Flight dream comes true for five SSLC toppers

Pic: Two teachers of Belagali Vidyavardhaka Sangha's High School in Belagali village took five students, emerged as toppers in last year's SSLC exam, on a flight to Bengaluru on FridayBagalkot: Two teachers of Belagali Vidyavardhaka Sangha's High School, an aided school in Belagali village, promised students that they would take them on a flight if they secured 100% marks in their subjects in the SSLC exam last year. Inspired by their promise, five students achieved the target. The teachers fulfilled their assurance by taking the students on a flight to Bengaluru on Saturday.English teacher KA Dhaduti and mthematics teacher MD Nevanakki spent about Rs 56,000 from their own pockets for the benefit of students Sujata Yadahalli, Pallavi Bhadrashetti, Roopa Hallur and Padma Sanahatti, who secured 100% marks in Mathematics, and Mahalingappa Badiger, who secured 100% marks in both English and Mathematics.Dhaduti told TOI that they flew from Belagavi Airport on Saturday morning and visited Vidhana Soudha, the high court, the Visvesvaraya Museum, and Iskcon in Bengaluru. "We left Bengaluru by a private bus on Friday night and reached the village on Saturday morning. We spent Rs 41,000 on the flight and Rs 15,000 on the return bus, local transport in Bengaluru, food, ticket costs at the museum, etc," he explained. "It was my debut air travel too, and it happened because of our students," he added.Since Nevanakki could not travel due to health issues, Hindi teacher SV Radderahatti.Badiger, who secured 612 marks out of 625 in SSLC and now pursues PU Science, said that he lost his father 2 months ago. "My father was a tailor. We are almost landless now since 1 acre of land must be divided among my father's brothers. In such a situation, our teachers took us on a flight, which I never even dreamt of. However, their initiative has motivated me to achieve something in life," he shared.Other students said the journey was a memorable moment in their lives, as they never travelled by air or even see a flight from close quarters. "Our teacher even gifted 250 grams of sweets to offer to our parents," they said.Dhaduti and Nevanakki received congratulations from the parents' fraternity on Saturday at the school. Meanwhile, both assured that they would sponsor air travel for students who secure 625 out of 625 marks this year.