Teachers guide students and good teachers bring out the best in students. If a teacher loves his calling, students don't have a choice but to love learning. Way back in 2003, a nine-year-old boy from Murshidabad district of West Bengal discovered a teacher and motivator in himself. On a fine evening, he gathered some under-privileged children under a guava tree in his backyard and started teaching them whatever he learned in his school. He conducted class tests, exams and distributed sweets on a regular basis among his 'students' and kept track of their academic interests. Fifteen years apart, 24-year-old Babar Ali is the 'headmaster' of 'Ananda Shiksha Niketan,' a registered non-governmental organisation that educates over 500 poor children. On this Teachers' Day, Onmanorama catches up with the nation's youngest head teacher, who envisaged a parallel nonprofit educational system at the age of nine!
The spark
“I was in class 5 when my parents transferred me to Beldanga high school, which is eight kilometers away from my home. Though I enjoyed my half-an-hour long journey to the school and back home everyday, the sight of poor children working in the wheat fields disturbed me. On October 19, 2003, I stole some chalk pieces from my class and walked all way to my home without taking a bus. On my way, I stopped at the wheat fields wherever I saw children and talked to them about my idea of starting a school. I promised them to teach them whatever I learned at my school for free. That evening, I got back home with eight street-children leaving my parents and siblings in utter surprise. I seated them under a guava tree in my backyard and taught them basic reading and writing,” Babar recalled.
Babar's younger sister Aamina, who was a great fan of his brother's lectures, joined his evening class too. He scribbled all that his teachers wrote on blackboards on large roofing tiles he had collected from the locality. The eight students passionately picked up the day's lessons from Babar. They awaited their 'teacher' at the gate of his Murshidabad house every evening.
“I would buy toffees and sweets from local vendors using my pocket money to distribute among my students. I called on the neighborhood houses to collect small portions of rice to prepare kheer for them occasionally. I wanted to make sure that my students were satisfied with my classes,” he said.
One day, when Babar ran short of chalk pieces, he approached his math teacher Vaijayanti Tiwari for some leftover writing material She denied them, thinking that he uses them to scribble on walls of classrooms and restrooms. When Babar's friends told her about his 'school' in the backyard, Vaijayanti gave him a box of white chalks every week. That was the first sponsorship Babar's fledgling school received.
The early growth
As Babar reached class 6, he commenced an additional batch and invited a local college professor for inauguration. The number of students in his school had grown from eight to 14, and his father built him a hut to conduct classes. Babar named his school 'Ananda Shiksha Niketan' and motivated more poor children in his locality to join. He also made the students of his first batch take classes to the newly enrolled students on reading and writing. For him, teaching is not only about creating good students but also moulding them as good teachers.
In 2004, the 10-year-old educationist took his students on a study-tour to the Ramakrishna Mission campus in the locality. “That was the only institution with a social outlook I knew at that age. I made my students visit the library and organised a meeting with the chief sage there. After learning about my venture, the mission sponsored two blackboards to my school. The old sage there embraced me and told me that the service I do to small children is very well the service to God. Years later, when I registered my venture as an unaided nonprofit educational institution, I made that sentence our motto,” Babar recalled.
By the time Babar reached class 8, there were over 20 regular students at his school. Babar knew that he isn't legally authorised to provide high-school education. He motivated his first batch of students to join Beldanga high school where he himself had studied and six out of eight students conceded to his advice. Those six students grew up, completed their undergraduate courses and enrolled as teachers at Ananda Shiksha Niketan later.
Formal entity
In 2010, Babar registered his institution as an unaided nonprofit educational institution under the state education department. He received donations and sponsorship to buy uniforms, books and to pay his fellow teachers. He gave priority to admitting poor children and girls in his school to promote education among the weaker sections of society. By 2014, more alumni returned with formal diplomas in teaching to Ananda Shiksha Niketan. The number of students rose to 200 and Babar converted his evening tuition centre to a full-day schooling system. The same year, 21-year-old Babar was officially recognised as the 'youngest headmaster' under West Bengal state education department.
At present, over 500 regular students, all belonging to poor families, attend Ananda Shiksha Niketan. Babar provides them with dress, uniforms, nutritious mid-day meal, life insurance and scholarships with the help of sponsorship and donations. The institution teaches its children till class 8 and encourages their parents to admit them to affiliated school afterwards. “We are trying to obtain high-school status. Many children who keep good academic records till class 8 do not join other schools afterwards as they cannot afford the expenses,” Babar revealed.
Plans ahead
Babar, the eldest of four children born to a couple who run a local business undertaking, meanwhile managed to complete his masters in English literature. He is pursuing another post-graduate programme in History. Babar delivers motivational lectures to students and trainee teachers across India. Ananda Shiksha Niketan has a campus, secure infrastructure and limited technological aid to teach the students. Babar looks forward to develop his institution with a hostel facility and better technological equipment like smart classrooms.
“Primary education is the basic right of every children born to this country. Like nutritious food and pure water, good primary education lays the foundations to an individual's personality. I still see many children spending their childhoods working in fields and begging on streets. With the help of generous minds, I want to invite all of them to my school and offer them good education, a livelihood and an ambition,” Babar shared his vision.
Sage advice
Babar has a word of wisdom for parents also: “Never underestimate the potential of your child. At nine, when I decided to start a school of my own, a single word of discouragement from the part of my parents would have let me down. They trusted me. My calling was to become a teacher. Your child's might me to become a businessman or a scientist or a writer. Motivate them to do what they are passionate about.”
