The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Giving poor students a leg up

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 09, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Giving poor students a leg up

B.S. Satish Kumar

St. Joseph's Community College plans branches in 10 districts

BANGALORE: Till about a year ago, 21-year-old Mithun was an agricultural labourer struggling to make ends meet in Jampanahalli in the backward H.D. Kote taluk of Mysore district.

His father is a farm labourer who owns an acre of dry land, which beings him an income of not more than Rs. 6,000 a year. Being the eldest son in the family, Mithun had no alternative but to work as a labourer in others' fields to support his family even though he had completed his pre-university course.

Mithun's life changed after St. Joseph's Community College, run by Father Francis Guntipilly, brought him to Bangalore and enrolled him in the college. He was first given six months' training in speaking English, personality development and life-coping skills, besides basic computer operations. Once he gained confidence he was given a short-duration training in hotel management. The college found him a job in a hotel as a steward three months ago. He now earns a salary of about Rs. 3,500 a month and plans to obtain a degree through a correspondence course.

Similar stories

The story of 95 other candidates who have been trained by this college and are now working in a variety of firms differs from Mithun's only in the details.

The community college was started two years ago on the premises of St. Joseph's Indian Composite PU College. The computer laboratory facilities of the PU college are used by the community college. Members of the faculty volunteer during their free time. They are paid a nominal remuneration to cover travel costs. This small college has been given a boost by the presence of a retired IAS officer in their midst. Philipose Mathai handles the personality development course and takes English classes every day. As a former IAS officer, he infuses in them a sense of self-worth and self-confidence and helps them overcome their shyness. "It gives me great satisfaction. It is nearer to the work of a civil servant," he says.

Savithri Krishnamurthy, who teaches English grammar at a private coaching centre for CAT aspirants, handles English classes at the community college. "It is really very satisfying when a poor student comes to you and says he or she has got a job and is taking care of the family," she says.

Another young HR executive, Alice, left a lucrative job in a multinational company to become the course coordinator for the college. She learnt about the institution when nearly 40 rural students that it trained joined her company.

Expansion planned

Fr. Francis is planning to expand the college network and open branches in 10 districts so that more poor students can be helped. He points out that nearly 80 per cent of his students are from Dalit families and the remaining from the backward communities.

A majority are from farm labourers' families. He charges a nominal fee from students to ensure that there is some pressure on them to continue the course. For details, Fr. Francis can be contacted on phone no. 9449695139.

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