Meet Deep Narayan Nayak, the boy who studied on lent books, wore torn clothes, now educates 10,000 students

This 35-year-old primary school teacher from a lesser-known rural hamlet of Bengal has just been nominated for the UNESCO Global Teacher Award, one of the most coveted recognition in areas of social education. Starting his journey literally on the street with just two students, his dream organisation- ‘Raster Master’ (Teacher on the Street) has traversed a long way to reach out to 10,000 students at 50 centres across Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand and is now well set to move into Bangladesh. Driven by the mantra of ‘when there is a wall, there is a way’, he has taken ‘classrooms’ travel to the four walls of the vulnerable section of the society.

Speaking to Bizz Buzz exclusively Deep Narayan Nayak, Founder, Raster Master Research Foundation, narrates his struggles, his fascinating journey and how he is gearing up to take his journey to the next level.

What was the trigger behind starting Raster Master? What was the vision?

I hail from a far-flung rural hamlet in Bengal- Nandi village at Jamuria in West Burdwan (Paschim Bardhaman) district. I was one of the five children of my parents, four being my elder sisters. My father was a daily wage earner and running the large family was extremely difficult for him, let alone bearing my educational expenses. But I was very keen on pursuing my studies and somehow managed to continue my formal education on lent books and dresses. Many a time, I used to get clothes which were not of my size and my mother used to hand stitch them with white threads. And when I was going to school (Jaba Tilaka Majhi Primary School, Jamuria,) people used to make fun out of my funny dresses and bully me. Every time I was not getting all the books, I required. The difficult times and bitter memories of childhood had kept haunting me day in and day out. I always used to think that whenever I have the wherewithal and get the right opportunity, I would like to serve this particular segment, I had grown up in.

How did this journey start?

The financial and other difficulties notwithstanding, I passed my Madhyamik (Secondary Exam) with star marks. Most of the students, who could afford, moved to bigger towns and cities for further education. I had no other choice. I continued my studies at Nandi High School at my village. There were only three students in the class. I was the only student in that batch who passed the higher secondary examination, two others could not. Although I wanted to pursue a course in chemistry, I finally got admission into BB College at Asansol in BSc- Bioscience. After completing my graduation, I got admission into Burdwan University to do my post graduation, but I could not continue that. Sometime later I got admission into ICFAI University to pursue my MBA degree. But financial health of the family did not allow me continue that either. I realised that I would have to look for a job, by all means. And I got a job at Bamunia Primary School as an assistant teacher and my new journey began thereafter. I caught hold of two boys from the tribal families and started teaching them on the street, beneath the trees and elsewhere beyond my working hours, buying them slate-pencils, books and other stuff with my salary. The number then started moving up - from two to eleven, eleven to fifty-one, fifty-one to more than hundred and so on. Thus ‘Raster Master’ (teacher on the street) came into being. That was 2010.

With how many students/did you start this? What is the current strength now?

As I said earlier, I had started with two students in 2010. And now we have 50 centres and more than 10,000 students across many parts of Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam. We are now making inroads into Bangladesh as well. So many of our students have now become teacher-volunteers in our organisation. Many of our students are carrying out their higher studies at Delhi University and various other reputed institutes.

What exactly do you do and how do you do it? Could you please throw some light on the 3G model and 3D approach?

Initially, I used to set up make-shift classrooms in the street and teach couple of students on the blackboards. Then I realised that this model was not going to work and it was not scalable. And then I started reaching out to them at their places and converting their walls into blackboard. I was always thinking how to bring in an inclusive education for this economically weaker section and bring in sustainability in that system. Then I came up with this 3G Model (three generation model). The whole idea was that the flow of knowledge and education should move reverse from the kids to their parents and from parents to grandparents. And when it comes to life lessons and culture, it should percolate down the line- from grandparents to parents and from parents to their children. Creating awareness in the family against child marriages, early marriages and in favour of girl’s education were crucial aspects of this inclusive education. Twenty year old mother started attending classes with her kid/s.

We started using the walls of the houses in a big way- as blackboards and books. We came up with slogans like: ‘When there is a WALL, there is a WAY’ and ‘Rs 100 can change hundred lives’.

Our 3D Approach to 3G Model of Learning includes:

• First Dimension: Basic education, education on malnutrition, sports

• Second Dimension: Environmental and Societal (Cultural) Education

• Third Dimension: Empowerment (which is application of these education in life)

We started training the mothers how to play soccer and came up with the concept of having a Mothers’ Football team. We also give them vocational and skill development trainings.

What does Raster Master Research Centre do?

The Raster Master Research Centre takes note of our various real life experiences, analyses them, does lots of research on them and works on improving our existing inclusive education model and eventually takes it to the next level. And we do it relentlessly. At the individual level also I have been continuously increasing and improving my knowledge base, doing my graduation and post graduation in education, post graduation in social work and of course taking lessons from my life and experiences.

What is this UNESCO recognition all about?

In recognition of our works and activities, UNESCO has nominated me for the prestigious ‘Global Teacher Award-2023’ along with nine others from 130 countries. The winners’ names will be announced during the 42nd General Assembly on UNESCO in Paris on November 8. The Varkey Foundation of London, Dubai Cares and UNESCO are jointly give away these awards which has a prize money of $1 million. The other nominees are teachers from the UK, the US, Canada, Ghana, Chili, France, South Africa, Ukrain and Pakistan.

What is the way forward?

Our next priority is to connect them and integrate them (kids and their parents, in some cases) with the mainstream education and handhold them to get formal degrees and certificates, help them pursue further, advanced education and eventually ensure their financial empowerment and solvency. I would also like to move to other countries, where there are similar gaps and work with the economically weaker section of the society.