Ground Report: Govt School in Dhaliwal Dona is a role model

In 2021, when students from Mansoorwal Dehati faced difficulty commuting to the Government Elementary School in Dhaliwal Dona, Kapurthala, teachers took the initiative to organise aid and purchased an e-rickshaw to help students reach their school. This act of community resilience is just one example of the collective efforts from the school staff and villagers to ensure that students have access to quality education.

The Government Elementary School in Dhaliwal Dona is a standout example of progress, with its unique features such as an e-rickshaw service, a running track, an upcoming skating rink, a conference room-library, and an educational park. The school also boasts state-of-the-art washrooms for boys and girls. A major addition to the school’s infrastructure is the Rs 2 lakh marble-framed gate, donated by the village’s NRI Dhaliwal family.

When the school had 79 students in 2021, the number has since grown to 130 students due to these continuous improvements. The e-rickshaw, painted yellow, now makes three trips in the morning and three in the evening, ferrying students from remote colonies in Dhaliwal Dona and Mansoorwal, where distances and a lack of transportation options were once barriers. The school staff contribute Rs 5,000 per month to pay the driver. Head Teacher Gurmukh Singh, who joined the school in 2021, reflects on his commitment to the school’s progress: “I asked myself, ‘Did I perform my duty today?’ Every day, I strive to perform my duty,” he says. The school’s successes are also attributed to generous donations from the NRI community and local villagers. Notably, NRI Jasbir Singh funded the running track, while the Dhaliwal family provided the funds for the gate and is planning to contribute further for the skating rink.

The school has also received funding for washrooms, set up through a collaboration between the community and the ITC, totalling Rs 3.5 lakh. The school’s success is evident in the participation of students in All India Radio programmes and the recognition of its teachers at the district level.

The latest addition, a grand Rs 2 lakh gate, was inaugurated on Thursday by Ramandeep Kaur Dhaliwal, wife of US-based Kuldeep Dhaliwal, and DEO Elementary Mamta Bajaj, alongside five girls from the school.

Ramandeep says, “Though living abroad, my heart remains connected to Punjab. This school has nurtured many members of our family, and we are always ready to contribute to the development of our village.”