EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS
Education Programs
Respect everyone, love everyone, and serve everyone.
Sant Baljit Singh
Kirpa Nidhan Public School
Vishav Manav Ruhani Kendra owns and manages the Kirpa Nidhaan Public School in the Ludhiana district in the state of Punjab. The school offers education from Nursery to 12th standard. We believe that children should receive an opportunity to have a good education to give them a better future. Hence, Kirpa Nidhaan Public School offers education to underprivileged students for a nominal fee. Transport facilities are also provided.
The school operates as a not-for-profit service. Thirty-two percent (32%) of the students at the school belong to low-income families and receive a discount on their monthly school fees. Another eight percent (8%) receive their education free of charge because they cannot afford to pay any fees at all. The school also offers after-school tuition classes (tutoring classes) up to the 12th standard free of charge.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the school is complying with the guidelines issued by the local, state and central bodies.
Balanced education
The school offers a well rounded, balanced curriculum where children can excel in academics, sports, music, dance, quiz competitions and exhibitions. There is a well equipped computer lab with WiFi capabilities and a science lab. The school grounds span more than 2 acres of play areas with facilities for volleyball, badminton, table tennis, cricket, football and other games.
The teachers use progressive teaching techniques such as free smart classes, play-way method for primary school students, child centered and activity based teaching, and weekly assessments.
Annual events (pre Covid-19)
The Sports Day is a much anticipated annual event. Students train for months before the competition. To promote inter-school collaboration, Kirpa Nidhan Public School invites other schools in the area to compete in the sports meet. All schools that accept the invitation are welcomed to the Kirpa Nidhan Public School on the Sports Day. The school arranges refreshments for the teachers and students who attend the competition.
Each year, the school celebrates its Annual Day function. The students participate in stage performances that are based on Indian culture, promoting good morals, and Indian scriptures, such as stories about Lord Ganesh, Lord Vishnu, and the Divine Mother. The school arranges the costumes for the students and pays for professionals to bring out the students’ talent and prepare them for the performances. The students’ families are invited to attend to enjoy these performances.
The culmination of the function is the award ceremony where students are bestowed honors for their academic and co-curricular achievements. Refreshments and dinner are served to the students and their parents.
Support for underprivileged students
Many underprivileged families are not able to provide the basic necessities for their children’s schooling. When feeding the family is the top priority, school uniforms and school shoes have to take second place. Warm winter sweaters that are worn for only a few months a year are akin to luxuries that many families cannot afford. In rural areas, some students have to walk very long distances and back again each day in all weather conditions.
Sant Baljit Singh often emphasises that the care a child receives during his or her early years of life goes a long way in shaping the child’s future. In 2011, Vishav Manav Ruhani Kendra launched its educational charitable programs with the vision to support underprivileged children who are the future of our nation.
School Support Programs 2020-2021
During 2020-2021 the schools are mostly closed due to Covid-19 pandemic. But whenever we get an opportunity to serve, we continue to support underprivileged students through charitable activities in different states of India. We ensure that each activity is conducted in accordance with the Covid-19 guidelines issued by the local, state and central bodies.
Clean filtered drinking water for students
The government school in Karoran Kalan in Mohali, Punjab contacted Vishav Manav Ruhani Kendra regarding the water supply at the school. The school’s water supply comes from a borewell in the fields. However, the school staff do not recommend students to drink that water. Consequently, the students bring water from their home. When they need more water while at school, the nearby students have to go back to their home to refill their water bottles. The school principal shared this problem with our volunteers and requested a water cooler with Reverse Osmosis (RO) filtration.
In March 2021, Vishav Manav Ruhani Kendra donated and installed a 60-liter water cooler with a RO filter and a 1,000-liter water tank in the school. Now, the students and staff get filtered water.
In April 2021, Vishav Manav Ruhani Kendra volunteers visited the Government Elementary School in Bassi Wazid, Hoshiarpur, Punjab to offer support to the school. The school principal informed that the students were affected by the irregular water supply in this remote area. She was planning to purchase a water tank using school funds, and needed help to organize a water cooler. Vishav Manav Ruhani Kendra donated and delivered a 60-liter water cooler to the school.
Covid safety materials for schools
On September 30, 2020, the Ministry of Home Affairs India issued Order no. 40-3/2020-DM-I (A) permitting state/UT governments to determine the reopening of schools no earlier than October 15, 2020. The Chandigarh administration allowed schools to reopen for regular teaching of classes IX to XII from November 2, 2020.
The principal of Government Model Sr. Sec. School, Dhanas, Chandigarh approached Vishav Manav Ruhani Kendra to assist them with safety materials in compliance with the Covid-19 SOP/guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education in India.
Without hesitation, we donated and delivered masks, 20-litres of hand sanitizers as well as 500-ml bottles of hand sanitizers to the school.
School Support Programs (pre Covid-19)
Since 2011, Vishav Manav Ruhani Kendra has been collaborating with schools in different states of India to provide basic educational necessities for the underprivileged students. In 2019, we supported 307 schools in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh.
Our volunteers contact school principals at different schools to find out what items the underprivileged students require. The school students received school uniforms, school shoes, woollen sweaters, school bags, stationery kits, note books and water bottles. The students’ clothing sizes and measurements were recorded and fabric was purchased to match the school uniform colors. Care was taken to ensure that the students received their uniforms, sweaters and shoes of the proper sizes.