Leading the charge

My recent visit to a village, to participate in a programme felicitating teachers working in public schools, specifically Adi Dravida schools, organised by a group of scientists, enabled me to identify a model of social work that brought unfathomable consequences to the households of marginalised communities. Scientists from the Indira Gandhi Atomic Research Institute, stationed near Chennai at Kalpakkam, formed their staff association and operated it for some time, primarily for staff welfare. In one meeting, they decided to visit nearby villages without a fixed agenda, seeking connection with the communities around their institute. Witnessing the dire living conditions of marginalised families during their visit to villages around Kalpakkam on a Sunday, particularly those of poor and Dalit families, motivated them to resolve to work toward transformative change in their lives.

A retired scientist, while interacting with me during the programme, shared, “as long as we sit in our room and laboratory we do our job consciously and earn our livelihood. The moment we move out from the four walls of the institution and connect ourself with the community, we find social consciousness in us and it will not allow us to sleep till something happens to the families which we have seen in the villages. Thus we moved out from our institution and connected with community in the nearby villages”. He emphasised the need for leadership in meaningful activities, highlighting the role of Sridhar, a brilliant scientist who led the group. Though Sridhar is no longer with us, his dreams have been realised by his friends and their families. He set an example by inviting students from Dalit families in surrounding villages to stay in his house and provided necessary assistance for their education. This inspired other scientists to join him in serving the villages, contributing a portion of their salary to support service activities, particularly focusing on school-going children from poor and Dalit families.

From their perspective, working with school-going children will be more effective and efficient in bringing about transformational change, not only among the children but also in the families. Hence, they have decided to work with public schools. In Tamil Nadu, public schools are intended for the poor and marginalised. Consequently, teachers working in public schools enrol their children in private schools rather than in the schools where they teach. They fail to realise that it is shameful to send their children to private schools, indicating an underestimation of their own teaching capacity. Therefore, the scientists have opted to work with students from poor families in public schools, aiming to make a significant impact in rural areas.

However, they recognise the challenges ahead. Firstly, they need government approval to work with public schools, cooperation from the teachers, and support from students and families. Bringing all stakeholders on board is no easy task in rural areas. The Government of Tamil Nadu aims to strengthen the public school system through school management committees but faces difficulty in obtaining active cooperation from teachers. The teachers do it as a ritual, and beyond it, they are not evincing keen interest in strengthening the schools. Even the Local Body leaders have not been allowed to participate meaningfully in the management committee. In such a way public schools are being run in Tamil Nadu. Against this backdrop they have decided to work in the public schools to improve the school performance.

First, the scientists' group has decided to address the demands of the community. When they interacted with the community, the villagers, mostly parents, demanded that schools should have adequate teachers to educate their children. Parents informed them that the government had provided infrastructure facilities but not enough staff. Public schools in Tamil Nadu were operating with an insufficient number of qualified teachers, resulting in a significant decline in the quality of education. The public schools were in dire need of teachers, but the government had not taken steps to appoint them despite repeated pleas from the community.

The scientists' group also took initiative to meet with appropriate higher officials to address this need but were unsuccessful. Therefore, they have resolved to address the issue by appointing teachers, with their salaries being covered by resources contributed by the scientists. To recruit teachers for these public schools, the scientists have identified individuals with the necessary qualifications in the same area, properly assessed them, and appointed them with moderate salaries, not equivalent to those given by the government to regular staff.

Their efforts did not stop with teacher recruitment; they also oriented and groomed them for their new roles as professionals. Through their continuous participation in school activities, both the teachers appointed with the scientists' resources and those appointed by the government have improved their capacity and commitment to delivering services to students at the highest level of efficiency. The regular staff appointed by the government have cooperated with the teachers recruited by the scientists in all teaching and learning activities.

The scientists have not stopped with the appointment of teachers but have also begun visiting the schools regularly and interacting with parents and teachers. This increased the community's attention to school activities. Continuous monitoring of the schools yielded positive results, improving attendance and pass percentages. During school visits, scientists were accompanied by their family members, further engaging both scientists and their families.

Orientation and training programmes were organised for final-year students to prepare for entrance examinations into professional courses. Some students from these schools gained admission to professional courses, inspiring others to focus more on their studies. Coaching classes were arranged, with some scientists also acting as teachers.

To stimulate student curiosity, a cash incentive scheme called "Smart Test" was introduced. Both teachers and students participated in series of tests.

The school programme not only engaged students and teachers but also involved the community in a continuous manner. Since 2005, the scientists' consistent work in public schools has dramatically improved school performance, garnering serious attention from the community and strengthening the bond between the community and the scientists. The impactful activities in schools have attracted resources from external donors who have begun connecting with the scientists' team.

Now, these activities have expanded to many villages due to support from donor agencies. What is significant about the work done by scientists at the Indira Gandhi National Atomic Energy Research Institute is the emergence of a new culture of social responsibility among the middle class. Although they operate through a trust, they are neither a Non-Governmental Organisation nor a civil society organisation; rather, they are a group of volunteers committed to bringing transformative change to marginalised households through education. Through 18 years of continuous work in public schools, they have demonstrated that Dalits and the poor are not inferior in capacity and skill; given educational opportunities, they are equally competent to face life's challenges. Many former students now working in companies have participated in the programme, acknowledging the assistance provided by scientist Sridharan. Employees of the Institute also remember the late Mr. Sridharan, who generously opened his house to students for study. Now led by his wife, the team continues his legacy with the same dedication and capacity for leadership. The scientists have displayed a culture of high civility in their activities, driven solely by the desire for transformative change, serving as a model for public institutions and higher learning institutions nationwide.

During my participation in their programme, teachers appointed by the scientists demonstrated a high level of commitment to their duties, setting an example for other public institutions. Despite receiving lower pay compared to government-employed teachers, they exhibit maturity and dedication in service delivery, buoyed by the support extended by the scientists. This support includes not only moral support but also care for their children, with teachers envisioning their offspring as future scientists. This model should be emulated by higher learning institutions in India to effect fundamental societal transformation. Currently, higher education institutions in India struggle to implement the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan scheme, despite having various support structures and limited resources. The scientists, by using their resources to fulfil their social responsibility, present a model that should be adopted by all higher learning institutions.

The writer is a former Professor and Rajiv Gandhi Chair for Panchayati Raj Studies, Gandhigram Rural Institute. Views expressed are personal