St. Georges School and Aashirvad Vidyalaya

St. George’s School and Aashirvad Vidyalaya in Kolkata are free institutions supporting 615 boys and girls from weak financial and academic backgrounds.

The school was originally set up as a boys school, but in 2004 it was decided that there was a need to give girls in the local community an equal opportunity to the boys. Regular classes take place from kindergarten to Class 8 in English in St. George’s, and from classes 3 to 8 at Aashirvad Vidyalaya in Hindi.

In addition to a free, quality education the students are provided with a midday meal and supplementary nutrition before school starts. Football and other games are organised by the school, and students also have the opportunity to attend computer classes in the school lab. Starting in January 2013 a football camp has also began at the school.

The school is completely free, and while it offers quality education to those who would otherwise not be able to receive it, the school had fallen into a bad condition. A recent donation by the Edmund Rice Network has meant that the school roof has been repaired, preventing dust and old building materials from falling into the classrooms. The donation also went towards classroom facilities, allowing for desks and chairs to be kept in good condition and ongoing maintenance to be provided to ensure a safe and clean learning environment for the students.