Kendrapara: A 62-year-old man
has been teaching children in a village in Odisha's Kendrapara district for the last 40 years for free, making him the toast
of the villagers.
Balaram Das' name does not figure on the panel of teachers of the government-run Gobindapur Upper Primary School as he made it clear at the time of joining that he would not want remuneration for his 'mission to educate all'.
At 10' clock sharp in the morning Das arrives in his
bi-cycle without fail and this has been going on for the last
40 years, the headmaster of the school, Ashok Kumar Sahu,
said.
Sahu said, "He is an excellent teacher. The method of teaching adopted by him is unique. He is widely loved and respected in the village," Sahu said.
Officially, no outsider is allowed to teach in
government schools, but an exception was made for Das
considering his passion to teach, he said.
However, as a token of appreciation for his service to
the cause of education, Das is paid Rs 500 per month. Though
he had declined to accept the sum initially, he acquised
later, Sahu said.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, November 08, 2011, 12:36