drama, Yoga, music etc, ” says Murali adding that the school is also providing counselling to parents of the students to bring social change.

The good work by Kadekar is evident from the zero dropouts in the school. Moreover, some nine students from Jamkandi in Uttara Kannada have sought admission in the school. Such outstation students are being accommodated at the school grounds initially and later arrangements are done for their stay in a government hostel.