Mangaluru: The Pernaje Sri Seetharaghava School, an aided institution that was on the brink of closure due to declining student enrolment, will be revived in the coming academic year as an alternative learning centre named Adi Swaroopa Shikshana Sadhana Kendra.The centre will offer both Kannada and English medium education and will follow an experiential learning approach instead of the conventional rote-based teaching system. The initiative will be led by Gopadkar of the Mangaluru-based Swaroopa Adhyayana Kendra.Established in 1966 by Pernaje Seetharama Bhat, the institution is spread across a 12-acre campus. Over the years, it expanded from a primary school to a high school and later a pre-university college. Located on the border of Puttur and Sullia taluks, it once served students from Jallur, Kanakamajalu, Mandekolu and Delampady.However, admissions gradually declined as parents increasingly opted for English-medium education. The PU College section was closed in 2024, followed by the shutdown of the high school in 2025.Explaining the concept behind the new centre, Gopadkar said the initiative is based on the belief that every child possesses unique abilities. Under the proposed model, students will spend about one month on textbook-based learning, while the remaining ten months will focus on experiential learning through activities conducted across the campus and at external locations.The institution plans to admit 100 students each in Kannada and English medium in the upcoming academic year. Renovation work is currently under way on the campus.As part of its long-term vision, the centre also plans to establish a museum, a film theatre, and specialised units for beekeeping and puppetry within the next three years, he said.The project has received support from the Bharat Agriculture Development Foundation in Vittal, which has contributed Rs 25 lakh for renovation work. According to Gopadkar, Kannada-medium education will be offered free of cost, and efforts are under way to extend the same benefit to English-medium students as well.
