Kendrapara (Odisha), November 08: He’s a man with a noble mission to educate all. Meet Balaram Das. Age: 62 years. Experience: Four decades. In an admirable show of community spirit, Das has been teaching children for free at Gobindapur, a remote village in Odisha’s Kendrapara district, for the last 40 years.
A toast of the villagers, Das’ name, however, doesn’t figure on the panel of teachers of the government-run Gobindapur Upper Primary School. While others take salaries, he teaches children for free. At 10 AM sharp, Das arrives on his bicycle at the school, says headmaster Ashok Kumar Sahu. “He is an excellent teacher. The method of teaching adopted by him is unique. He is widely loved and respected in the village.”
Officially, though no outsider is allowed to teach in government schools, an exception was made for Das considering his passion to teach, he adds. However, as a token of appreciation for his service to the cause of education, Das is lately being paid Rs 500 every month. Though he had declined to accept the sum initially, he agreed later, Sahu says.
——PTI