Two students, Aditya and Garima are having fun while learning from TV! How amazing!

A team of 3 tutors, 200 students, and a thousand supporting roles! This is all it takes to teach, educate, and learn it all. Even after facing the shun of schools and educational institutions, students of the Primary School, Rakauli, Mau, Uttar Pradesh felt the zeal to study and learn more. From repetitively asking questions about the reopening of their school to interrogating their teachers about why are they not able to teach them, these students were demoralized and unhappy with the ongoing situation. After making phone calls, they had the chance of meeting their beloved teacher and friend, Mr. Sateesh Singh.

Witnessing the plight of the students and their boredom, a teacher at Primary School, Rakauli, Mau, UP, was worried for the education of his students. He immediately convinced his students and set on to a task of creating worksheets for all 200 students! Within a week of assembling syllabus, printing worksheets, and what not, Mr. Sateesh proceeded to the students’ village and even brought along basic amenities to supply. Familiar with the situation, he knew it would be helpful if he could get some medicines, face masks, sanitizers, etc. from a correspondent hospital, and also purchased ration material and edible supplies for the village students and families.

Further, he handed over the worksheets to his students who were quite happy to see him and the homework that he had brought along for them. They were simply cherishing the opportunity that they will get to learn and practice their education after a long period. The COVID-19 pandemic had not only put their family woes in danger, but it had also endangered their lifestyles, thus hampering their peace of mind. There were a number of concerns among all villagers. While parents were concerned for the reducing income and unavailability of jobs all around, children were stressing over the loss of their education and studies. Yet teachers like Sadaf Kausar are brightening their future with their constant care and efforts!

Yet soon the teacher, Mr. Sateesh Singh got thoughtful about the difficulties he will have to face in order to supply worksheets to all students. In addition, the parents were also feeling strained about the unavailability of funds to provide their children with adequate stationary resources and educational equipment. Perhaps there had to be another way to solve the problem. With the availability of only 9 smartphones among 200 students and the presence of idle minds and demotivated souls, Mr. Sateesh took to discussing it with his department and seeking aid to improve the current situation.

After getting a nod on the zeal he was portraying and the care he had shown for his students, he went on to discovering a novel way for educating children. Primarily he arranged for 3 LED TVs. These TV sets could help them to show his students educational content that they were otherwise missing out on. From then on, he alerted his former students who are now in colleges or polytechnic institutions to help him achieve his goal. He thus made his former students in charge for his present students’ education and the last step of all was to arrange network provision and that of the internet. Hence, he did that too with full optimism and excitement. Not only this but he also kept in mind the norms of social distancing and he framed a mechanism for the same. All his tutor in charges had to do was to remain in constant contact with him and be his hands for the time being! One of the tutors, Rajhans Kumar is quite confident and affirmative that his students are learning well!

While planning to use LED TV, very soon Team Rakauli realized that this couldn’t be continued for long.  Therefore, they had to switch to a feasible, convenient, and simpler solution.  After consulting his fellow colleagues and some respectable acquaintances, he pledged to add one more option to educate his students. Thus came the time when Mr. Sateesh Singh implemented the use of loud speakers so as to educate and make his students learn. By following the same mechanism, he installed a 2 loud speakers in the village and till date his idea is proving to be a superb success!

His initiative not only made education for his students possible in such difficult times, but also ensured that all villagers avail of the facility. Since the loud speakers amused the whole village besides the students, they are being used to the best! From prayers and chants in the morning to educational stories in the afternoon and evening, the students were very pleased to see the efforts of their beloved teacher. Even the parents of the students are delighted. One of the parents suggest that the village has been made more harmonious and happy after these valuable efforts.

A simple road to a difficult destination was all it took for a teacher who had the aim to contain the deterioration of his students’ knowledge. He wanted them to keep revising the studies they have obtained so far. This was to ensure that when the world reopened and the things got back to normal his students wouldn’t have to struggle with their studies anymore!

Awarded with the most honored award by the state of Uttar Pradesh, Rajya Adhyapak Puraskar (State Teacher Award), Mr. Sateesh Singh is purely an inspiration for all teachers and students. Even in the times of global pandemic, he proved his excellence and fervor. Nothing could pull him back. His love for his students and spirit for educating them even in the hardest times of all, made him an inspiration! He is constantly getting the support of his colleague Sadaf Kausar, who is committed for school development. Her priceless devotion and dedication for the upliftment and betterment of rural children in terms of their education serves as an inspiration for all. The way she has put her students before her own life is the perfect representation of the passion she possesses for her students and the leaders of tomorrow