PORTRAIT OF A PRE-INDEPENDENCE HEADMASTER
C. V. G. Krishna Murthy
The High
School situated in the Taluq Headquarters of a District was catering to the
educational needs of a number of surrounding villages. The classroom teaching
was in full swing. A chair was being carried by a class IV employee. Whispering
was going on among the students about the probable destination of the chair.
The headmaster in his usual professional attire of a dhoti, coat and turban quietly
walked through the corridor and sat on the chair in the classroom separately
brought for him. The teacher continued his lesson. The headmaster watched and
heard with keen attention the response of the students to the questions put by
the teacher. The salient features of the lesson- its merits and drawbacks were
noted by the headmaster. He walked out of the classroom after politely
informing the teacher.
During his
leisure periods, the teacher met the headmaster in his room to get useful
suggestions for improvement of the lesson and for a good pat for the sparks of
excellence in the lesson.
The
successive annual inspections of the school by the District Educational
officers brought laurels to the institution and specially for the able guidance
of the headmaster. For one or two able teachers who felt nervous about
inspection, the headmaster specially requested the inspecting authorities to
observe the lesson by standing outside the classroom without attracting his
attention.
The
headmaster and the entire team of teachers in the school offered remedial
coaching to academically backward students without expecting any sort of
remuneration. The present practice of undertaking tuitions for monetary
consideration was never thought of in those good old days.
The
headmaster struggled for upgrading the Middle school to High school. The
problem of absence of a site for the school was solved by the generous
Collector who visited the school. The headmaster requested the Collector to be
present for a few scenes in Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” enacted by
the students of the school. Initially the Collector agreed to be present only
for ten minutes but actually stayed to witness all the scenes of the drama. He
was all praise for the young actors and for the wonderful direction of the
teachers.
The Collector
who was highly impressed with the discipline and the talents of the youngsters,
asked the headmaster about the immediate requirements for the development of
the school. The headmaster was happy to get a sanction order for the allotment
of 15 acres of land. The untiring efforts of the headmaster with the co
operation of the local public and officials could construct two tiled
buildings. The headmaster maintained cordial relations with the public by
involving them in school activities.
In those days
Government scholarships were not freely available to poor students.
Scholarships for the poor students including scheduled castes and tribes were
instituted with the local financial aid of the public on the initiative of the
headmaster who had complete knowledge about the background of the students and
their financial needs etc. He used to bring round the erring students to the
correct path by his gentle counseling. Character building was considered to be
paramount besides the academic achievements of the students. The conduct of
examinations without a single case of malpractice was a feather in his cap.
The
organisation of various functions, annual meetings, sports meets, teachers
guild conferences etc, bore the unique stamp of the headmaster’s abilities. He
could enlist the whole-hearted cooperation of the entire staff and the active
participation of students for the successful conduct of all such events. In
recognition of his popularity he was made the President of the District
Teacher’s Guild and could persuade the authorities to stop the retrenchment of
abut 100 teachers during 1941 and 1943. The successful sports and games meet of
all the neighboring schools in the District which was organized in his school was
praised by the participating schools and the local leaders.
In the year
1920, the then President of the Krishna District Board, Sri Khan Bahadur
Mohammed Humayun Saheb noted the record of the school and said “Not only in the
scientific methods of teaching but also in the general administration, this
school stands as one of the best. The able headmaster and the willing
cooperation of the team of teachers are really praiseworthy.”
After
successfully completing about 26 years of service as headmaster of a District
Board School, he retired from service on 30th March 1946. In
recognition of his long service, silver jubilee of his service was celebrated
on 31st March 1946.
A well known
educationist who presided over the function, said in his address “Mr. CH. Venkatappaiah
(headmaster) is a simple and unostentatious worker, a teacher of rare abilities
and a headmaster of unequalled merit. To you who have known him for a quarter
of a century, and have known of the sweetness of his voice, and the greater
sweetness of his heart, eulogies from me will be stale-no gems need be carried
to Pretoria. Mr. Venkatappaiah’s name is one among the present generation of
headmasters, that will, long years hence, remain with unfailing lust in the
hierarchy of educationists.”
The Silver
Jubilee executive committee that paid glowing tributes to him. One day was
allotted for the silver jubilee function of the school. The Board High school,
Nandigama, in Krishna District, stands as a fitting monument to the zeal,
enthusiasm and outstanding abilities of the headmaster.