On Monday, Vansh Gopal Shukla put on his brand new school uniform — a striped pink full-sleeve shirt and brown pants — and picked up his school bag filled with books, pencils, sharpeners and erasers. It was his first day at school.
Except, Shukla was not a child or even a teenager. He is a 72-year-old farmer, one among eight elderly residents of Chhani Khas, a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Jalaun district, who have enrolled in the local government primary school.
They are entering a classroom for the first time, choosing to begin their education decades after missing the opportunity in childhood.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor among a giggling class 4th and 5th graders, the ‘new’ students cut a curious sight. Shukla, however, said: “We don’t want to die illiterate — that was one of the reasons we all joined.”
For many, it was a moment to revisit a dream long set aside. (Express photo)
Bhulai, a 67-year-old farmer and one of the students, said, “At first, we felt shy about wearing school uniforms and carrying school bags at our age,” said 67-year-old Bhulai, a farmer and one of the students. “But when my neighbours decided to join the school, my hesitation vanished.”
“I no longer go out to work because of my age and spend most of my time at home… my family also encouraged me to enrol,” he added.
The idea emerged during a meeting with senior government officials.
“Recently, officials visited our village and held a meeting to understand the problems we face,” said Shukla. “Some of us said we were illiterate and struggled to access welfare schemes because we couldn’t read documents or sign our names… we were forced to use thumb impressions…,” Shukla said.
“That’s when one of the officers suggested we could begin studying, even at this age,” he recalled.
Shukla said they asked them how it would be possible. “They encouraged us to enroll in the village school.”
A village meeting was later organised, attended by elderly residents interested in studying and their families.
These people are being taught under the Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram, a government-run adult literacy programme aimed at helping people who missed out on formal education earlier in life.. (Special Arrangement)
For many, it was a moment to revisit a dream long set aside.
“… In our younger days, we had to work to support our families and never got the chance to go to school,” said Bhulai.
Another new student, 60-year-old Kiran, who has two grown-up children, admitted that it felt unusual to go to school at her age. “But we had made up our minds that we would learn — at least enough to write our names and read documents on our own.”
Chhani Khas village has a population of around 2,400 people, including nearly 150 senior citizens. It has only one primary school, with a total of 57 children.
“This is a positive step by the government to help those who missed out on education in their younger years because they had to work and support their families,” said Girendra Kumar, husband of village head Preeti Singh.
At the school, headmaster Krishna Kumar said officials had informed them that some elderly residents wished to study and would soon be joining. “On Monday, when they arrived, we enrolled them and provided them with school bags, basic learning material and other paraphernalia.” A separate attendance register is also being maintained.
He said the school uniforms were arranged by IAS officer Rinkoo Singh Rahee, the sub-divisional magistrate of Jalaun.
Additional Basic Education Officer Gyan Prakash said they were being taught under the Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram, a government-run adult literacy programme aimed at helping people who missed out on formal education earlier in life.
Also known as the Nav Bharat Shiksha Mission, the centrally sponsored programme aims to promote literacy and basic education among adults across the country.
The senior citizens attended school for two days before it shut for the summer vacation. Kumar said once the new academic session begins in June, the school would seek guidance from senior education officials on whether the elderly residents would attend classes alongside children.
When contacted, IAS officer Rahee said the administration began making arrangements for the villagers’ education after the elderly residents expressed a desire to study. “We have also planned to open special classes for elderly persons if their number increases.”
He added that they also want to send a message to children that education is not just about jobs, but also about dignity and self-respect.
For many, it was a moment to revisit a dream long set aside. (Express photo) 
For many, it was a moment to revisit a dream long set aside. (Express photo)
These people are being taught under the Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram, a government-run adult literacy programme aimed at helping people who missed out on formal education earlier in life.. (Special Arrangement)
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