[Survivor Series] My service and commitment for the community matters

I am Kailash Chandra Bisoyi, a 56-year-old Headmaster (in charge) of the Patabandha Primary School located in the Bissam Cuttack block in Rayagada district of Odisha. I have been serving as an educator in this primary school since 2011.

After the closure of the school following the COVID-imposed lockdown in March 2020, I stopped visiting the Bissam village for four months.

As the number of COVID-19 infections reduced, I started visiting the village and began giving his services like completion of assessment and promotion, providing certificates for transition to upper primary schools, distribution of books, uniform, ration and financial assistance in place of mid-day meal to the students in his community, which belonged to the Kondhs.

I asked students to continue their self-studies at home. From January 2021, I started taking home-based educational services because I felt that students might find it hard to adjust with the curriculum after school reopens.

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I discussed it with the SMC (School Management Committee) members and parents of the children to further strengthen the home and community-based learning activities in collaboration with Livolink Foundation, an initiative of Tata Trusts. I started investing three additional hours, every day, with the community volunteers to support children during the pandemic.

I also got my daughter Situparna (a student-teacher in DIET-Bissam Cuttack) to support me to look after another group in the community. I took steps to ensure that all the students of his school have access to learning and that the possible learning loss is recovered.

I was also able to inspire my assistant teacher Amita Padhi to contribute to the process as well.

I have continued to regularly transact the work books, textbooks in language and mathematics, and other materials to facilitate literacy and numeracy skills of students. I have received tremendous support from the community in this effort, and they stand with me in times of need.

Today, I have brought both of my daughters to the teaching profession and have established a good relationship with the education office in Block and teachers in DIET-Rayagada.

My commitment to serve the marginalised community in the village and accountability to the salary I receive every month urges me to do something for the citizens of the next generation. It is my commitment for noble service to the marginalised community, and I want to communicate that a teacher is an ideal citizen – which I should earn.

The learning gaps caused by the pandemic will be bridged if teachers start serving their target communities in all possible manners. I am happy that I have been doing my duty and have taken the necessary precautions to stay uninfected from COVID-19 through all three waves of it.