Things began to fall in place when he found an enthusiastic partner in Rahul Bhandari, the young deputy commissioner, and a generous donor in Om Singla, an NRI philanthropist from Bathinda.

Soon the almost all-girl army of 100 Sikhya Mittars (Friends of teaching) governed by nine-odd supervisors and an academic head, was in place along with a learning model that stressed on phonetics and story-telling. Children were tested for their skills in 3 Rs and then clubbed into two classes of 25 each, one to be taught before recess and the other after. Six months on, it has reaped rich results with 79.5 per cent of its children learning to read, and 89 per cent getting proficient in maths.

It’s quite evident at the Govt Primary School, Harijan Basti, in Kot Fatta village which is alive with barefoot students in tattered clothes feasting on mid-day meals and the 3Rs. Head teacher Surjeet Kaur says it’s a miracle of sorts given the fact their parents are unlettered.

Vivek, who has faith in every child’s ability to learn, attributes this success to the Sikhya Mittars, girls from villages under the project, who taught without using the rod. Thanks to this, the dropout rate has been negligible and the collateral benefits overwhelming. The project has ensured community participation like never before.

The teachers, most of them gawky girls who have passed out of school, have blossomed into confident m’ams respected by both young and old. It’s also been a learning experience for many veterans like Karamjit Kaur, head teacher of Govt Primary School, Chanser Basti, Bathinda. ‘‘I want to incorporate this teaching methodology in the regular classes,’’ she declares.

... contd.