1 Jan : Visionary woman opened first school for women in India

New year begins with the most inspiring story of today. It’s all about women empowerment, but dates back to 1848.

India’s first school for girls was opened in Bhide wada, Pune on January 1, 1848. It has been 170 years, that someone thought of Women empowerment so boldly. Indian Social Reformer Savitribai Phule gets all the credit and applause for this courageous step. Savitribai Phule was the first female teacher of first women school.

In 1852 she opened a school for Untouchable girls as well. She herself was uneducated but had a vision for women in India. She was married to Social reformer Jyotirao Phule at the age of 9. After marriage she completed her studies along with her passion to make women self independent.

She is also considered as the pioneer of modern Marathi poetry.

One of her poems :

Go, Get Education

Be self-reliant, be industrious

Work, gather wisdom and riches,

All gets lost without knowledge

We become animal without wisdom,

Sit idle no more, go, get education

End misery of the oppressed and forsaken,

You’ve got a golden chance to learn

So learn and break the chains of caste.

Throw away the Brahman’s scriptures fast.

— Poem by Savitribai Phule

#Hindi 
नए साल की शुरुआत एक ऐसी ऐतिहासिक घटना के साथ जिसे जानकर आप सब का सीना गर्व से चौड़ा हो जाएगा। 170 साल पहले आज भारत का पहला स्कूल खोला गया था जो सिर्फ लड़कियों के लिए था। ऐसा करने का सोचा और इसे मुकाम तक पहुंचाया समाज सेविका सावित्रीबाई फुले ने। ये स्कूल पुणे के भिड़े वाड़ा में खोला गया था। समाज सेवक ज्योतिबा फुले की पत्नी सावित्री बाई खुद पढ़ी-लिखी नहीं थीं, लेकिन शादी के बाद ज्योतिबा फुले की मदद से उन्होंने न सिर्फ अपनी शिक्षा पूरी की बल्कि महिलाओं के उत्थान के लिए इतना बड़ा कदम भी उठाया। सावित्री बाई फुले ने महिलाओं के साथ हो रहे भेदभाव को जड़ से मिटाने की ठानी थी और मरते दम तक इसके लिए जुटी रहीं।

Do you know :
**First school for Dalit Girls : **
Phule couple were into social service. Apart from imparting and encouraging girls to take up education, they fought against social evils like Casteism, Child Marriage, Sati Pratha, Untouchability, Miseries of Widows, etc. Mahatma Jyotiba Phule founded a girls school in Chipplunkarwada, Pune in 1851. It was India’s second formal school for girls.

**First man teacher : **
We all know him and adore him. We celebrate his birthday as Teacher’s day every year. He is Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the first Vice President and the second President of the country. He was first and foremost a teacher. Dr Radhakrishnan began his teaching career at the Madras Presidency College.

**Education started in India : **
Education, specially English education was introduced in India in 1835. This was just for the sake of creating a class of anglicised Indians who would serve as cultural intermediaries between the Britishers and the Indians.

**Most expensive school : **
Good Shepherd International school in Ooty is the most expensive school in India. Located on a 70-acre campus, the fees is 8+ Lakh per annum for 11th and 12th and 6+ Lakh per annum for upto 10th standard.

**World’s biggest school : **
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the City Montessori School in Lucknow, India, has 39,437 pupils and 2,500 teachers. It is the world’s biggest school.