Assam teacher teaches tech to moms, won nat'l award

Assam geography teacher Rajesh Bordoloi has been awarded the National Teachers' Award for teaching his students to teach their mothers everyday skills such as UPI payments, online banking, smartphone use, and basic reading. Called the Each One Teach One program, Bordoloi's initiative aims to bridge the technology gap between his tech-savvy students and their mothers, many of whom have limited formal education.

Bordoloi began the programme two years ago after noticing the disparity between his students and their mothers. For Bordoloi, the idea was simple: make digital literacy a part of daily life at home. The students become teachers to their mothers, and education becomes a shared journey. The programme has spread to five more villages, with 9 out of 10 students in the programme belonging to the agriculture-dependent Mising tribal community.

The mothers' learning from their children has motivated them to keep their kids in school, as the lessons provide a visible return on education to the household. The school has supported the programme by using government-provided smart boards during parent-teacher meetings to demonstrate digital tools directly to mothers. Bordoloi's community work also includes fighting against child marriage, a cause that started in Bhekelichapori.

For his efforts, Bordoloi received the National Teachers' Award among 48 educators nationwide, but he emphasized that the award is for his school, colleagues, students, parents, and the community. The success of the programme, growing from a single village to six through word of mouth and visible results, has been cited as a model for adult literacy in similar tribal and rural settings.