11-Year-Old Pleads for Quality Education; Gets Support From CM Nitish Kumar

Son of a curd seller, Sonu Singh requested quality education and pleaded to get admitted into a private school.

The dedication of the boy moved the CM as he instructed his accompanying officials to make arrangements for his studies

(Photo: The Quint)

In Bihar’s Kalyanbigha, a class 6 student got the attention of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar when he pleaded to the CM to help him with his studies. Sonu Singh, son of a curd seller, requested quality education and pleaded to get admitted into a private school.

"Sir, I want to study. Help me. The teachers do not know how to give quality education at the government school of Neema Kaul," said Singh with folded hands.

The Chief Minister was visiting his native village in the Nalanda district where he had gone to attend the death anniversary of his wife.

The dedication and confidence of the boy moved the CM. He was taken by a surprise and eventually instructed his accompanying officials to make arrangements for his studies and get him admitted to a private school.

"He asked me what my concern was. I asked him to help me with my studies. When he intervened, I was told that I would be admitted to the school. In government schools, teachers don't know what to teach. A teacher, named Deepak Kumar, can't even read English," he said.

'MY FATHER IS AN ALCOHOLIC': SONU SINGH

Aspiring to become an IAS officer, 11-year-old Sonu teaches a batch of 40 students, junior to him, to fund his own education.

Later, he added, ”My father (Ranvijay Yadav) is an alcoholic. All our money goes into buying his alcohol. Whatever money I earn by teaching, my father takes it away. I don’t have money to attend a private school.”

According to a 2021 report by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), there are 2.2 lakh vacant teaching positions in government schools in Bihar out of which 89 percent positions are vacant in the rural areas.