Child marriage, poverty, migration: 6 teachers who fought to keep children in school

For some children, reaching school is only half the battle. These National Teacher Award winners have tackled poverty, migration, disability, child marriage and poor attendance, helping students stay in classrooms and build futures they may otherwise have lost.These National Teacher Award winners have helped children stay in school. (L to R top: Kunda Jayawant Bachhav, Shailendra Pratap Singh, Dr Kavita Narsingrao Gitte | L to R bottom: Thanga Raj M, Khushboo Kumari, J Prakash Rao) (Photos: X/@EduMinOfIndia)For some children, getting into a classroom is not the hardest part. It is staying there.A girl may be pulled out of school for marriage. A migrant worker's child may move from one place to another. A child with a disability may have no reliable way to reach school. Another may simply stop attending because poverty has made education feel like a luxury.The Niti Aayog School Education System India 2026 report suggests that while children are entering the system in large numbers, staying through all stages remains a challenge.Across India, several winners of the National Teacher Awards 2026 have taken on exactly the problems that make children leave their education journey mid way. Their work goes far beyond lessons, exams and report cards. For them, keeping a child in school has sometimes meant fighting battles outside the classroom.President Droupadi Murmu conferred the National Teachers Award 2026 on September 5, recognising 82 teachers across school education, higher education and skill development.WHEN SCHOOL BECOMES A SECOND CHANCE In Maharashtra, Kunda Jayawant Bachhav has made the education of underprivileged girls a central part of her work.Through her "Educational Parenting" initiative, she has provided financial and academic support to more than 150 girls, helping them continue their education instead of being pushed towards early marriage.She has also helped mobilise more than Rs 55 lakh through community and CSR support, turning local goodwill into concrete educational opportunities.Over the past 20 years, Ms. Kunda Jayawant Bachhavof NMC School No. 18, Anandwalii, Nashik, has brought innovative and equal learning opportunities to every student.Through her transformative "Educational Parenting" initiative, she has provided financial and academic support pic.twitter.com/6voI6kLFWu— Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) September 5, 2026In Madhya Pradesh, Shailendra Pratap Singh has produced equally striking results at Government Middle School Kanjwar Majhauli.When he began his interventions, the school had 69 students. Enrolment eventually rose to 202, while attendance climbed from 44% to 96%.His work has also included preventing child marriages and helping a severely disabled student travel to school every day.Shri Shailendra Pratap Singh of Government Middle School Kanjwar Majhauli, Madhya Pradesh, is ecognized for promoting inclusive education, social reform drive and fostering community-led school transformation.His dedicated interventions increased school enrollment from 69 to pic.twitter.com/xZnzmgd7LN— Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) September 5, 2026The numbers tell one part of the story. The children who remained in school tell the other.FINDING CHILDREN WHO ARE EASY TO MISSIn Maharashtra, Dr Kavita Narsingrao Gitte has spent nearly three decades working with children of migrant sugarcane workers.Her initiatives, including Balrakshak and Shikshan Aaplya Dari, have helped bring children who might otherwise remain outside the formal education system into classrooms.Her work does not stop at academics. She has also guided students in sports, with nearly 210 children reaching state and national-level competitions.Dr. Kavita Narsingrao Gitte, Head Teacher, Sane Guruji Nivasi Vidyalaya, Kaij, Beed, Maharashtra, has made notable contributions to the education of migrant and disadvantaged children over 29 years.Through initiatives such as Balrakshak and Shikshan Aaplya Dari, she has helped pic.twitter.com/iCsXA34Ek5— Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) September 5, 2026In Tamil Nadu, Thanga Raj M has focused on children from disadvantaged communities.His classrooms use storytelling, games, art-integrated learning, phonics and digital tools to make school more engaging. But his role extends into counselling and career guidance, particularly for vulnerable girls who may be at risk of early marriage.He has also worked with communities to improve school infrastructure, including smart classrooms, interactive boards, toy libraries and toilets.Shri Thanga Raj M, Teacher, Panchayat Union Primary School Puliyampatti, Tamil Nadu, has made notable contributions to inclusive, joyful and child-centred education for children from disadvantaged communities.Through storytelling, games, art-integrated learning, phonics and pic.twitter.com/QmANtNDhWH— Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) September 5, 2026SOMETIMES, A HOME VISIT MATTERS MORE THAN A LESSONIn Bihar, Khushboo Kumari has used something deceptively simple to tackle absenteeism: staying connected with families.Through home visits, parent-teacher conversations and community engagement, she helped raise attendance at her Urdu primary school from around 50% to more than 90%.Her students have gone on to achieve successes including NMMS qualification and leadership roles.Ms. Khushboo Kumari of Urdu Primary School Bidaydih, Banka, Bihar, advances joyful and inclusive primary education by integrating activity-based learning, low-cost Teaching Learning Materials (TLMs), and ICT.Through sustained community engagement, home visits and pic.twitter.com/aqNFeeuC2f— Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) September 5, 2026In the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, J Prakash Rao has spent more than two decades working with children in remote areas.His approach combines experiential and learner-centred teaching with personalised academic and emotional mentoring, particularly for disadvantaged students facing difficult circumstances.Shri J. Prakash Rao of PM SHRI Government Model Senior Secondary School, Pokadera, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, has transformed having more than two decades of dedicated service, education in the remote areas of Andaman & Nicobar Islands through experiential, inclusive, and pic.twitter.com/48rO2Fqtx8— Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) September 5, 2026THE REAL TEST IS WHO GETS TO STAYThese six teachers work in very different parts of India and with very different groups of children.But their stories share one idea: education cannot work if children cannot reach it, afford it, understand it or remain in it.A teacher can teach a lesson in an hour.Changing the circumstances that stop a child from learning can take years.That is where these National Teacher Award winners have chosen to spend their time.- EndsPublished On: Sep 5, 2026 18:47 IST