The Naik Charitable Trust takes the lamp of learning to rural south Gujarat and Mumbai. Mr. Naik’s philanthropy has transformed the educational landscape of the villages around Endhal and Kharel. It is constructing a major educational campus in Kharel including schools and accommodation for students and faculty. Its track record includes a unique Vaidik school, a primary school, a science centre at Kharel, and mobile science laboratories reaching out to 40 schools across four blocks in Navsari.
Generous funding goes hand in hand with Mr. Naik’s native understanding of the rural psyche. For example, he says, “There is a high drop-out rate among girls of a certain age in village schools. It’s not because the girls are not interested in studying further. The reason is embarrassingly simple –lack of separate toilets.” The Trust has therefore taken the ‘Swachh Bharat’ movement to where it is most needed – the schools of rural India.
The ‘Geeta Vaidik Gram’ school in Magod near Valsad is a rare blend of tradition and modernity. This school was set up primarily to promote value-based education and awaken in the children and the youth of the country interest in India’s heritage and tradition. Its medium of instruction is Sanskrit while its syllabus is as contemporary and comparable to other schools.
The NCT is setting up an ICSE School (Proposed) in suburban Mumbai, at Powai. This school will be different from Mr. Naik’s other community initiatives, as its doors are open to all. While the school will offer educational standards that are global, it will ensure a strong grounding in Indian values. The school places very high emphasis on the safety of its students and has a unique safety lab to impart safe practices. In addition, art & craft labs and in-house studios promote creativity among students. An expansive sports ground and badminton courts encourage children to stay fit and stay healthy.
The institution is all set to transform young minds through a safe and stress-free environment, supported by state-of-the-art academic infrastructure – making it a holistic teaching and learning centre.
Mobile Science Laboratories sponsored by the Trust are helping to foster creativity and innovation in rural schools. Under the ‘Science on Wheels’ programme, the vans are equipped with facilities comparable to laboratories in the best of schools. They cover 40 Government schools across four blocks in Navsari, taking physics, chemistry and biology to children and teachers in remote rural districts. These mobile science laboratories provide students with a real-life scientific experience which they can relate to their everyday life.
The programme makes learning fun for disadvantaged children, awakens curiosity, encourages questioning, and fosters creative-thinking and problem-solving.
The Trust has set up a Science Centre at the M N High School, Kharel to help make innovative science education accessible to all children in the area. The Centre functions as a central hub providing hands-on learning to students and stimulates creative thinking. Mobile labs act as spokes, reaching out to students and teachers in more remote areas. Equipped with models and apparatus for an array of experiments, and world-class learning aids, the Urmi Science Centre attracts students and teachers from around the district.
The Naik Charitable Trust (NCT) has taken the ‘Swachh Bharat’ movement to where it is most needed – to the schools which will mould the citizens of tomorrow. It has constructed toilet blocks for 41 schools in Navsari district. Since the lack of separate toilets has led to a high drop-out rate among girls of a certain age in village schools, the toilet blocks built by the Trust play a part in contributing to gender parity in education.
A major educational campus in Kharel is poised to bring in a new future in education for the region. The campus will include a primary and secondary school and vocational training facilities. Hostels for girls and boys and faculty accommodation are being ramped up. The facility is free, with only nominal charges being levied for boarding. The advantages of locating affordable accommodation facilities within proximity of schools will prove to be a boon for students.
The Trust encourages learning through innovative ways. It conducts various events and competitions and promotes participation from children. These include ‘Swachta hi Seva Divas’ celebrated on 2nd October to remind children of Gandhian values. Annual sports, drawing and debate competitions, as well as teachers’ training workshops, are conducted regularly to promote peer learning. Sanitation and hygiene are also focused on areas, which help in building a clean environment and reduces dropout rates among girls.