Malati Murmu: How One Teacher in a Remote Village of West Bengal Is Changing Education Through a Free School

When women nurture, tomorrow receives a gentler, stronger chance to grow. Malati Murmu of Jilingsereng, a remote tribal village in West Bengal, is one such force, whose free school is quietly reshaping

what is possible for local children.Malati is the only teacher in this Santhali and Bengali medium school, which is run from a mud house.The isolated village has barely any roads and no transportation; most people have no choice but to walk to reach it. In 2019, after her marriage, Malati moved to this village, which is 25 kilometres from Baghmundi in West Bengal. She quickly noticed that children were dropping out because life wasn’t easy. They were not disinterested, but attending school meant leaving their daily responsibilities of collecting firewood and helping with chores around the house. It also meant walking long distances just to reach the school. The village has a primary school run by the government in Baghmundi, but according to reports, villagers complained that the one permanent teacher and two assistants rarely came.

Determined to guide these children, Malati started holding classes at her home, free of charge. "I got married right after finishing higher secondary. I came to this village as a bride in April 2019. Within a few days, I realised the children here weren’t very interested in studying. Even if they went to school, they would drop out later. Why? On one hand, there was poverty. On the other, there was no one to guide them. So, from February 2020, I started teaching in my own home. Since then, my husband has supported this school in every possible way," Malati told Sangbad Pratidin (translated from Bangla).She is not a professionally trained teacher and has studied only up to class 12, but her determination has been unwavering.During the Covid-19 pandemic, the government-run school shut down. While classes moved online for many students, this remote village—still decades behind in development—could not sustain online education. This was when Malati’s school became vital. With the help of villagers, a mudroom structure with two classrooms was built.Malati's efforts are beginning to pay off. Children have stopped dropping out, and the school now has 45 students. Locally known as Maltibala School, it provides basic lessons in English, Maths, and Science.