Teachers stay late at Karnataka’s govt school so students can truly soar, ETEducation
Mangaluru: At Govt High School, Baikampady, Meenakaliya, in Karnataka the school bell does not mark the end of learning. For the second year in a row, teachers have extended their working hours, holding night classes till 9pm to prepare students for the SSLC examinations.
Most students come from families of daily wage earners, where homes lack space or a quiet environment to study. Many parents leave for work as early as 4am and return only by 9pm or 10pm. Some families live in sheds or huts with minimal facilities.
Headmaster N D Ajjaiah said a survey by the teachers revealed these challenges, prompting them to turn the campus into a safe learning space. Students are allowed to remain on campus till late evening, with security arrangements in place. Classes are held on weekends too, balancing academics with sports and adequate rest.
The school has 171 students, including 45 in Class 10 and 11 in the English-medium section. “Parents themselves told us that their children study only at school and refuse to study at home,” the headmaster said.
After the second preparatory exam last year and analysing the problems, teachers, SDMC members, parents and the Mogaveera Mahasabha decided to extend study hours within the school. The routine begins early: from 8.30am, teachers hold special classes with one subject taken up each day. After regular classes, they stay back from 4pm to 6pm to revise the day’s lessons. From 6pm to 9pm, students study under supervision, staying in a focused environment.
With the consent of parents and students, both boys and girls attend the evening sessions, and parents come to the school to pick them up. On weekends and holidays, students stay on campus from 8.30am to 9.30pm.
“The impact of this experiment was evident last year. In the school’s 61-year history, it achieved a 100 per cent SSLC pass result for the first time, and Vinod Chandappa scored an impressive 612 marks, emerging as the district topper among government school students in the English-medium category. Encouraged by the success, the school continued the initiative this year,” Ajjaiah added.
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