LUCKNOW: In Jhansi, a government school teacher has demonstrated the “art of teaching.” To inspire two absentee students who missed classes for several weeks due to various pretexts, Amit Verma, a primary school teacher posted at Lakara Primary School in Jhansi, took the entire class to their homes and started teaching there.
This unusual gesture has not only won him accolades from the authorities but also the hearts of the two students’ parents, as they sent their children to school along with the teacher. In rural areas, several parents get their wards admitted to government primary schools but do not send them, citing either farm work or engaging them in menial labor to increase family earnings.
Verma, hailing from Ghatkotra village in Mauranipur town, Jhansi, joined the teaching profession approximately 14 years ago. Currently, he is assigned to Lakara Primary School in the Badagaon block of the district. The school has a student population of 241, with a principal, half a dozen assistant teachers, and a Shiksha Mitra appointed to serve them.
On Wednesday, while Verma was teaching 4th-grade students, he noticed that two students, Meena and Gajraj, were absent. Both had not attended classes for several weeks. Initially, he sent a few students to their homes to bring them to school, but their parents objected. The parents explained that their children were helping them with labor work in another village. Verma had visited the absent students’ homes three times, but to no avail.
Disheartened by the parents’ response, he took nearly 33 students who were present in the class and went to Meena and Gajraj’s home at around 10 am. He set up his class in front of their house and started teaching. This attracted residents from the area, and the small gathering gradually grew into a large crowd.
Some from the crowd ridiculed the teacher, suggesting that it was not worthwhile to send children to school when they had to share the burden of their parents’ income. However, Verma was undeterred and continued teaching the students on the roadside.
After some time, the parents of both children approached Verma and apologized. They promised to send their children to school regularly. Verma believes that it is essential for students to attend school daily to meet the ‘Nipun Lakshya,’ a standard set by the government to assess students’ learning.
In fact, a video of the teacher conducting the class in front of the students’ home is going viral on social media. Verma plans to share the video in teachers’ groups to encourage similar efforts to ensure student attendance. “The teacher’s effort is praiseworthy. It will not only encourage students to attend school but also inspire parents to send their children regularly,” said Manoj Lakshakar, Block Education Officer of Badagaon.