Sundargarh: Step into Kumjharia Government High School under Kuarmunda block in Sundargarh district and you will be greeted with a campus rich in colourful flowers. The entire school campus resembles the settings of a beautiful park.
The garden has been the result of labour of love of the school’s headmaster, Sanjya Kumar Samal and his co-teachers.
While many people strive to get their wards admitted to English medium and private schools, here is an exception where residents have pulled out their kids from private schools and get them admitted here. Now 1,117 students study here from Class I to X.
School teachers and students have realized the real meaning of “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” as it is difficult to find even a piece of paper in the entire school campus.
They not only make efforts to keep the surroundings beautiful and clean but also ensure clean classrooms.
The teachers also inculcate a sense of hygiene among students as they are advised to wash their hands with hand wash before taking mid-day meals.
For its relentless efforts in maintaining cleanliness and protection of environment, the school was adjudged the best clean school at a national level. The school has been continuously winning awards from last three years.
School headmaster received the award from then Human Resource and Development Minister Prakash Javadekar. The school has set an example for its sanitation disproving the common perception that government schools lack proper sanitation and hygienic practices.
Officers of the school and mass education department and even ministers were thrilled to see the beautiful environment of the school campus and were all praise for the efforts of the school teachers towards cleanliness and environment protection.
According to headmaster Sanjya Kumar Samal, it is the environment of the school that attracts students.
“Keeping this concept in mind, we decided to develop the school’s environment first. For this we buy varieties of flower trees including roses of different varieties, marigolds, chrysanthemum, jasmine, henna and dahlia with our own money, added Samal.
Samal said the teachers here work in a competitive spirit as everyone wants to come up with progressive ideas to make constructive changes.