Gaya: In two villages of Gaya district, the call to school now comes with music. While Ramjeet Kumar walks through Piprahi village each morning singing “school chalo tum…” with a harmonium to draw children to class, another teacher, Imroz Ali, is using musical instruments to motivate students in a mahadalit tola of Kormathu village under Amas block.In Piprahi, an innovative attempt by a govt school teacher has turned music into a daily invitation to learning. Every morning, the lanes of the village echo with the sound of a harmonium as Ramjeet Kumar, a Sanskrit teacher posted at the +2 school in Piprahi under Barachatti block, goes door to door singing to encourage children to attend school.Kumar drew inspiration from a short video on social media and decided to replicate the idea in Piprahi, a village of around 150 households largely belonging to scheduled caste communities, where awareness about education has traditionally been low. When Kumar joined the school in 2025, attendance had been worryingly poor.Undeterred, he began visiting homes every morning, harmonium in hand, turning the daily call to school into a small musical campaign.“I started visiting at the doors regularly with the harmonium. It gives me internal satisfaction to see students getting motivated. The headmaster, Arun Kumar, is also very supportive towards the campaign. I also get very positive response from parents and the students as well,” Kumar said.He added, “As the parents are daily wage earners, it is difficult to convince them to send their wards to school regularly. The campaign directly connects with the children and motivates the willingness to attend school”.The effort has gradually transformed the atmosphere around the school. From sparse classrooms, the campus now sees a steady flow of students every day.School attendance has risen to between 200 and 250 students out of the total 300 enrolled. The renewed academic environment has also started showing results, with one student securing second position in a district-level quiz competition.Kumar’s initiative has not gone unnoticed. Recognising his efforts, S Siddharth, principal secretary of the education department, issued a letter of appreciation to him on April 23, 2025.Behind the initiative lies an equally inspiring personal journey. Kumar, a resident of Baank village in Barachatti block, grew up in modest circumstances. His father, Basudev Yadav, worked as a rickshaw puller, and the family struggled financially.Determined to continue his education, Kumar began taking private tuitions to support himself. He completed graduation with Hon’s in Sanskrit from Banaras Hindu University and later earned a BEd from Magadh University before joining the teaching profession at a middle school in Parasiya village under Imamganj block in 2022.Praising the initiative, headmaster Arun Kumar said, “The ‘musical campaign’ of Ramjeet Kumar under the ‘school chalo abhiyan’ stands as an example of how creativity and commitment can drive meaningful change in grassroots education”.A similar initiative is also taking shape in another corner of Gaya district. Imroz Ali, posted at a primary school in a mahadalit tola of Kormathu village under Amas block, has been motivating children to attend school regularly by using musical instruments.Imroz said, “The state govt has made available musical instruments in all primary, middle, high schools and the +2 schools. Availability of musical instruments prompted me to the motivate the students to attend classes. The idea clicked and since Feb this year the number of students attending school regularly increased to nearly 130 from the previous figure of about 70-80. Uniform as well as tie and belt has been provided to all the students. It also motivates them to come to school regularly”.Headmaster Suresh Chaudhary said, “A team has been constituted that prepares the list of absent students every morning. If the number of those absent is more than five, teacher Imroz goes with the team and convince the parents. The musical formula of teacher Imroz is really working”, he said.
