CHIKKAMAGALURU : At a time when schools in Karnataka are facing challenges of declining student enrollments and shortage of teachers, two women from this village in Chikkamagaluru district are going against all odds to transform a government school.
Meet Hina Tabassum and Razia Sultana, the teachers who are at the heart of this transformation and have gone far beyond their official responsibilities to let the school in Machagondanahalli village function.
From creating awareness among parents to enroll their children in the school to spending Rs 2.5 lakh from their savings and contributions from their families to drill a borewell to ensure kids get drinking water, the two teachers are a beacon of hope for hundreds of students.
The school is part of a cluster situated on a 12-acre plot, from Anganwadi and lower primary to high school and PU college. Despite being in the green belt of Malnad, water scarcity during summer is a persistent challenge in the village. The local gram panchayat supplies water to 300 households and to the school, but this is done on a rotational basis. Often, the school receives water once every three days, and only after household demands are met. This limited supply caused immense hardship.
“We saw students suffering because of lack of drinking water. The earlier borewells had dried up, and the school was struggling,” says Hina, who has been teaching at the school for the past 25 years.
Moved by the situation and inspired by the spirit of Ramzan, both Hina and Razia decided to act. “Ramzan is about giving. When I shared the idea with my family, they encouraged me to go ahead. We pooled funds and drilled a new borewell. Luckily, it succeeded on the third attempt — on March 26,” Hina said.
She recalled the early days of her career when the school had only a handful of students. “I would go door to door, urging parents to send their children to school. Some were reluctant, but persistence helped. Today, we have 250 students studying from LKG to Class 7 in both Kannada and English medium,” she says with a sense of pride.
Razia echoes Hina’s sentiment. “We cannot sit back and blame the system. If we don’t step up for our students, who will? We are here not just to teach, but to care. My family understood that and backed me fully,” she adds.
Recently, the school received a boost with a new four-room building constructed under the Viveka Yojana at a cost of Rs 53 lakh, which was inaugurated by Mudigere MLA Nayana Motamma. But other challenges remain. “There’s no flagpole platform, no physical education teacher, no prayer hall or kitchen. During monsoon, students eat their midday meals in the open. It is heartbreaking,” says headmistress Savita. She added that Rs 25 lakh has been sanctioned under the MPLAD scheme to build toilets for girls, but the construction is yet to begin.
The local School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC) has been supportive of the teachers’ efforts. President Lokesh and member Annappa praised Hina and Razia for their initiative. “They have set an example for others. However, more needs to be done. Saplings we planted along the school boundary were stolen. We need a compound wall to protect the school,” Lokesh says.
Sarva Dharma Sangh president K Bharath noticed the teachers’ selfless act. Touched by their dedication, he visited the school and honoured them. “What Hina and Razia have done is exemplary. If more teachers in government schools show this kind of ownership, there’s no doubt that government institutions can outshine private ones,” Bharath says.
When there is cynicism about government schools, the story of Hina Tabassum and Razia Sultana is a powerful reminder that individual action, grounded in compassion and purpose, can change the trajectory of an entire community.