A teacher’s gift: 5 cents each for four students

KANNUR: A teacher should be able to grasp the untold miseries of his students and act accordingly. His job is not restricted to just teaching lessons but to know and support students in all possible ways. It was this realization that prompted K C Rajan, a high school teacher near Kayaralam in Kannur’s Mayyil panchayat, to do something meaningful for his students.
Ahead of his retirement next month, he gave five cents of land each to four homeless students. During his 35-year teaching career, Rajan had witnessed many students and their miseries. Some of them were homeless, said Rajan, who works at Puzhathi GHSS in the suburbs of Kannur town.
“I recently traced the background of a Class VIII student, who was frequently absent in class. When I enquired the reason, I came to know that she did not have a house and her family led a miserable life,” he said. He thought of providing land to this student. After a consultation with his family, he decided to give five cents each to four students who were identified with the help of his family, including his wife E K Rethi.
One beneficiary is the girl from Puzhathi, while the others are from Mayyil. The identity of beneficiaries won’t be revealed. Our help should not make them feel they are inferior and so I thought we should not disclose their identities now, he said. However, title deeds would be formally handed over to their families at a function at Orappadi on February 24 by former chief minister Oommen Chandy. MP K Sudhakaran will hand over the first installment of financial assistance.
The five-cent plots, with 3m road were given from the share of his parental property and the registration was completed on Thursday. Rajan is an active leader of Kerala Pradesh School Teachers’ Association, a pro-Congress association of teachers. KPSTA has offered them aid to build houses. The plan is to give Rs 1 lakh each to the students and secure financial assistance under government schemes like Life Mission, Rajan said.