The Shree Shertha Kelavani Mandal, a school in the Shertha village in the Gandhinagar District of North Gujarat, caters to area students from the preschool to higher secondary level (12th grade.) It was formed 50 years ago. Current enrollment at the school is just over 1500 students. However, with only 38% of the student body made up of girls, the school intends to expand to accommodate and educate more girls in the area.
In congruence with Gujarat policy, girls attend the Shertha School free of tuition, which helps encourage more girls to enroll in the school. Being located in a rural village with many poor farming families, school-age girls are expected to work at home in place of attending school, making girls more difficult to attract. Shertha does not only reduce fees for female students.
To encourage exceptionally bright students to continue their education, Shertha waives tuition for the student at the top of every class, as well as for winners of academic school competitions, such as the science fair. Additionally, the school finds donors to sponsor promising students hoping to pursue a higher secondary degree, making their dreams of college and successful careers a reality.
The Shertha School hopes to educate local children in all areas, from science to art to the humanities. Presently, though many students excel in the commerce track of higher secondary learning, students are not as successful in the science track, encouraging the school to place more emphasis on education in science. Officials at the school realize that the modern world is largely shaped by computer education and technology, and are currently adapting the school to accommodate for a more technologically advanced future.
REAL has granted $11,200 to the Mandal, a sum comprised of donations from our generous donors, many who have ancestoral roots to this village.
