Dayawanti Punj Model School - Punj Lloyd

Dayawanti Punj Model SchoolSitamarhi

Where the mind is without fear and the head held high;Where knowledge is free;Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;Where words come out from the depth of truth;Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;Where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever-widening thought and action;Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.”Rabindranath Tagore

“It was during his many visits to the backward area of Bhadohi, in Uttar Pradesh that Founder, Satya NarainPrakash Punj, came face to face with the harsh reality of illiteracy, prejudice against girl children and poverty. Trueto form, Satti Punj decided to stem the rot at its source. He started an English medium school for girls at Sitamarhiwhich gave freeships and scholarships as an incentive to parents to educate their daughters, to break the mindsetthat boys are an investment for the future and girls should marry at an early age and leave their parental home.”Dr Rajkumari, PrincipalDayawanti Punj Model School

Leveraging on Punj Lloyd’s corecapability in the infrastructurespace, this village school wasbuilt with amenities worthy of thebest boarding schools in the country,internet, swimming pool, gymnasium,airconditioned auditorium and fieldtrips to Delhi and other parts ofIndia. In response to the increasinginterest of the parents to get theirsons’ schooling as well, the schoolevolved into a co-educational Englishmedium school. Dayawanti Punj ModelSchool can claim to have achievedwhat many prestigious schools aroundthe rest of the country could not.Sitamarhi, a pilgrimagedestinationSitamarhi is located between Prayagraj(Allahabad) and Kashi (Varanasi). Itis the birth place of Luv and Kush,the twin sons of Lord Rama. On thebanks of river Ganga, stands RishiValmiki’s Ashram where the great Rishiwrote the famous epic, ‘Ramayana’.60 km from Allahabad and 80 kmfrom Varanasi, Sitamarhi falls inthe Poorvanchal region, a partof eastern Uttar Pradesh.The area in and aroundSitamarhi is very remote andbackward. 70% of its populationlives a life below the poverty line.Economic constraints coupled withpoor hygiene, illiteracy, deep rootedsuperstitions, religious beliefs andlack of social awareness are the mostsignificant impediments to health care,elementary education and socio-economicgrowth. The literacy rate is extremely low.Gender bias is deep rooted and girls donot get the privilege of getting elementaryeducation. Poor and insufficient means oflivelihood add fuel to their misfortunes.

The Objective of the SchoolTo establish a local school that wouldprovide quality education and improvethe lives of people of the community.Model School was founded in memoryof S N P Punj’s mother, DayawantiPunj. The school is today a centre oflearning, fighting the evils of illiteracyand inculcating good values inthe children.The students, who largely belongto families supported by farmingand petty trading, are equipped withthe intellectual and practical skillsnecessary to build a career and meetthe challenges of professional life.The enthusiasm amongst the studentsacross age groups is overwhelming.Supported by their learning, thestudents aim to become pilots, doctorsand engineers, leaving their underprivilegedpast behind them.About the SchoolDayawanti Punj Model School isaffiliated to the All India Central Boardof Secondary Education (CBSE), whichis the largest educational board in thecountry and is an autonomous bodyunder the Ministry of Human ResourcesDevelopment, Govt. of India.It is a co-educational day-cumboardingschool, 1100+ studentson its rolls, studying from Nurseryto Class X. It is expected to growto |the senior secondary level,under the 10+2 scheme soon.Within a period of five yearsthe school has grown from 100students to an astounding 1100.Scholarships and sponsorships areprovided to encourage educationamong children, specially the girl child.Presently, 150 students, mostly girls,benefit from this facility. The school

has a total strength of 52 teachers whoare qualified in different streams. TheNational Council for Teachers Education(NCTE) a statutory body of the Govt. ofIndia has granted recognition to a NurseryTeachers’ Training Course and Bachelorof Education Course at the school.Education encompassingtheoretical to practical learning isimparted to each student through• Latest teaching aids• Computers and technologywith K-Yan equipment• Project work• Exhibitions• Practical labs• Activity rooms• Recreation facilities such asTV room, swimming pool• Library• Cultural programmes• Sports & arts• Mid-day meal facilities• Dedicated bus service• Boarding facilitiesIn other words, the school offers acomprehensive and holistic education.Apart from all the amenities provided,the school has one of India’s best multipurposehalls. The air conditionedauditorium cum indoor sports court canaccommodate up to 4000 students andis fitted with theatre lights and sound

