He visits every household including HIV victims to join school
K. Udhayakumar (Photo: DC)
Salem: Tucked away in an obscure village in Salem, the Chinna Kondalampatti panchayat union school is little-known in Tamil Nadu. However, this Teacher’s Day, the fame of the school will reach the regal corridors of Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.
The school headmaster, 51-year-old K. Udhayakumar, who counsels and teaches children of convicts and HIV-positve students, will receive the Best Teacher award from President Pranab Mukherjee on September 5.
“It is a rare honour for a teacher who works in such a remote village,” says a visibly overwhelmed Udhayakumar. For this 51-year-old headmaster, teaching the underprivileged children, particularly kids who come from “distressing background”, is not just a job, but a mission.
He is not just a strict pedagogue who teaches from the textbooks. He visits every household in the panchayat union, counsels the children of convicts, single parents and HIV victims to join school.
Udhayakumar roped in a limbless boy, Tamaraiselvan, into the primary school. “We directly admitted him to class 5 and trained him,” Today, Tamaraiselvan is studying engineering in a private college in Rasipuram.
“Even during vacation, we go to school and provide guidance and counselling for our children,” says Udhayakumar. He keeps in constant touch with old students to make sure they are on the right path. “I consider the prestigious award as a recognition for my 23 years of service,” he sums up.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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