Faizan Khan/Agra

The importance of a Guru in the Indian system is immense and Mohammad Ishrat Ali of Mainpuri, Western Uttar Pradesh, has lived up to the standards set by ancient sages.

In his ten years of service in the Education department of Uttar Pradesh, Mohammad Ishrat Ali has not taken a single leave. His dedication to educating the next generations has earned him the National Teacher Award for outstanding teacher in2020s. The award was conferred on him by President Ram Nath Kovind in an online ceremony a year ago.

Ishrat Ali was appointed in the Basic Education Department in 2010 was four years later promoted as headmaster was posted to Government Primary school, Rajwana.

Smiles galore: Ishrat Ali with his students

When he took charge of the School it had 78 students. Seven years later, the enrolment has touched toIl and parents are keen to admit children to his school.

Ishrat Ali used many innovations to improve pedagogy and also managed to get more facilities for students. All this gave a new identity to the school and made students confident.

His school was the first to start smart classes in the district. In a year after he had joined, his school was adjudged the best school in the district.

A classroom in Ishrat Ali's school

His first award came when his school received the Excellence School Award instituted by the State Government in 2015.

 Next year, Ishrat Ali started a YouTube channel with lessons for students and uploaded more than 600 educational videos. He made optimum use of the Information Communication Techniques (ICT) in classroom teaching. For this, he received ICT Award by SCERT, Lucknow, for three consecutive years.

No wonder the school has been producing good results; its students have been successful in competitive examinations and got admission into Navodaya Vidyalas and for VidyaGyan scholarships.

Fun time: Teachers and Students with visitors to the school

To be a role model for the students is not simple for a teacher. Ishrat Ali along with his colleagues distributed food to 500 people daily for four months during the Covid-induced lockdown and his conduct must have left a deep impression on the minds of his students.

His school gives equal importance to sports and other activities.

Besides, Ishrat Ali has also been involved in imparting technical training at the national level.

He is the first teacher of the district  to have organized summer camp in the Parishadiya school during summer vacation.