By Khushwant Singh
Seham (Punjab)(IANS) : A top British cop came visiting Punjab six years ago and so appalled was he at the quality of education in rural areas that he took on the task of raising funds for building proper schools.
Dave Gee, former head of the Criminal Investigation Department, Derbyshire, came to Punjab along with his Sikh NRI friend Balbir Singh in 2001. During his visit to Balbir’s native village Seham in Jalandhar district, he was shocked to see the dilapidated government school.
“The elementary school building was virtually falling apart. There were no desks, chairs or writing implements in the school and the children were without cover when I came on a holiday in 2001,” Gee said.
Then he pointed proudly towards the newly constructed school-building that has had an impressive orange makeover with the Indian tricolour painted on the parapet.
“That’s when I decided to raise money in England for Punjab children,” Gee told IANS. He is now posted as advisor to the Home Office on rape and sexual offences and homicide.
The top cop is being accompanied by two sixth form students, Sarah and Katie; the head teacher of Speedwell Infant school in Derbyshire, Rowena Teather; and the assistant head teacher of Netherthope School, Helen Mcvicar. The students and teachers have spent almost four weeks teaching schoolchildren the use of English words and their pronunciation.
“Gee is considered a godsend and is very highly respected in the area,” said Ravinder Singh Kang, who is in charge of the Seham elementary school. “Children love him and he is addressed as ‘gora’ (white man) in the village.”
Gee has even adopted India’s traditional kurta-pyjama as his style statement.
And in his bid to teach young Punjabis, Gee has picked up some Punjabi himself and often says – “bachho iddaan na karo” (children, don’t be naughty!).
In the last six years, more than 40,000 pounds (over $80,000) have been raised, including 2,500 pounds by a group of mountaineers who scaled three different peaks in England, Wales and Scotland respectively with “We climb every mountain for Seham” written on their T-shirts.
A sum of 5,000 pounds was raised by students from Netherthorpe High School, which is now twinned with Singhpur Doney, Seham’s neighbouring village. Gee raised funds after the village panchayat requested him to take control of the school.
Two more schools in the surrounding villages of Awanchaharmi and Kang Sahboo are being constructed and should be operational by March 2008.
He along with Kang has recently set up an NGO – National Youth and Education Development Organisation (Punjab) – that aims at bringing together committed individuals within the teaching profession, including NRIs, from surrounding villages.