RAMANATHAPURAM: There’s no ‘teacher’ in the classroom, but the tiny tots are sitting quietly, busy immersed in their work.
Surprised?
Look closer, you will see a ‘big student’ sporting a moustache and uniform helping the children with their studies. And, that’s none other than the secondary grade teacher of Keelambal Panchayat Union Primary School, K Ramachandran, the only teacher from the State who made it to the list of National Teacher Award winners this year.
He is all set to receive the award from the President of India on the occasion of Teachers day on September 5. Ramachandran who claims his goal is to work towards the holistic development of government school students, always attends the classes in school uniform. “I wear the same dress as my students as it will help the children feel that I am one among them,” he says, adding more than 80% of government school students are from financially poor background.
Quoting ‘Cilappatikaram’ on the duty of ‘Sandror’, he asked, “Who else will guide them in the right path? That’s why I took the initiative so that my children could develop their skills.” It’s not just studies. Ramachandran has provided all his 30 students with android mobile phones so that they could keep abreast with the digital world.
The national award winner also has plans to start a magazine with contribution from government school students and has approached the Registrar of Newspapers for India. He said the prize money that comes with the award will be used for organising awareness programmes among school students about the ill-effects of drug abuse.