system. The stage has a wooden springfloor specially designed for dancers toprevent fatigue. Recently, acoustic curtainsof German design were installed, dividingthe hall into three so that a dance recitalcan take place in one section, while asports event with loud cheering spectatorscan be held in the other section of the hall.A Holistic ApproachTo encourage overall development, theschool equally focuses on sports and extracurricular activities. The school organisessports day and annual day in which allthe students are encouraged to participateand present their talent. Yoga has beenintroduced. Every year, thirty students,50% of them girls, are chosen from classes1 to 10 to travel to New Delhi by train. Forthe first time in their lives, children get afirst hand experience of the Republic DayParade. Field trips are organised to theShankar Doll Museum, Rail and NationalMuseum, Zoological Gardens and evena visit to the International Airport, withspecial permission for entrance into acommercial aircraft. The kind of exposurethese students enjoy has a dramatic effecton the others, as they share the experiencesof the exciting time they had in Delhi,along with their classmates.Students of DayawantiPunj Model School havewon accolades at variousnational Drawing andGeneral Knowledgecompetitions held in

various cities every year. The school isalso looking at establishing a ‘SportsAcademy’ to train the children.Tutorials and Remedial TeachingPoverty and literacy hinder the growthand learning of children at home.To overcome this impediment, theschool arranges tutorials and remedialteaching to students who are slowlearners. Individual attention is given tomake the child think independently.Teaching FacultyThe teachers of Dayawanti Punj ModelSchool play a critical role in encouraginglearning among students. Well qualifiedteachers from various parts of India,reside at the campus along with theirfamilies to brighten the future of thesekids. Well furnished accommodation

is provided to them. Well settled in aschool with city like facilities, they do notmiss the buzz of metropolitan life. Theresidential facilities for the staff and theirfamilies are equipped with a mess, internet,swimming pool and a gymnasium.There are teachers who have beeninstrumental in the growth of the schoolsince its inception. They undertakeregular door to door campaigns in andaround the Sitamarhi district to spreadawareness of the importance of education.The school has a training centrewhere the teachers regularly undergotraining, with the latest in teachingmethodology and child psychology, enablingthem to enhance their professional skills.The teachers are encouraged to experimentand employ innovative techniques andsystems. Workshops, seminars, refresherprogrammes and discussions are heldto enhance their professional skills,attitude and teaching competencies.

Mid-day MealFor children with poor health owing tomalnutrition, the school’s managementprovides free mid-day meals, rich innutrients to students from nursery, K.G.,classes 1,2 and 3. The school aims toprovide this facility to more students.Systematic medical check-upsare undertaken to gauge the physicalhealth of the students who are taught theimportance of maintaining good health.HostelTo meet the constant pressure forlodging and boarding of the students,two hostel blocks are being built. Theywill be important assets to childrenliving away from home and learningin an enabling environment.

Tree PlantationTrees will be planted to exceed the numberof adult members of the community.Social Awareness & AwakeningTo educate the community to fight againstsocial evils, early marriage, dowry andgender bias, educational, health careand social upliftment projects have beenintroduced. Presently efforts are targetedat eradication of illiteracy and poverty.School CultureWith the guidance provided by a dedicatedfaculty, the students are encouraged toexploit their potential to the fullest. Whenthe first batch of students appearing for theCBSE exams could not study at home dueto long hours of power failure, the schoolmade impromptu arrangements for theirboarding and lodging within the premisesduring the crucial weeks preparatoryto their exams, making their staycomfortable and homely, with warm milkand nuts during the cold winter nights.A Tribute to the AlmightyAs a part of community building,Punj Lloyd Group has also builta beautiful temple. Satya NarainPrakash Punj conceptualisedand constructed the Sita SamahitTemple at Sitamarhi (UP). Itis the only temple dedicated toGoddess Sita, since it is here thatLord Rama’s wife descended into theearth. The temple is visited by manypilgrims throughout the year, with aguest house offering serene comfort.

Dayawanti Punj Model SchoolSitamarhiVillage & Post - SitamarhiDistrict - Sant Ravidas Nagar (Bhadohi) 221 309, Uttar PradeshTel +91 5414 236 362, 236 662