In 2009-10, the Kannada-medium Darul Islam Aided Higher Primary School in Panemangaluru, around 26km from here, seemed ready to shut down. Many students had dropped out, choosing to enrol at English-medium schools or staying home for other reasons.
Physical education teacher Radhakrishna Naik and assistant teacher Nooruddin G M then decided to grab the steering wheel, quite literally.
The duo decided to ferry students to and from the school to ensure they did not skip classes.
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They pooled money and Nooruddin bought an Ambassador while Naik went for a Maruti Omni. They now make multiple trips in the morning and evening, and interact with parents to reassure them of the students' safety.
The idea has worked - the school now has a total of 185 students, from Classes 1 to 7. Nine years on, more than 50% of the students are dependent on the inhouse pickup-and-drop facility.
"With the advent of English-medium schools, the number of children joining Kannada-medium ones declined drastically. In 2009-10, our school faced a dire situation. This is the time we thought of introducing vehicles and pickup-and-drop facility," Pakruddin B K, headmaster of the school, told TOI.
"Most of the kids are locals. They stay within a 7km radius of the school. The two teachers pick up the students from their homes at 8am and ensure all the students are in by 9.15am. The school begins at 9.45am and closes at 4.30pm. Soon after, the two teachers drop the students home," Pakruddin said.
The teachers have rarely failed to turn up for their additional duty in all these years, added Pakruddin. For seven years, the teachers paid from their pockets for fuel and maintenance of the two vehicles, running up to at least Rs 2 lakh a year. Over the past two years, the residents have decided to take care of these expenses.
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"I have to reach the school from Mangaluru, covering 22km. I reach by 8am, take the Ambassador and drive to the houses of these students. I'm happy that the students enjoy the drive. They wait eagerly at their doorstep for my car," Nooruddin pointed out.
Though the school is aided, Pakruddin said, over and above salaries, it gets only Rs 12,000 per annum from the government for all other expenses. This money, he added, is not enough for even making photocopies through the year.
The school has a sanctioned strength of six teachers of whom one is retired. It has hired two more teachers, whose salaries are borne by other teachers.