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The first “Teacher Warriors” honoured 16 of the country’s best and bravest teacher warriors
They are teachers, yes, but warriors, even more, battling social stratification, apathy, lack of funds and a host of other issues, to give that one fighting chance to kids who need it the most.
Our initiative "Teacher Warriors" honoured 16 of the country’s best and bravest teacher warriors, striving to give kids a fighting chance at a better present and a future floating with possibilities.
“What good are chocolates to a person who is thirsty?” This insight by one of the teacher warriors in our upcoming series sums up the true and varied nature of education, far beyond the conventional three Rs (reading, writing, arithmetic) imparted in a traditional classroom.
It is rightly said that it is disadvantaged who need the best teachers. And though the latter may be few there is simply no denying that the quality is exceptional! These outstanding individuals have taken learning out of the classrooms of privilege, to those that need it most yet all too rarely receive it. They fight – the battle is far from over – tremendous odds to execute their mission. The sweet spoils of war? Engaged hearts, enlightened minds, and more often than not, well-nourished tummies!
Akshai Abraham, Founder, Project Khel
Amitabh Mehrotra, Founder, School for Potential Advancement and Restoration of Confidence (SPARC)
Babar Ali, Founder, Ananda Siksha Niketan
Faith Gonsalves, Program Director, Music Basti
Fr Maria Julian, Chitra Don Bosco Director
GK Swamy, Founder &secretary, Purkal Youth Development Society
Gazi Jalaluddin, a taxi driver from Kolkata who runs 2 schools and an orphanage
Mittal Patel, Founder, Vicharta Samuday Samarthan Manch (VSSM), Gujarat
Mrinalika Rathore, Founder, Sashaktikaran, Rajasthan
Navin Gulia, Founder, Apni Duniya Apna Ashiana (ADAA)
Sandeep Desai, Founder, Shloka Missionaries
Sudheer Jalagam, An NRI living in Washington
A group of extraordinary women from the Himalayas – The Kung Fu Nuns
Uttam Teron, Founder, Parijat Academy
Free and compulsory education is a fundamental right for children aged 6-14. Yet the reality is that universal access to elementary education is a distant dream for lakhs of India’s disadvantaged children. According to CREATE – Consortium for Research on Education, Access, Transitions, and Equity – scores of children living in remote habitations in rural areas are invariably unable to participate, the situation being even more challenging for girls and the disabled. The situation is graver still for the poorest of the poor, living on the fringes of society, who are simply not part of the scheme of things. While educating girls continues to be seen as unnecessary by many, and they are weighed down by domestic chores, boys are often withdrawn from the schooling system due to economic reasons.
First generation learners generally live in environments which do not nurture education, while malnutrition and illness along with a deficiency of healthcare facilities further reduce the numbers. Many schools lack adequate infrastructure, facilities, and resources, with teachers largely untrained and the curricula often irrelevant. Children invariably learn little and drop out of the system altogether.
Does anyone care? The answer is a resounding yes! Transforming the bleakness of this arid desert is a band of individuals, toiling selflessly to create little oases of learning and love. They are teachers, yes, but warriors, even more, battling social stratification, apathy, lack of funds and a host of other issues, to give that one fighting chance to kids who need it the most. Their methods are unconventional, their functions much more than those expected from a regular teacher, their rewards even more satisfying and their joy, absolutely infectious.