More than being a teacher

No send-off for you, students tell R.K. Iravil as they don’t want him to leave school

Overwhelmed: Radhakrishnan Iravil with his students at Government U.P. School, Malaparamba.

He was supposed to retire after 20 years of service on March 31. But his students and colleagues did not want him to go. They even refused to organise a send-off party for him because they wanted him to continue at the school in some capacity.

Radhakrishnan Iravil, known as R.K. Iravil, is that teacher. He had fought day and night to save the Malaparamba Aided Upper Primary School which was taken over by the government last year.

The role of a Hindi teacher in an upper primary school is very limited. But Mr. Iravil had to surpass such limitations for a greater purpose. When the management closed down the school in 2011, the local people and the school’s alumni formed a protection committee which fought for around five years to keep the school alive. Mr. Iravil played a big role in coordinating the activities of the committee and ensuring the support of parents and the public. He was quite often the face of the protest and the committee’s spokesperson. He was one among those who ran from pillar to post until the school was shifted to its original building as Government U.P. School, Malapparamba.

Hailing from Mappayyur in the district, Mr. Iravil entered into the profession at a very young age and built a career by teaching at tuition centres. He founded the Kairali Radio Club that helped students present radio programmes. He joined the Malapparamba school at the age of 36.

He also played a major role in securing various benefits from the governmentfor differently abled students at the school. He was also a driving force behind the school’s programme to build a house for a poor student.

“We don’t want him to leave. We are trying our level best to keep him here in some other capacity,” former PTA president of the school K.P. Ajith Kumar said. On March 31, 2017, which was supposed to be his farewell day, students, PTA members and teachers decided not to give a send-off to Mr. Iravil. However, they have decided to organise a reception for him on the day before the school reopens for the next academic year.