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Pune: Five years ago, Vinod Zanak joined the zilla parishad school in Sakhara village of Washim district. He has worked with several batches of students to help them qualify for Navodaya Vidyalaya . This year, 22 of them qualified and made history when the merit list was announced on March 25.
Zanak begins preparation for Navodaya selection at the beginning of Std V where a special batch of around 40-50 students is formed. He hasn't taken a summer, Diwali, or Sunday off in five years and his class runs from 7am to 5pm daily. He has created his own notes and uses various techniques to guide students.
Since 2007, over a 100 students taught by him qualified for Navodaya and receive quality education. Washim's education officer Vitthal Bhusare said after the morning school session on Friday, he and a few other teachers, set out from Kalmanuri to meet Zanak and learn about his work. "During the hour-and-a-half journey, our curiosity grew.
Despite teaching from 7am to 2pm, Vinod was waiting for us at 3pm in the scorching sun, showing no signs of fatigue. He welcomed us to his home, where we spent the next 3 to 4 hours. He was humble and openly shared his journey, explaining how so many students qualified for Navodaya over five years.
" "This success is not mine alone but a result of the entire school's efforts, especially the hard work of teachers from std I to IV. This success is attributed to the collective and continuous efforts of all," Zanak said. He said the secret lies in starting early.
Nursery admissions begin on Gudi Padwa, and only those who complete pre-school education in that school are admitted to Std I. "By the time students reach Std V, they are well-prepared, and a special batch of 40-50 students is formed for intensive Navodaya preparation. My class never takes a break, and I have not taken a single day off in five years.
When Navodaya entrance exam approaches, night classes begin," he said. The district topper in Navodaya entrance this year, who hails from Sakhara's ZP school, said, "After the efforts throughout the year, I found my name on the top of the merit list. It is worth everything.
The school environment is good, and we never had the pressure of not being selected because the teaching was stress-free and we started from the beginning of the year with a single goal in mind." The school's management committee receives several requests and is open for visits every Friday. head: Model Institute In A Rural Area Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) are residential schools in India, established to provide free, quality education to talented children, primarily from rural areas, and are affiliated with the CBSE Zanak's school, known as Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Zilla Parishad School, serves as a model in the area, offering classes from stds I to VIII to 929 students, nearly 400 pre-school students and a dedicated team of 24 teachers Children from at least 16 nearby villages attend the school and about 10 rickshaws bring children from Washim city to study here The villagers of Sakhara donated 37 acres for the school a few years ago, transforming a barren area into a hub of learning.
The student population in the school exceeds the village's population of around 1,300 In 2023-24, it won the first prize in the chief minister's "My School, Beautiful School" competition with collective efforts from villagers, parents and teachers Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with EID Wishes , Messages and quotes !.
