Sundargarh: Two teachers of Dumermunda Primary School of Baneikela panchayat under Gurundia block in Sundargarh district cross a swollen river to reach their school every day, during rainy season.
Dumermunda is an undeveloped village which gets completely cut off from the rest of the district during monsoon. Usually, people in the nearby areas cross the river to reach this village every day, in the absence of a way out.
According to reports, Ashrita Kerketa, Headmistress, and Veronica Minz, Assistant Teacher of the school, have shown utmost dedication and a keen sense of responsibility by risking their own lives in discharging their duties. This primary school is said to have 53 students from the nearby villages of Baneikela panchayat.
However, both the teachers come to their workplace every day, crossing the river during the rainy season. After the headmistress joined this school in 2004, attendance of students has increased substantially and dropout rate decreased.
Moreover, transparency could be seen in the management of mid-day meal during her long tenure. The two new learning enhancement programmes for school students in Odisha — Ujjwal and Utthan — are successfully being implemented here, local villagers said.
Headmistress Ashrita belongs to Kubapada village of Simdega panchayat under Subdega block and Veronica to Jaladar village of Rourkela in Sundargarh district. Both are staying in a rented house at Baneikela panchayat, away from their native place.
The headmistress says, “Teaching is not only a profession to me, but also a vital medium of nation building. If our valiant soldiers are working dedicatedly for the country under adverse conditions, why can’t we do this much for our people?”
In a similar vein, the assistant teacher said, “True pleasure of life lies in teaching profession and one gets this opportunity after several incarnations. I get deeply moved, when they affectionately call me Guru Ma and 53 students have given me fulfilment of life”.
PNN
