Into the light

Harshiya Banu with her students.

Harshiya Banu had a 75% defect in eyesight by birth. However, her parents, Arsikere Kareem and Rihana Banu, admitted her to Shri Basveshwara Higher Primary School, in Arsikere, Hassan district.

She fell in love with studying and the sheer routine of going to school. “Every night I would pray that the day would come sooner so I could go to school again,” said the 32-year-old Kannada teacher.

However, school didn’t come easy for Banu. When she was in class 3, many teachers recommended that she should be admitted into a blind school.

“My parents weren’t ready to part with me, and besides, at the time I wanted to be a doctor. And if I went to blind school, that wouldn’t have been a possibility,” she said.

In school, she was frequently bullied by friends and family for her visual impairment.

“People would often say that we would have to take care of her for the rest of our lives,” said Rihana Banu, Harshiya’s mother.

This did not discourage Banu; in fact, it pushed her to achieve more.

Studying science after class 10 was not a possibility. “I would have to do lab experiments, and handle acids in beakers,” she explained.

This was when, on the advice of several teachers and her parents, she had to reconsider her choice.

Harshiya’s mother had been insistent that she should become a teacher. “Teachers are very important in students’ lives. They can inspire many people to take up difficult career options, and from my daughter’s life experience I was sure that she would grow to be a great teacher,” said Rihana.

In fact, in Adarsha Vidyalaya of Kolar district, she was one of the first teachers to think of a language-learning lab. Here, she made models for easy learning of grammar elements like othakshara in Kannada language. Harshiya Banu uses teaching learning materials (TLMs) in an area that many teachers stick to chalk and board learning. “I want students to be thoroughly engaged in learning. So I make charts on grammar, about subject-verb agreement, about kaagunitha and varnamala, so children can form flowcharts in their minds,” said the teacher.

“People often think that only subjects like Science and Math allow for experiments, but that is untrue. Language involves daily experiments,” she said.

Harshiya even ideated a wall magazine, where students can display their forays into the world of literature. These efforts were even appreciated by the Department of Education officials.

“I was disappointed to lose the chance to learn science, but when I started teaching Kannada, it felt like a dam had burst,” she said, adding that language aids certain forms of knowledge. “So when you lose access to that language, you lose that knowledge.”

Her love for the language also led her to author poems.

Her colleague, Nirmala K, in Adarsha Vidyalaya testifies her love for the language. “Her love for Kannada led her to attend and organise many cultural events in our district, and even though she is from Arsikere, she managed to become a well-known figure in Kolar,” she said, adding that her work ethic was unlike anything she’s seen. “She would have 25 to 30 classes in a week, and she’d handle them with ease. It was evident to the children that she was dedicated to her work.”

Harshiya’s relationship with her students is enviable. In fact, her ringtone is a Kannada song that the students enthusiastically sing about her.

“They are so open! The best way to get them to learn is to listen to them and understand their troubles,” said Harshiya. Her students reciprocate this tenderness.

Ankita R, her former student, said, “She believed in learning by doing, and that helped me learn Kannada better. It also became a life lesson for me as it taught me the value of actions.”