Ajjowal Hoshiarpur

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Ajjowal (Hoshiarpur) Govt. School

Guru Nanak International Education Trust UK and its Indian chapter have decided to improve the infrastructure of Govt. Elementary School Preet Nagar, Village Ajjowal, Hoshiarpur. This school is adjacent to thatched huts of Sikh Sikligars who are below poverty line. Under Sarv Siksha Abhiyan, this schools is run by the Govt. It has got a building and the teachers are paid salaries by the Govt. However basic facilities like desks and benches, proper chairs and tables for the teachers are not available. Besides that even small items necessary for teaching the children are not available. After Dr. Ranjit Singh OBE and Mr. J S Ahluwalia, Former Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Chandigarh visited the school, the trustees of Guru Nanak International Education Trust has decided to improve the infrastructure and thereafter improve the educational standards also.

Journey of Government Elementary School Preet Nagar from a neglected school to a school of happiness

Guru Nanak International Educational Trust’s global Chairman, Sardar Ranjit Singh OBE, and I visited the school situated adjacent to Preet Nagar jhugi colony, where Sikligars below poverty line are living. The school was in shabby shape, and less than a hundred students were enrolled, but many did not attend because their parents were not in a position to appreciate the advantages of education for their children due to extreme poverty. The head teacher pointed to us that in winter, the children were sitting on the floor. Guru Nanak International Educational Trust immediately sanctioned the purchase of 100 desks for the students and a few tables and chairs for the teachers. Besides, almirahs were also sanctioned. The Principal of Government Senior Secondary School Ajowal, also needed desks for his students, and the trust also provides a hundred desks to that school.

It was learned at that time that there were three categories of teachers, and the lowest category was receiving only Rs 5000. To help the education of the teachers, trust started paying Rs 2500 to these teachers. The Trust took up with the then Punjab Government that, keeping in view the judgment of Orissa High Court, there was a need to give fair wages to all categories. The Trust is thankful to the present government for the adoption of the Delhi model and giving reasonable salaries to all categories of teachers.

Later, the government asked the school to admit preprimary children without providing rooms or funds. The Trust got constructed rooms by utilizing modern technology and provided material for the preprimary children. For providing mid day meals to the primary children, the trust took the help of Guru Ramdas Langar Society.

For improvement of quality of education, with the help of a Canadian institution, modern tools for providing improving quality education.

The students are being provided, extra uniforms, stationary, and in the annual function, the trust gives prizes to students whose performance in the field of education or other fields is very good.

Due to the efforts of the Trust in improving the infrastructure and quality of education, the earlier government raised the school to the level l of a smart school. The Trust is a catalyst in improving Government Elementary Smart School Preet Nagar, village Ajowal, District Hoshiarpur, and this has persuaded the present government to develop the school to a school of happiness. Now the students would be getting world class education and the strength of the students will be increasing from 360 to more than 500, if the government decides to merge other primary school in this school of happiness.

For providing a healthy ecosystem, the Trust has developed Guru Nanak Sacred Forest outside the school on the land provided by Panchayat under the Miawaki system of Japan.

To help the poverty-stricken Sikligars, S. Bahadur Singh Sunet, the local president, has created opportunities for Dharam di Kirat Karni for the youth. Some students are helped to join technical institutions, and a few have been helped to get jobs.

The government has alloted Senior Secondary School Ajowal, and the Trust has constructed two rooms for the students and provided online training in metacognition courses from UK professionals to 10 teachers.

In the adjacent, Preet Nagar Jhugi colony where the parents of students of Government Elementary Smart School, Preet Nagar live, Sardar Virinder Singh Parhar has constructed houses in place of Jhugis and Guru Nanak Trust has also made contribution. The idea is to provide children not only a better school but also a better home for living.

JS Ahluwalia IRS
Former Chief Commissioner of Income tax, Chandigarh
and now a social worker 91-92166-44070