Tea vendor's school for the less privileged
Shuva Chandrer School on the premises of Chashara Railway Station in Narayanganj is an institution to educate street children.
Shuva Chandra Das, a 25-year-old tea vendor, established the open-air school in 2016. He has been the lone tutor for the last three years.
Shuva was born in abject poverty and lost the scope of formal education after the demise of his mother when he was in the fifth grade.
However, he learnt the curriculum of the three later grades from one Taher, a teacher of Narayanganj Bar Academy.
“I was deprived of education, so since my childhood I dreamt of establishing a school for children who have no access to education,” Shuva said.
“I understood the need for education to be freed from poverty as I had a rough childhood,” he added.
Shuva named his school “Lal Sabujer Potaka - Sree Shuva Chandra Prathamik Bidyalaya” where he gives pre-primary education to children. After students complete pre-primary level, Shuva takes the children to nearby government primary schools for admissions.
Now Shuva is providing education to 63 children in his school, and so far, 30 children, mostly residents of adjacent slums, were admitted to primary level from his school.
Alam, a fellow tea vendor at Chashara station, said Shuva started his school in a slum on khas land beside the rail line. But later it was shifted to an open area near the platform as railway authorities evicted the slums for construction works.
Students of the school are happy as their teacher, Shuva, loves them very much. Their teacher treats them to biryani on the holidays, said Sumaiya, Mariya and Hasina, students of the school.
Shuva has a tea stall at Rambabur Pukur Par in Chashara. He earns about Tk 8,000-10,000 every month, which he spends to run his school.
“Every child has merit, but many of them cannot flourish due to lack of opportunities,” Shuva said, adding that he does not want any child to be deprived of education.
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