Inspiring a second chance

A gathering of standard X students,sitting on the floor and listening intently to a teacher in a science class is not uncommon.

Himmatshala helps students who have failed their SSC exams to regain lost confidence and clear the October retests

A gathering of standard X students,sitting on the floor and listening intently to a teacher in a science class is not uncommon. What is,however,uncommon about the students who gather everyday at the Vimlabai Garware Higher Secondary School is that they are all repeaters. Having given the exam once or maybe multiple times,these students attend the Himmatshala to regain their lost confidence. Started in the year 2007 by Dr A I Deshmukh,Himmatshala has been helping students get over their difficulty in clearing board exams by their second attempt itself,i.e. in October every year. We actually looked into the results of the last five years to understand this phenomenon before starting this organisation, says Deshmukh. He adds that one of the most important factors that they found was that the pass percentage of the repeaters was as low as 22 per cent in the October exam. Hence we decided to start a study group to help the students clear the exam in the second attempt in October,and not wait till March the following year.”

Deshmukh points out that the most damaging effect of the students failing the exams is the loss of self confidence and the subsequent humiliation that they face in front of their peers. Attitudes change once a student fails his first board exams, Deshmukh says. The parents start to look down upon their child,as do the peers. Many students refuse to sit for the exam in October. After giving up studies,many get into anti-social activities. The society on the whole suffers as a result.

And Himmatshala has impressive statistics to show for its effectiveness. Ever since 2007,when the first edition was held at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose School in Phulgaon,they have had only upward growth. The first year it was a residential school,but ever since 2008,it is being held at the Vimlabai Garware Secondary and Higher Secondary School in Deccan. In the first year,we had a pass percentage of 52 percent; in 2008,it was 53.6; in 2009 it was 67; and in 2010 it was 68. And if you compare this with the overall results from Maharashtra,these numbers will account for a large chunk of the students who pass in the October exams.

The students are trained by a dedicated team of seven teachers,everyday for two-and-a-half hours in the evening,following which there is half hour of self-study that is conducted under the supervision of the teachers. “We charge Rs 500 for the three months. However,when we find a student is sincere and honest,and manages to clear the exams in October,we refund the fees that we take from him. These are little initiatives that help students to work towards clearing the exams.”

Till date,a total of 172 students have passed,and this year,there are 92 students who are availing of the facility. Deshmukh and his team make use of the minimum essential for passing curriculum to help the students cope with the stress. We also have a unique programme under which we get a successful businessman or someone who has made it big in his/her field,in spite of failing the board exams for the first time,to come and talk to the students. Our main aim is to bring back the lost confidence of the children. That is what will eventually help them to come up in life, he says.

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