Tirupati/Visakhapatnam: Recently two government school schools sponsored air travel for seven high-scorers in class 10 board examinations of Andhra Pradesh, which fulfills an pre-defense vow to encourage academic excellence. Most of the students were from poor families. Heart -warmed initiative noted that five girls from Beluguppa division in Anantpur district took their first flight to score more than 550 marks in SSC examinations, the results of which were declared later last month.Divisional Education Officer (Meo) Malla Reddy – A senior teacher himself was given a supervisory role himself – sponsored the journey. Collector V Vinod Kumar assisted in the initiative.“Most of us belong to BPL families. No one in our life had rode in a car earlier,” T Madhusree said, who was in a flight to Bengaluru-Hayatbad last week. Her batchmate Y Evari echoed the intoxicating spirit. “Malla Reddy Sir told us that all the students who secured 550 plus would get to travel in a flight. I never took an aircraft and that challenge inspired me to score better in my SSC exams,” said Aishwari.Reddy explained his novel idea. Reddy said, “All five students are from very poor families, but show excellence in SSC examinations. If the teachers and headmasters of government schools come up with innovative measures, these students will perform better than others,” Reddy said.In Vijiangaram, teacher Madhana Satya Rao played the role of Santa Claus for Sangiddi Vivek and Tea Revent with his parents. Vivek scored 593 runs, topped the district and Revantha finished third with 591 points. Both are from different schools in Merkamudidam Mandal, but took a flight to Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam on 5 May.Vivek said, “(Vayu) Yatra was a feeling of immense opportunities and a confirmation was that academic and career excellence could take us to great heights.” Her mother said that she never thought that she fly anytime and credits her son and Rao for experience.Revanath confessed that he initially thought that teacher Rao’s prior-proclamation announcement was intended to “encourage students to work hard” to sponsor air travel. “We didn’t expect this reality to become.” The young man said.
