Dedicated teacher travels to help rural students without internet

[Oct. 1, 2020: Emerald Pellot]

A dedicated teacher is devoted to reaching his students by any means necessary.

Rudra Rana is a teacher in Chhattisgarh in central India. During the pandemic, schools closed and students were forced to take classes remotely. But just like in the United States, many students don’t have internet access and are left to fall behind. Rana took the initiative to create outdoor, in-person, socially-distanced classes.

Every day, Rana straps a blackboard and umbrella onto the back of his motorbike and drives around to educate his students. The locals are calling them “mohalla,” or “street,” classes.

“Very few students were able to join the online classes, so we started mohalla classes. So I thought of this method. This also ensures the safety of both teachers and students as there is no contact. As students can’t go to schools, I’m bringing education to their doorstep,” Rana said according to Hindustan Times.

Footage shows Rana ringing a bell to alert the neighborhood kids that class is starting. Children gather outside with their face masks and backpacks. They sit on the ground with their books open as the teacher conducts the lesson with a microphone.

“I travel from one region to another, gather students and educate them about coronavirus and their subjects. Even students are coming forward and showing interest while the locals are appreciating the initiative,” Rana said. “The umbrella on my bike represents a new way of educating students. It also protects me from heat and rain.”

This Brighter Side of News post courtesy of Yahoo! News.

Like these kind of stories? Get The Brighter Side of News' newsletter.