SHILLONG: Living through cynicism of critics and the saga of patience paid off when the little-known Risa Higher Secondary School, which was once dubbed as “dustbin school”, rose to a new height when the daughter of the founder found her way to the sixth position in MBoSE SSLC exams this year.
Established in the year 2000, Risa Higher Secondary School located in Lumbatngen, Law-U-Sib, Shillong, was only a coaching centre for class IX and X founded by Deepak Prasad Kanwar and named the coaching centre after his wife, Risalin Khardewsaw.
With tears welling in his eyes, he recalled the insults the school endured, “We hear people call it a dustbin school. People seek admission elsewhere and see there is no one here. But we continued….from a dustbin school to this level now”.
In its initial years, the school coached school drop-outs. He observed that success is all about the hard work of the students and the effort put in by the teachers.
He said that the school had lost all hopes of getting a spot in the top 20 as most students normally miss the top 20 list by a few marks only.
However, “the lucky charm”, as Kanwar put it is none other than his daughter, Phibajanai Khardewsaw. She has studied in the school from class I.
“I did not want her to be anywhere but here in this school. She has proved herself and we are proud of her”, he said.
A shy Phibajanai said that she did not expect to get in the top-20 list and said, “I thought my preparation was not good. I plan to go for medical studies as it was my grandfather’s unfulfilled dream to become a doctor, so I am going to fulfil it”.
Phibajanai will pursue her 11th and 12th from the same school. The sixth position holder is from RKM, Mylliem, Balarihun Kharlukhi. The school also made its way to the top 10 for the first time.
Her mother works as a domestic help and her father is a daily wage earner although following a bone fracture, he is unable to take up physically tough jobs.
A jubilant Kharlukhi said she has prepared for the examination from the beginning of the year and said that poverty did not allow her to get the benefits of tuition but she made sure to approach teachers for any help in her studies.
She said, “I believed in myself that I could succeed” as she was effusive about her gratefulness to the teachers.
Kharlukhi exclaimed, “I have never been absent. I gave my whole-hearted concentration to the lessons and I worked hard. I woke up every day at 4 am not only during the examination but for the entire academic year and I made sure to sleep at 11:30 pm.”
Asked if she would able to pursue further studies, she said that the Maharaj in RKM Sohra had made all the necessary arrangements for her study as well as her boarding. She has the desire to become a doctor and will take up Science as she puts it plainly, “I love Science subjects”.
