MYSURU: With the objective of discouraging students from eating junk food and teaching them the importance of saving money along with familiarising them with banking work, a schoolteacher from Somwarpet taluk in Kodagu district launched a school-level bank called School Bank of Mullur (SBM).
The school bank, started at Government Lower Primary School (GLPS, Mullur), is the brainchild of teacher Sateesha CS. The highlight of this bank is that students have been assigned the roles of manager and cashier. Separate forms, passbooks, challans, etc, have been created to help students understand banking work.
The school has 38 students, studying in classes 1-5, and two teachers.
Sateesha said they started the bank on May 16, the first day of the new academic year. "We installed a locker to keep money deposited by students. Deposits and withdrawals are registered in a passbook. Separate challans have been kept for deposits and withdrawals," he said.
"Earlier, students would buy junk food using their pocket money. So, I decided to teach them how to save money instead of they eating unhealthy food all the time. I wanted to familiarise them with various banking activities. The students themselves play the roles of bank manager, cashier and other staff. They are allowed to withdraw money in case they need it," Sateesha said.
"Once the savings cross Rs 1,000, we will transfer it to nationalised bank accounts of the students. All 38 students have bank accounts," he explained.
Tanvi, a student, said she is happy to play the role of manager. "I hand over deposits of the students to the cashier. This experiment is innovative," she said.
Headmaster Manjunath TE said the experiment will help students learn the importance of saving money. "All the stakeholders, including parents, are happy about this exercise." Block education officer Suresh KV said Sateesha is a creative and committed teacher.
