School that braved testing times to educate rural poor

By Tessy Jacob

Bhubaneswar, Sept 4, 2024: On this teacher’s day, my thoughts go to a school in Odisha, which is the lifeline of many students and a ray of hope for many teachers.

Vidya Jyoti Girls High School, Kahupani, a tribal hamlet in the Kutra Block of Sundargarh district, was established in 1982. The hamlet is some 20km from the nearest town. Transport and communication facilities are remote in this area. Basked in the natural beauty, Kahupani has both traditional folks and migrating youth.

The school’s inception was the locals’ dream, as their children could not get admission in schools in the city. Bishop Alphonse Bilung of Rourkela, supported the local people in realizing their dreams. In 1982, the Holy Spirit Sisters arrived in Kahupani and got involved in the school.

It began as Janta School, hoping for the government’s aid in further development. However, to keep up the standard of education, the Catholic Sabha was entrusted with the school management. The school began to receive full grant in-aid from 1989.

The goodwill didn’t last long. Soon, the school management was caught in a power struggle. The tussle among the staff led to the ceasing of grants-in-aid in 1995. That was a big blow for the school. Many staff member sought transfer and went away.

But the generosity of a few teachers upheld the school. They decided to work for the students. Some worked for a meager 400 rupees a month. But they had faith that the storms would clear one day and they would receive their rightful salaries.

Their faith didn’t go in vain. After two decades in 2017, they received the grand-in-aid scale salary again. Within a couple of years, some of them retired. Their dedication to the cause was commendable. They literally did their duty without expecting the return.

Sister Aloysia Lugun captained the school during those difficult years. It took a long legal battle to restore the grants in aid. Even though many bureaus turned their files down, she kept trying. A year before her retirement, the much-awaited salary issues were rectified. She stepped down with the feeling of doing justice to the school and her faithful colleagues.

The school has not only contributed to nation-building, but also provided a good number of vocations to the Church. Nearly 100 of its alumni now serve as missionaries all over the world. The decisions of the locals, the bishop, and the dedicated teachers had helped them.

Nothing much has changed even after four decades. As part of the T5 initiative of the previous government, the school has received minimum facelift with smart boards and a few infrastructural additions. The school now functions with minimum staff and a repeated history – a few get full salary, while others teach with the hope that one day their hard work will be paid.

On the Teachers Day, the country honors teachers for their dedicated service and their role in nation-building. They play the primary role in molding socially responsible citizens.

However, the teachers’ day is not the same for every teacher, even if their mission is similar. The differences such as government, private, aided, unaided, and semi-aided schools make a huge impact on the quality and productivity of the students and the teachers.