Two Maharashtra teachers are revolutionizing education and how

Ranjitsinh Disale, a zilla parishad primary school teacher from Paritewadi in Solapur district.

Last week, two teachers with rural and underprivileged backgrounds scripted history. Ranjitsinh Disale, a zilla parishad primary school teacher from Paritewadi in Solapur district of Maharashtra, not only won the $1m (Rs 7 crore) Global Teacher Prize (India's first), but shared half the prize money (Rs 3.5 crore) with the other nine finalists to support their work. Nitesh Karale, a little known teacher from Wardha in Maharashtra, who became a social media sensation because of his unique way of 'online' teaching during the lockdown, was persuaded by his students and fans to contest the graduates' upper house constituency elections from Nagpur division. He did not win against the mighty contestants, but shone with a gain of 7,000 votes, a feat that many other famous people in the contest couldn't achieve.

Nitesh Karale contested the graduates' upper house constituency polls from Nagpur division. He didn't win the seat, but won more votes than other famous people in the fray

The stories behind the teachers' success are inspiring for those willing to innovate and work hard without thinking much about support from social and political classes. Both believed that people recognize your efforts once you show results. Disale created his own path by being part of the conventional system. He couldn't complete his engineering degree but made an excellent IT-minded government teacher. Since Karale didn't get a government job despite clearing recruitment exams and interviews, he started a small-time private coaching centre for the unemployed taking public service commission exams. Disale, 32, works with primary students from not only his school but also from other countries. Karale, 35, hones the skills of graduates who could be running various arms of the administration. Both share a similarity in their approach to teaching.

Global teacher from the gaon
The resident of a small village in Solapur, Disale did his schooling in Barshi. After getting qualified, he joined the ZP's village school in Paritewadi 11 years ago. He was shocked when he visited the school to join it. The dilapidated classrooms had been turned into a goat shelter. But he didn't get disappointed. His next challenge was to bring the missing students, especially girls, to the schools. He visited families and convinced them to educate their children. The boys and girls started going to the schools and enjoyed it because their 'guruji' didn't bomb them with tough lessons and homework. Instead, the teacher showed them infotainment clips on his laptop and mobile, some famous animation (cartoon) films included. Eight months after Disale's arrival, the classes started formally. He had to fight the drop-out rate of girls from tribal communities and their teenage marriages. He used information technology to personalise audio-visual study material for his students through QR coded textbooks because they were not able to comprehend texts in Marathi. The students spoke Kannada. The idea became a hit. Soon, his school was awarded the best school in the district with 100 per cent attendance and many high achieving students. Recognition came in the form of 2016's Innovative Researcher of the Year (Union government) and the National Innovation Foundation's Innovator of the Year prize in 2018.

Disale's 'hits and likes' increased further when Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, mentioned him in his book 'Hit Refresh.' The teacher is now part of Microsoft's 'Let's Cross the Borders' project. Disale says he has connected with thousands of students from eight countries, including, India, Pakistan, Israel, Palestine, US, North Korea, Iraq and Iran.

Connected by language
"The students speak their mind, be it cross-border conflicts between their countries. The students from India and Pakistan find similarities between themselves. The same is the experience of children from Israel and Palestine, Iraq and Iran…" he said. Disale was chosen from among 12,000 nominations from over 140 countries and 10 finalists. The Global Teacher Prize, established in 2014 by the Varkey Foundation, gives prize money in equal instalments over a 10-year-period, besides financial counselling.

Karale and Disale have a similarity in their approach to teaching. Both believe that the subjects are learnt better if explained in the language the students speak. Disale converted Marathi, at times English study material into the language spoken locally. Karale, despite being trained in Pune where benchmarks for writing and speaking 'pure' Marathi are set, chose to use the Varhadi dialect of Marathi to teach his graduates. He says his success ratio is better than the elite coaching classes because he speaks the language his students speak. "Teachers have to find examples in daily life and use the local language to help students understand the curriculum," he said.

Karale attempted farming before going to Pune for coaching in writing recruitment exams. He said he passed the preliminary and mains twice and went through interviews, but wasn't picked. He returned home to be told that he would be running his father's village grocery shop and looking after a farm. However, a bunch of job-seeking graduates, including Karale's cousin, suggested that he start a coaching centre.

He began with four students and borrowed Rs 20,000 from his father to rent a room in Wardha town. Soon, his unique teaching style took the graduates and under-graduates by storm, because the explanations came in the language and expressions they understood very well. Karale's popularity soared during the lockdown when his classroom videos were uploaded on YouTube. Initially, the lockdown viewers took him as yet another stand-up comedian, but the more they watched him, they realised he was a teacher with a difference. As the political cacophony for the polls began last month, Karale's fans and students displayed without his knowledge his posters in Wardha and other towns, declaring him their candidate for the graduates' constituency despite knowing he wouldn't win. Karale didn't disappoint them. He filed his nomination. Over 7,000 graduates endorsed him as their choice.

Dharmendra Jore is political editor, mid-day. He tweets @dharmendrajore
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