Students in this Kolhapur school give up junk food to save and invest

Kolhapur: What if the easiest way to keep children away from junk food was not a warning, but a bank account?At a primary school in Tirpan village of Kolhapur district, students have answered that question by saving instead of snacking — pooling Rs 38,000 through a bank they run themselves.The experiment, called the ‘Bank of Tirpan', was launched in Sept 2025 at Vidyamandir Prathamik Shala in Panhala tehsil. Managed entirely by students, the school bank encourages children to deposit their pocket money and invest it in low-risk instruments such as recurring and fixed deposits, allowing them to watch their savings steadily grow.The idea, teacher Chetan Shinde says, was born out of a simple concern. "Children were spending small amounts — Rs 10 a day, sometimes Rs 50 — on packaged salty snacks from shops around the school. They would snack during breaks and take their tiffins back home unfinished," he said. The bank, with the motto "Small Savings, Big Dreams," was designed to gently shift that habit. Operating in digital mode with internet-enabled tablets, the bank opens only on Saturdays for a couple of hours. On that day, students bring money given by their parents, open accounts, deposit amounts and receive confirmation messages on their parents' mobile phones — just like in a real bank. The process, teachers say, makes saving tangible and exciting.Beyond discouraging junk food, the initiative doubles as a practical classroom. Students learn what debit and credit mean, how interest works, how to calculate returns, and why cutting unnecessary expenses matters. Mathematics teachers guide them through every step, while also encouraging them to persuade classmates to adopt the habit of saving.For many children, the bank has sparked dreams far bigger than their daily allowances. "I like reading books," said Class VII student Vignesh Patil. "With the money I save, I want to build a small library at home, lend books to others, earn some money and enjoy reading different books," he said.The school, which has around 350 students from Classes I to VII, ensures that financial education is woven into daily learning. Mathematics teachers train children not only to run the bank but also to calculate interest, understand investment choices and, most importantly, persuade peers to save by cutting unnecessary expenses."The students have also held a food festival and a vegetable market by borrowing money from their parents. And the profit they earned through the sales was re-invested in their small bank," said Shinde.The impact goes beyond money. Teachers say students have become more mindful about food, spending and long-term thinking."After saving and expecting good returns, the students plan to use the money more effectively," Shinde said.The school is currently closed for summer vacation, but the plans continue. When the bank reopens, students hope to save more, invest smarter and grow their corpus.