1 week ago
Revived Rural School Library Opens New Worlds for Students
A school in a poor rural area of West Bengal has reopened its library.
The library now has several hundred books and newly painted walls and racks.
An alumni trust helped repair the room and collect the books.
The books include stories, biographies, school references and adventure books.
Many students had never been able to read books outside their textbooks.
About half of the students come from tribal communities.
About 80% are the first people in their families to receive formal education.
Students were excited to choose books when the library reopened.
Teachers hope the books will help children learn, imagine and follow their dreams.
Ghuni Adarsha High School in Hasnabad reopened its renovated library with several hundred books.
The Naraindass Bangur Memorial Multipurpose School Alumni Association Trust funded the renovation and book additions.
The collection includes academic, reference, fictional, biographical, motivational and adventure books.
Nearly half the school’s students are from tribal communities, while about 80% are first-generation learners.
Donors and school officials said the library would encourage reading, imagination and broader educational opportunities.
- Who
- Ghuni Adarsha High School students, teachers, alumni and book donors, supported by the Naraindass Bangur Memorial Multipurpose School Alumni Association Trust.
- What
- The school reopened a renovated library containing several hundred donated books.
- Where
- Ghuni village in Hasnabad, North 24-Parganas district, West Bengal, near the Sundarbans.
- When
- The library reopened on Saturday, with book lending scheduled to begin on Monday.
- Why
- The initiative aims to give students, many from poor families and many first-generation learners, access to reading and educational material beyond their textbooks.
Key facts
- School
- Ghuni Adarsha High School
- Student enrollment
- Around 490 students
- Library support
- Naraindass Bangur Memorial Multipurpose School Alumni Association Trust
- Student background
- Nearly half of students are from tribal communities and around 80% are first-generation learners.
- Book collection
- Several hundred books spanning academic, reference, fiction, biographies, motivational literature and adventure stories
- Library access
- Books were scheduled to be issued to students from Monday after the Saturday reopening.
- Alumni project
- The trust has worked in rural areas since 2011 through its “Academic Development with Social and National Development” project.
Quotes
Sushil Kumar Patra
School founder and local philanthropist
“My dream was to inculcate education among the people who live here. But economic hardship and their struggle for survival initially kept education at a distance. The situation has gradually changed. With this revived library filled with books, boys and girls will now get greater motivation to pursue their dreams and goals”
telegraphindia.com
“I grew up receiving books as my only birthday gifts. Perhaps that is why I believe knowledge — however little we may possess — is one of the greatest gifts we can pass on.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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