Raichur teacher enters India Book of Records for film on Vidyagama

Under the Vidyagama programme, the Karnataka Government took schools to the doorsteps of children for nearly two months when schools were closed as the nation was in the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Bengaluru 

A 38-year-old teacher from a remote village in Raichur district of Karnataka has entered the India Book of Records (IBR) for directing a short film on Vidyagama, a government programme that was launched during Covid-19. Under this programme, the State Government took schools to the doorsteps of children for nearly two months. 

In this programme, government teachers, under Vatara Shale (tenement schooling) scheme, held classes in shrines, community halls, homes and other available open spaces in rural areas of Karnataka.

Vidyagama was launched in August 2020, but was abruptly halted in October 2020 fearing spread of Covid-19.

The film on Vidyagama was made by Shankar Devaru Hiremath, who works in Duggamma Gunda primary school at Devi Cluster Camp in Sindhanur taluk, which is about 418 km from Bengaluru.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, following closure of schools, thousands of children were pushed into child labour.

The 19-minute film depicts the challenges faced by teachers in remote villages of Raichur district to bring children, who were drifted away from education, back to the academic fold, and how children, who had taken up work for daily wages, were convinced to quit their jobs.