Ever since its invention, the train has been used for more than just fast transport.
Fine-dining on a train is something a lot of people would want to experience. There are also hospitals and even exhibitions on trains. Now, we can add one more use for the train: a classroom.
Watch the video to learn about the classroom in a train!
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Video credit: Rumble
That’s what the Government Primary School in Ashokapuram Railway Colony did when they converted two old and disused coaches into classrooms. They named it ‘Nali Kali’ in Kannada which means ‘joyful learning’ in English.
South Western Railway Spokesperson E. Vijaya told IANS: “In Ashokapuram Colony, a government school was established in 1936 for students of Classes 1 to 7 in three Type-II staff quarters.
“With the condition of staff quarters deteriorating over the years, two abandoned train coaches have since been refurbished and transformed into classrooms,” she said.
Staff from the Mysore Central Workshop refurbished the trains on a voluntary basis and had to spend only Rs 50,000 from the workshop account.
One coach serves as the classroom while the other is the common area for other classroom activities and to eat lunch.
“Both coaches have been re-painted in eye-catching colors, with alphabets and numerals painted on their exterior to inject an element of ‘joy in learning’ among the young minds,” Vijaya said.
The students also have access to bio-toilets which were installed outside the coaches.
So far, there are 60 students in classes 1 to 7 and most of the students come from families living below the poverty line. They also have four teachers.
“We expect the number of students to rise after the addition of two new classrooms,” she said.
“Next, we plan to reuse metal scrap from disused coaches to construct a roof over the entire premises,” Vijaya added.
Interestingly, last year authorities in Madhya Pradesh’s Dindori district renovated one government school so that it looked like a train. They did this to attract more students.
Railway officials reasoned that because there is no rail service in the area, the train would be a sure attraction among children.
Santosh Uikey, the headmistress of one secondary school in Khajri, led the efforts to make sure the building looked as much like a train as possible. The front of the building was remodeled so that it looked like a train engine.
The teachers came together and pooled their own money to make the building a reality.
Replaced!