Three Bengaluru teachers selected for Karnataka state awards

Krishnamurthy KS arrived at Government Model Higher Primary School in Gruhalakshmi Layout in 2009 to find classes being held under a tree on an empty site. The school had two students, and he was its only teacher.

He is now among three Bengaluru educators selected for Karnataka’s state teacher awards this Teacher’s Day. Krishnamurthy said he approached corporate groups and NGOs to develop the school, which now has 850 students, 26 classrooms, smart classrooms, and robotics and computer-science lessons from the primary level.

Shaina Kumari M, 43, teaches mathematics at Karnataka Public School in Jeevanbheema Nagar. She is also a novelist, teacher trainer and resource person for education-department activities.

“There's an inexplicable joy when you make it easy for a child and he gets the answer right,” she said. She said teachers should be allowed to focus on classrooms rather than non-teaching work such as SIR and census duties.

Ratnamma NM teaches Classes 1 to 7 at Kembattahalli school. She has also led yoga, aerobics and other exercises when a physical-education teacher was not available.

The statewide awards include 20 primary-school teachers and 11 high-school teachers.