As temperatures rise, a government primary school in Kannauj district has converted one of its classrooms into an artificial swimming pool to help students escape the heat and keep a check on absenteeism.
As private schools provide swimming pool facilities to their students, the principal of the Model Primary School in Mahasaunapur area of Umalda block thought of replicating the idea with limited resources to attract the attention of local students who usually prefer to be absent during the harvest period.
“If you check the attendance sheets of government schools, you will see a sharp drop in the attendance of students. Most of the children plant crops with their families after Holi. To curb the huge drop in attendance, I came up with this idea and Put it into practice,” said Principal Vaivhav Singh Rajput.
Earlier, teachers had to convince parents to send their children to school. “Now, with the addition of this fun element, we are delighted to see a surge in attendance. Our attendance is over 50% compared to last year, which dropped to just 20%. The school currently has 143 students in classes 1 to 5 students,” Rajput said.
“The swimming pool attracted the children, and they started coming to the school regularly even though it was the harvest season. The children splashed and splashed water on each other in the classroom and had a lot of fun,” said a teacher.
One of the students, Tanya, said their school’s swimming pool added a fun element. “We are very happy with this artificial pool. It keeps us calm,” she said. School principal Rajput said he sat with members of the school management committee (SMC) and discussed the idea. SMC approval was obtained as virtually no funding was required.
“Because the school is located in a rural area, children will not come to school. After investigating the reason, it was found that it was the wheat harvest and the children did not come to school. In order to attract them, the school teachers formulated this plan, which was well received by everyone.” said his colleague.
The school has five classrooms. “With the construction of a temporary swimming pool in the classroom, we are now holding classes in four classrooms and have adjusted our schedule accordingly,” he said.