First Indigenously-run school by Savitribai Phulw

 

The first indigenously-run school for girls in Pune (at that time Poona) was started by Jyotirao and Savitribai in 1848 when the latter was still in her teens. Although they were ostracized by both family and community for this step, the resolute couple was given shelter by a friend Usman Sheikh and his sister Fatima Sheikh, who also gave the Phule couple place in their premises to start the school. Savitribai became the first teacher of the school. Jyotirao and Savitribai later started schools for children from the Mang and Mahar castes, who were regarded as untouchables. Three Phule schools were in operation in 1852. Report in ‘The Poona Observer’ on May 29, 1852:

“The number of girl students in Jotirao’s school is ten times more than the number of boys studying in the government schools. This is because the system for teaching girls is far superior to what is available for boys in government schools. If this situation continues, then the girls from Jotirao’s school will prove superior to the boys from the government schools and they feel that in the coming examinations, they can really achieve a big victory. If the Government Education Board does not do something about this soon, seeing these women outshine the men will make us hang our heads in shame.”

On November 16 that year, the British government honoured the Phule family for their contributions in the field of education while Savitribai was named the best teacher. That year she also started the Mahila Seva Mandal with the objective of creating awareness among women regarding their rights, dignity and other social issues. She was successful in organising a barbers strike in Mumbai and Pune to oppose the prevailing custom of shaving heads of widows.

All the three schools run by the Phules were closed by 1858. There were many reasons for this, including drying up of private European donations post the Indian Rebellion of 1857, resignation of Jyotirao from the school management committee due to difference of opinion on curriculum, and withdrawal of support from the government. Undeterred by the circumstances Jyotirao and Savitribai along with Fatima Sheikh, took charge of educating people from the oppressed communities as well. Over the years, Savitribai opened 18 schools and taught children from different castes. Savitribai and Fatima Sheikh began teaching women as well as other people from downtrodden castes. This was not taken well by many, particularly the upper caste of Pune, who were against Dalits education.

Savitribai and Fatima Sheikh were threatened by the locals and were also harassed and humiliated socially. Cow dung, mud and stones were thrown at Savitribai when she walked towards the school. However, such atrocities could not discourage the determined Savitribai from her goal and she would carry two saris. Savitribai and Fatima Sheikh were later joined by Saguna Bai who also eventually became a leader in the education movement. Meanwhile, a night school was also opened by the Phule couple in 1855 for agriculturist and labourers so that they can work in daytime and attend school at night.

To check the school dropout rate, Savitribai started the practice of giving stipends to children for attending school. She remained an inspiration for the young girls she taught. She encouraged them to take up activities like writing and painting. One of the essays written by a student of Savitribai called Mukta Salve became the face of Dalit feminism and literature during that period. She conducted parent-teacher meetings at regular intervals to create awareness among parents on the significance of education so that they send their children to school regularly.

 The first indigenously-run school for girls in Pune (at that time Poona) was started by Jyotirao and Savitribai in 1848 when the latter was still in her teens. Although they were ostracized by both family and community for this step, the resolute couple was given shelter by a friend Usman Sheikh and his sister Fatima Sheikh, who also gave the Phule couple place in their premises to start the school. Savitribai became the first teacher of the school. Jyotirao and Savitribai later started schools for children from the Mang and Mahar castes, who were regarded as untouchables. Three Phule schools were in operation in 1852. The School Committee Report–

“The state of the school funds has compelled the Committee to appoint teachers on small salaries, who soon give up when they find better appointment… Savitribai, the school headmistress, has nobly volunteered to devote herself to the improvement of female education without remuneration. We hope that as knowledge advances, the people of this country will be awakened to the advantages of female education and will cordially assist in all such plans calculated to improve the condition of those girls.”

On November 16 that year, the British government honoured the Phule family for their contributions in the field of education while Savitribai was named the best teacher. That year she also started the Mahila Seva Mandal with the objective of creating awareness among women regarding their rights, dignity and other social issues. She was successful in organising a barbers strike in Mumbai and Pune to oppose the prevailing custom of shaving heads of widows.

All the three schools run by the Phules were closed by 1858. There were many reasons for this, including drying up of private European donations post the Indian Rebellion of 1857, resignation of Jyotirao from the school management committee due to difference of opinion on curriculum, and withdrawal of support from the government. Undeterred by the circumstances Jyotirao and Savitribai along with Fatima Sheikh, took charge of educating people from the oppressed communities as well. Over the years, Savitribai opened 18 schools and taught children from different castes. Savitribai and Fatima Sheikh began teaching women as well as other people from downtrodden castes. This was not taken well by many, particularly the upper caste of Pune, who were against Dalits education.

Savitribai and Fatima Sheikh were threatened by the locals and were also harassed and humiliated socially. Cow dung, mud and stones were thrown at Savitribai when she walked towards the school. However, such atrocities could not discourage the determined Savitribai from her goal and she would carry two saris. Savitribai and Fatima Sheikh were later joined by Saguna Bai who also eventually became a leader in the education movement. Meanwhile, a night school was also opened by the Phule couple in 1855 for agriculturist and labourers so that they can work in daytime and attend school at night.

To check the school dropout rate, Savitribai started the practice of giving stipends to children for attending school. She remained an inspiration for the young girls she taught. She encouraged them to take up activities like writing and painting. One of the essays written by a student of Savitribai called Mukta Salve became the face of Dalit feminism and literature during that period. She conducted parent-teacher meetings at regular intervals to create awareness among parents on the significance of education so that they send their children to school regularly.

Jotirao and Savitribai focused on providing girls and boys with education that was vocational and trade- oriented in nature, to make their students self-reliant and capable of independent thought. In the 1852 report, they expressed the following opinion, An Industrial department should be attached to the schools where children could learn useful trades and crafts and be able, after leaving school, to manage their lives comfortably and independently. They created such a system.

The issue of drop-outs was even graver in those times. They found viable and practical solutions for this. They found that the reasons for the drop-out were, for most part, poverty and disinterest in education. They made provisions to give salary to the students and planned a syllabus which was geared to the interests of girls and boys, who came from the poorer sections of society. They took up an awareness mission among the Dalit-Bahujans to introduce them to the advantages and happiness to be accrued from education. They started literacy for parents and through this, built a holistic educational project. The ways in which Jotirao overcame reasons for drop-outs like Jatra-Khetra (fairs and pilgrimages), caste panchayats, superstitions and poverty will prove to be a guiding force even today. The Maharashtra government has recently started a scheme of giving attendance allowance to stop the drop-out of tribal girls and boys from school.

Jotirao and Savitribai always insisted that education should give one the ability to choose between right and wrong and between truth and untruth in life. They were making special efforts to create spaces where the creativity of boys and girls could blossom. The success they achieved on this front was also remarkable. When a small girl from their school went up on stage to receive her prize, she spontaneously told the Chief Guest, “Sir, I don’t want toys or goodies as prize; we want a library for our school. Her parents complained that this girl would be engrossed in studies everyday till midnight. The government inspectors commended the clean and healthy atmosphere of the school, the promotion of good taste and creativity and the focus on character-building.