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- Living with 75 per cent disability and dependent on a wheelchair for mobility for the past 16 years, Kumar has continued to travel to school and teach senior secondary students with an enthusiasm that those close to him say has remained undiminished.
- “He has never allowed the disability to be a hurdle in the profession and dedicates his 100 per cent to the school and students,” Srivastava said.
- For his students, a teacher who arrives in a wheelchair and returns day after day to guide another batch towards its future has spent years teaching one such lesson — that circumstances may impose limitations, but they need not determine the extent of one’s commitment.
For Vikas Kumar, teaching has never been confined to textbooks or the four walls of a classroom. For years, the vocational teacher at Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Senior Secondary Smart School in Sarabha has quietly demonstrated to his students what perseverance can look like in everyday life.
Living with 75 per cent disability and dependent on a wheelchair for mobility for the past 16 years, Kumar has continued to travel to school and teach senior secondary students with an enthusiasm that those close to him say has remained undiminished. This Teacher’s Day, his journey stands out as an example of commitment to education despite considerable personal challenges.
Kumar has been associated with the school since 2011 and teaches vocational subjects to students of Classes XI and XII, providing training in Exports, Imports and Management. His dedication has also translated into academic achievement, with students under his guidance consistently recording 100 per cent results.
Yet the significance of his journey goes beyond examination scores. Hundreds of students have studied under Kumar over the years, something he considers among the greatest rewards of his profession.
“Disability is not in my hands, but to move on, we need to push ourselves in a positive manner,” Kumar said. Teaching, he added, continues to give him immense satisfaction. “I feel so good while teaching my students. Hundreds of students have passed out under my guidance, what else do you wish for?”
His father, Anil Kumar Srivastava, said Kumar has never allowed his physical limitations to interfere with his responsibilities as a teacher.
“He has never allowed the disability to be a hurdle in the profession and dedicates his 100 per cent to the school and students,” Srivastava said.
The family, however, believes that such commitment deserves greater recognition. Srivastava said his son’s efforts have so far gone largely unacknowledged by the government, despite the difficulties he has overcome to continue teaching.
“When someone shows commitment towards work against all odds, he or she should be appreciated. Such motivation provides a boost to persons like Vikas to fight the odds with a smile,” he said.
Kumar’s journey has not been entirely free of unpleasant experiences. He has occasionally encountered insensitive remarks about his disability, but says he has refused to allow them to define either his outlook or his work. His wife also lives with a disability, giving the couple a shared understanding of navigating everyday challenges.
In the classroom, however, Kumar prefers to focus on his students and the respect he receives from them. He says the overwhelming majority of his pupils have treated him with affection and regard, strengthening his resolve to continue doing the work he values.
As schools across the country celebrate teachers and their contribution to shaping young lives, Kumar’s story offers a reminder that some of education’s most enduring lessons are not necessarily written on a blackboard.
For his students, a teacher who arrives in a wheelchair and returns day after day to guide another batch towards its future has spent years teaching one such lesson — that circumstances may impose limitations, but they need not determine the extent of one’s commitment.
