In a first of its kind initiative, the Akshar Foundation School in Pamohi, situated on the outskirts of Guwahati, has set out on a mission other than just teaching students. The school now accepts tuition fee in the form of plastic wastes.
Students are encouraged to bring in at least 25 different plastic wastes every week.
The school recycles the plastic received from students. The plastic wastes which were burned earlier to get rid of, are now being recycled to make bricks. These bricks are used for construction purposes.
Envisaged to inculcate vocational skills along with academics, the Akshar Foundation School, started with 20 students in 2016. The school built by Mazin Mukhtar, an aero engineer, and his wife Parmita Sarma, a social worker has more than 100 students now. It is affiliated to the National Institute of Open Schooling.
Apart from encouraging students to reuse the plastic waste, the school has also helped students get back to school from the local quarries and has improved the enrollment of children.
Usually children of this region work in local quarries to earn livelihood and support family, from a very early age.
To help students get back to learning, the school encourages senior students to teach their juniors. The senior students are trained to teach. They get paid for this which motivates them to remain in school.
Click here for more Education News
