Jharkhand police officer retains his passion for teaching

Though a sub-inspector in Dhanbad, Pankaj Verma takes time out to teach mathematics at a local girls’ school, making things easier for students, reports Mukesh Ranjan
Pankaj Verma ran math coaching classes in Hazaribagh before joining the police force | EXPRESS
Pankaj Verma ran math coaching classes in Hazaribagh before joining the police force | EXPRESS

JHARKHAND:  Sub-Inspector Pankaj Verma holds a master’s degree in mathematics. He later qualified to become a policeman in the state. He has decided to put his passion and work together: he takes some time out from his regular routine to teach at a school, located at walking distance from his police station in Dhanbad. Verma says he ran math coaching classes in Hazaribagh before joining the police force.

“Teaching at Government Girls High School, Modidih Sijua in Dhanbad, is my hobby. The school is located under the Jogta Police Station where I was recently posted,” said the police officer. Spending time with children and sharing tricks of mathematics gives him satisfaction that he is helping students unburden themselves, he said. Before joining the police department, he conducted math classes up to the graduation level, but after qualifying as a police officer in 2019, he left teaching.

A chance meeting with school principal Satish Singh led him to teaching at the school in Dhanbad, he said. “I found the principal very qualified as well as convincing. But the schools were closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” he says. The principal said after the schools reopened post lockdown, the police officer again called him asking for his permission to teach students. “I readily agreed,” said the principal. “Since then, he has been coming to the school regularly, whenever he gets time, and shares math tricks with students”, he added. “This is really commendable…

it will convey a good message. More and more highly educated government officers can now come forward to teach in government schools,” says the principal. “A teacher remains a teacher throughout one’s life and continues to share one’s knowledge. That’s so evident when you think about people like Verma,” says the principal. “Perhaps he can combine the discipline of a police officer with the knowledge that he has. This could be a unique combination,” he said.

His students are happy with the police officer around. The girl students say their new teacher in uniform has made mathematics easier through clearer concepts. “Learning math tricks from a police officer is really a new experience for all of us. It also helps in changing the image of the police in the society and reducing fear of police among the people,” said Class 10 students Priya Kumari. She says frequent interaction with the man in uniform will also help in removing hesitation among girls, who otherwise shy away from sharing their problems. “We look forward to a day when the image of a policeman changes for better,” says another student Shalu Kumari. “Our society should take this experiment in a positive way.”

BACK TO HIS CALLING
Before joining the police department, he conducted math classes up to the graduation level, but after qualifying as a police officer in 2019, he left teaching. A chance meeting with school principal Satish Singh led him to teaching at the school in Dhanbad, he said.

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