Guwahati: When Batskhem Thabah joined Raibah govt Lower Primary School in Easta Khasi Hills district in 2021, he found a campus close to abandonment, with enrolment steadily falling. The remote village, more than 80 km from Shillong, had only this lower primary school for foundational education, and it remained the only realistic option for many underprivileged families who could not afford private schooling.Thabah chose not to seek a transfer and instead mobilised local support to repair the school. A brief crowdfunding effort raised about Rs 1.2 lakh in a few days, while residents contributed labour and materials. The roof was fixed, classrooms were repaired, and a nearby unused Anganwadi building was repurposed as a temporary learning space.As part of a broader effort to rebuild confidence in the school, Thabah began bringing village elders into lessons as instructors, integrating narratives, oral histories and indigenous knowledge into daily teaching. The initiative evolved into the Raibah Living Library, centred on the school and emerging as its main draw.“The students get the textbook lessons in the school building and local wisdom is documented and shared with students in the Raibah Living Library,” Thabah told TOI on Saturday.The changes have been reflected in improved attendance and greater parent participation, with families attending meetings without being pursued, and children seeing their culture represented in what they learn.Five years after he first reported to the school, Thabah has been named among this year’s national awardees by Shikshagraha, a people’s education movement focused on strengthening leadership in India’s public school system.“Learning was also connected to livelihoods. Children were introduced to beekeeping and coffee cultivation—practices rooted in the region’s ecology, linking textbook concepts to real-world skills,” he said.“Batskhem’s genius is in understanding that education transformation isn’t confined to 4 walls,” said David M Nongrum, additional director, Meghalaya Teacher Training Academy.“By turning the village itself into a classroom, his work reflects the kind of community-led reform our public education system needs. His work, which is now recognised by the Shikshagraha Awards, perfectly mirrors Shikshagraha’s mission to strengthen public schools through community-led, scalable solutions across India,” Nongrum said.
