Kothagudem: Govt school teachers hire auto, enrolments rise in remote Kaliveru school

Teachers at a government school in Kaliveru hired an auto rickshaw to ferry students from nearby villages, leading to a sharp rise in enrolments. Despite success, the school now faces a teacher shortage due to growing student strength

Kothagudem: An initiative by government school teachers in a remote tribal village of Kaliveru in Cherla mandal, aimed at bringing out-of-school children back into the education system, has not only yielded encouraging results but also earned praise from the community.

The teachers of the Government Upper Primary School in Kaliveru village hired a seven-seater auto-rickshaw at their own expense to provide transportation for students from neighbouring villages. Their proactive step has led to a significant increase in school enrollments.

school headmaster B Dasharatham said the school caters to students from Kaliveru and nearby villages such as Mummudivaram, Lingala and Togula. While children from Kaliveru regularly attended school, many primary-aged students from other villages had dropped out due to the distance and their families’ inability to afford private transportation.

To address the issue, the teachers pooled resources and hired an auto rickshaw, paying Rs.7,000 per month. This was implemented soon after the State-wide ‘Badi Bata’ enrolment drive concluded. The school also launched an extensive awareness campaign highlighting the availability of free transportation, Dasharatham said.

Thanks to the transportation facility and an effective enrolment campaign, the school has seen a marked increase in student numbers. Currently, there are 140 students in the primary section and 35 in the upper primary section, with admissions still underway. Previously, the total student strength stood at 90.

Despite the increase in enrolments, the school is facing a shortage of teaching staff. Of the eight sanctioned posts, only seven teachers are working, with the school assistant (Telugu) post lying vacant. As per norms, one more Secondary Grade Teacher (SGT) is required since the primary section now has more than 100 students.

The matter was brought to the notice of higher authorities. However, teachers were informed that deputations are currently not permitted and they would have to wait for new recruitment. The teachers have suggested that staff from schools with lower enrolment but full strength could be temporarily posted at Kaliveru to manage the workload.