Asha for Education

Shikshaniketan Vidyalaya was started in 1971. It's a government aided school for underprivileged girls with classes 5 to 10 (Madhyamik). The school current has total 210 students, 12 teachers, 1 clerk and 1 4th class staff. The teachers and other salaries are paid by government, but other school expenses (electric and phone bills, general maintenance, stationary for exams, cleaning and other similar expenses) have to be paid by the school. These expenses are covered by school fees (which is a nominal Rs. 75 per year per student). Sometimes, if these expenses aren't completely covered by the school fees teachers contribute to cover the difference. Books for some students are supplied by the Sarba Shiksha Mission by West Bengal government. Hence the school doesn't have any funding needs from outside sources for recurring expenses. Apart from problems with the actual school building, for which Asha funding is being requested, it's an excellent school and the only good resource for the huge slums by the railway tracks from Ultadanga to Kankurgachi.