Ranchi: It is a great example set by Arun Oraon, a former IPS officer. He quit the Indian Police Service with an urge to serve the people of his state Jharkhand as a chosen assignment. He took voluntary retirement in 2014 and started conducting classes for the children from rural areas, particularly from the tribal belt, to bring them on par with the students of private schools. 

The former Punjab cadre IPS officer was upset after seeing the plight of students, studying in government schools, with poor or bare minimum facilities. He received a request from a student from a nearby village. Finally, Oraon started a night school at Uchari town on the outskirts of Ranchi.

Presently, a total of 27 such night schools are being run viably under the leadership of Oroan within the towns of Ranchi, Gumla and Lohardaga. Over 2,000 students have been guided so far by over 200 volunteers including a few retired teachers, without any expense being charged from them.

Classes are conducted from 6 pm to 8.30 pm in the evening. The volunteers trained by Oraon not just teach what is part of the syllabus but always try to motivate them to do something better.

"Children in villages generally go to government schools where teachers teach in their own style. How can one anticipate these children to end up as specialists and engineers when they don’t have essential knowledge of English, Science and Mathematics," asks Oraon.

This is the reason the poor tribal children living in the countryside are not able to compete with those studying in private schools, adds Oraon. He is confident that his efforts will play a role in giving a new shape to the future of the children being taught by them. /BI