Raichur Teacher Veeresh Teradal Builds 'Akshara Van' to Boost Rural Learning

A government teacher has developed 'Akshara Van', a unique outdoor learning space designed to impart holistic education to students at the Government Higher Primary School in Kesaratti village, located in the Lingasugur taluk of Raichur district.

Created by teacher Veeresh Teradal, the initiative aims to make learning engaging and accessible, especially to attract children from poor and downtrodden families who often stay away from formal schooling. Lingasugur taluk is widely considered a backward region where schools often lack modern teaching and learning tools.

Akshara Van features 48 stone slabs carefully prepared by Teradal and installed across the school premises. The slabs feature painted verses by saints and poets, alongside tenets of various religions. To support foundational education, Kannada alphabets accompanied by illustrations of animals, fruits, and vegetables have been painted on the slabs to help young pupils learn quickly. Selected slabs also display road safety rules and traffic signs to build civic awareness among students.

In addition to the stone slabs, the inner and outer walls of the school have been painted with important textbook topics to help pupils retain classroom lessons. Thoughts of prominent personalities and fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of India have also been illustrated across the school walls.

Teradal stated that the initiative was designed to ensure students focus on academics the moment they enter the school premises. He credited colleagues, parents, and members of the School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC) for supporting the setup.

SDMC president Hanumanta Marad noted that the teaching staff had brought recognition to the village government school. The initiative to move learning beyond standard textbooks and teach practical life lessons in an open environment has also received appreciation from the education department.