By Mark McConville
WELCOME to the amazing school deemed the ‘eighth wonder of the world’ by visiting scholars due to their students’ remarkable ability to write with both hands at the same time.
Only one in one million people can write with both hands globally but an astonishing 300 ambidextrous have been trained thanks to teachers at the educational facility.
Incredible video footage shows the pupils in action writing with both their left and right hand, often at the same time and in different languages or subjects.
Unfortunately, the Veena Vadini school in India is facing a possible closure as the administration have been unable to pay staff for the past six months, who are threatening to quit.
Virangat Prasad Sharma, the founder of Veena Vadini School at Budhela, Singrauli district of Madha Pradesh, has even started an online fundraiser to save the school from the imminent shutdown.
“When a new student comes, I let them settle in for two to three days and after that I ask them to write,” said Mr Sharma.
“For 15 minutes, I observe them and then urge them to use both the hands. In some days, they usually get adept at writing with both hands. And now, our students can write different subjects simultaneously with each hand.”
“If regular students write a paper in three hours, these students can finish it in maximum one hour or one and a half hours,” claimed Mr Sharma.
Apart from teaching the general curriculum, the school encourages its students to learn different languages. Most students in the school can read and write English, Hindi, Urdu and Sanskrit.
“We are having financial problems.” added Mr Sharma.
“If we can make arrangements to pay the teachers then I am sure the school can produce some very bright individuals.
“If the school shuts down, these bright kids would have to go back the state-run schools where they won’t learn a thing. Their talent and intelligence will go to waste. So please help me save their future.”
India’s first President Dr Rajendra Prasad was ambidextrous and this inspired Sharma, an ex-army man, to train the students in his school to achieve the same skills.
The school was established in the year 1999 and scholars from South Korea and the UK have visited the school to do a research on ambidexterity.
“Government schools are not good,” said concerned parent Kumari Kewalpati Viswakarma.
“They barely make efforts to teach students. The kids like to learn at Veena Vadini school.
“They can write with both hands, but they can also write math tables. This is why we chose this school for our children.”
Her daughter Anita Vishwakarma rejects the idea of going back to the state-run school.
“I told my mother that I won’t study in a government school, they don’t teach properly, and after that I came to this school to study,” she said. “Now, I can write properly with both hands.”