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Kerala teacher who boated and trekked 23 years to teach tribal kids

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Beginning in 1999, K.R. Usha Kumari managed all teaching, administrative duties, and meal services for primary students at the remote Kunnathumala Agasthya centre. Her daily travel required riding a two-wheeler, rowing a wooden boat across a river, and trekking through dangerous wildlife habitats. In March 2022, the state government permanently closed 271 Multi Grade Learning Centres to move pupils to superior facilities. As a result of this policy, she and hundreds of displaced instructors were offered lower-tier government posts, prompting her transfer to a cleaning role in Thiruvananthapuram.

Key points

  • Dedicated contractual educators faced extreme financial vulnerability despite earning ove…: Dedicated contractual educators faced extreme financial vulnerability despite earning over a dozen prominent state and national awards.
  • Government restructuring of alternative schools displaced hundreds of experienced teacher…: Government restructuring of alternative schools displaced hundreds of experienced teachers into menial manual labor roles.
  • Usha Kumari accepted a permanent appointment as a school sweeper at a higher secondary in…: Usha Kumari accepted a permanent appointment as a school sweeper at a higher secondary institution in Peroorkada.

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Women like K.R. Usha Kumari is not born everyday. Born in Kerala in 1968, she became a legendary teacher. Everyday, she would set out from her home in Amboori, Kerala, with a journey ahead of her that was far from an ordinary commute. She rode her two-wheeler to a riverbank, crossed the water in a wooden boat and then walked several kilometres through dense forest, to reach a small school in a remote tribal settlement to teach the kids.

Sometimes, she would even row the boat herself when there were no other passengers to help. Now that’s called dedication towards a mission she was committed to.

Who was K.R Usha?She was a teacher at Agasthya Multi Grade Learning Centre at Kunnathumala, located inside the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve in Thiruvananthapuram district. For over 20 years, she taught in the school. She was responsible for educating children from Classes 1 to 4.

She took this tedious journey for years, despite many difficulties. The hard terrain, unpredictable weather and the dangers of walking through a forest.

From teacher to sweeperHer story took an…

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