Dipshikha School

In the heart of Dinajpur's Rudrapur village, there is a lively Modern Education and Training Institute (METI) handmade school. It is recognised as 'Anandaloy', a wondrous learning place. It was established in Rudrapur village of Mangalpur union of Birol upazila of Dinajpur District in the year 2006.

In 1997, Anna Heringer, an architect from southern Germany, came to Bangladesh for volunteer work with a Bangladeshi NGO named Dipshikha. Dipshikha works for the deprived people of rural areas and makes awareness regarding the importance of education, social well-being, and skills development.

Anna Herringer and her colleague Eike Roswag worked together and developed this design. In 2005, the construction was completed.

Studying style of this school is unique and quite different from other schools. It focuses on child's mental well-being. Besides various types of co-curricular activities are also practiced. The main 4 streams on which these activities have been prepared are - knowledge, Structure formation, Skills enrichment and values.

The school authority always enhances both students' knowledge and communication skills. They practice dancing, singing, acting, painting competitions, debate competitions, writing sessions and storytelling sessions. They also celebrate most of the festivals listed in Bangladesh, like Pahela Baishakh, Pahela Falgun, Independence Day, Mother Language Day, Victory Day, and so on. Right now, the school has more than 430 students.

How the school premises look like?

The main attraction of this METI school is its symbolic design, which is completely environmentally friendly. Soil, straw, sand, bamboo, rope, wood, tin, rod, brick and cement were the main ingredients during the construction of this building. Its walls are mixed mud, with damp proofing applied to the base. The building's walls are plastered with clay and sand. Palm oil and soap paste are used to plaster floors.

The building's exterior was not plastered. The first story of the structure, which is 9 feet high, has a roof covered with bamboo mats. Wood and bamboo are used in combination for two-story roofs ahead of 10 feet tall. Tin is placed on top to keep rain out. This building is a two-story, mud-built structure of 8,000 sq. ft.

This particular school doesn't have a luxurious chair table. Students sit on the mats on the floor, as it's also a tradition in Bangladesh.

The quality of education and the structure of the buildings are the two main things that amaze people about the METI. This handmade school project received 'Aga Khan Award' for incredible architecture in 2007. In 2009, the architect Anna Heringer received the 'Curry Stone Design Prize' for her elegant project work.