While many talk about taking education to the rural and tribal belts, not many actually do it. But a group of philanthropic ladies from Calcutta actually did it when on May 12, 1986, they set up a school in the beautiful town of Ghatshila, with its prime objective being to reach out to the tribal population in the area.

Today, Sant Nandlal Smriti Vidya Mandir, set up in memory of Sant Nandlal, has not only realised that objective, but actually grown beyond it, with it reaching out not just to the tribal students, but also to others in the area.

Based on the vision of Sant Nandlal, who was held as an ideal teacher by the students, the school?s vision is rooted in Indian philosophy, which is complemented with a high emphasis on modern education aided with the latest possible in infrastructure and information.

The fact that today it?s one of the most recognised institutions in the town certifies that it has lived up to the standards it had set for itself.

Also, come April the school will be starting its first Plus Two section. This shows that its efforts to better its standards continues.

What's on

What?s interesting about this only CBSE-affiliated school in Ghatshila is the range of courses it offers, which vary from environmental studies to disaster management.

Medium of instruction is English, but Hindi and Bengali are very much taught as third languages from Class V to VIII. At the Plus Two level, only science and commerce are on the anvil for now.

The eagerness to get in is understandable, for which admission forms are available from Nursery classes to Class IX.

Infrastructure

Located on a 2.5 acre land, the students are not cramped for space with the campus having 24 classrooms, 5 laboratories, and what all children love most, a playground.

What?s really impressive without their pointing it out, is the school library, with a collection of 6,500 books.

Not just books, with the library regularly subscribing to about 25 latest educative magazines and about seven national and local newspapers, the students couldn?t be luckier or happier.

Keeping with its motto of providing the best and latest possible, and as per the CBSE guidelines, it has a laboratory for mathematics, too.

The emphasis on technology-based education is strictly followed at the secondary and senior secondary level and it has a good computer laboratory as well.

Play and learn

It?s definitely not all work and no play! For extracurricular activities and work education, there is a separate room and hall.

What?s on offer here makes one really envious of the lucky students! From craft to calligraphy, stitching to gardening, toy making to experimenting with chalks and soaps and candles, the students have a blast at them all.

And there?s more. Training in first aid, fire fighting, scouts and guides, being only some of them.

Divided into four houses, Sadanand, Dayanand, Anand and Nand, the students regularly compete and contest at debates, extempore, sports, drawing and cultural programmes.

Its high point however being the Unified council, a national-level science talent search contest and Green Olympiad quiz organised by the ministry of forest department.

What they are taught, they are motivated to excel at, too, not just with rewards, but by being encouraged to take part in state and national level contests.

Clap Please!

Located in a small town, it can compete in results with the best anywhere. The year 2000 saw it getting the best school trophy in the area for a hundred per cent success rate at the boards for consecutive years.

Not falling behind in sports, either, many of its students have been performing well and winning laurels at the state-level for three consecutive years.

Recently, some students also got awarded the prestigious Kaladarpan award given by the Akhil Bharatiya Nagrik Samiti, Aurangabad for expertise in colour painting while a student got the Kala Ratna award for sketching, all of whom the school is rightly proud of.

Future Talk

To continuously evolve and grow, and to make its students self sufficient, self dependent and strong enough to face the challenges of life once they step out into the bigger, real world is their aim.

?Our aim is to involve every student in the current educational curriculum and to help bring out the hidden talent within them and guide them to explore their capabilities,? said Bhaskar Chatterjee, the school principal, while talking about his vision and mission for the school, which going by their zeal, they will surely achieve.

 

FACT SHEET

Name: Sant Nandlal Smriti Vidya Mandir, Ghatshila

Medium: English-medium, co-educational school, affiliated to CBSE

Principal: Bhaskar Chatterjee

Teacher in charge: A. Patnayak

Number of teachers: 30

Number of students: 700

Fees structure: Varies from class to class. Ranging between Rs 170 and Rs 500, for all levels

Address: Dak Bungalow Road, Ghatshila, East Singhbhum, Jharkhand 832303