Ali Ashqar, a 28-year-old teacher from Areekode in Kerala's Malappuram district, has relocated nearly 3,000 kilometres to teach at a remote school in Arunachal Pradesh. He currently serves as a language teacher at the NSCBAV School in Karo, located in the Shi-Yomi district near the India-China border.
Ashqar's journey to the region began during his pursuit of a Master of Education (M.Ed.) programme at a local university between 2022 and 2024. After becoming familiar with the community, he joined the school through an NGO at a time when the institution faced significant operational hurdles. According to reports from The New Indian Express, the school was struggling with declining student enrolment and a lack of hostel facilities, placing it on the verge of closure before government and NGO intervention.
Daily life in Karo presents significant logistical difficulties, including poor road connectivity, frequent landslides, and unreliable access to electricity and the internet. Ashqar told The New Indian Express that procuring essential supplies for school events often requires an eight-hour journey to travel 200 kilometres due to the state of the roads. Despite these obstacles, he has expanded his role beyond language instruction to include teacher training, extracurricular coordination, and fostering community engagement with local parents.
The school gained wider public notice recently after videos of students celebrating Onam went viral on social media. One such clip garnered nearly 5 million views, and the celebrations were even shared by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju.
Key facts
- The school currently serves 102 students, a significant improvement from its previous state.
- Ali Ashqar previously pursued his education in Kerala, Punjab, and Puducherry, and worked in Kashmir.
- The school is located in the remote Shi-Yomi district of Arunachal Pradesh.
- Procuring supplies for the school requires a 200-kilometre trip that can take approximately eight hours.
Why it matters
Ashqar’s efforts have been credited with helping to stabilise the school's operations and increase student attendance. By facilitating community involvement and extracurricular activities, his work continues to support the educational needs of children in a region where geography and infrastructure present extreme barriers to schooling.
Background
Before moving to Arunachal Pradesh, Ashqar followed an academic path across various parts of India, having completed his bachelor's degree in Kerala, a Master's in Punjab, and a B.Ed. in Puducherry.
Source: Livemint, Times of India
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