Gujarat governor OP Kohli turns English guru for poor kids

GANDHINAGAR: There is a giggle among the students as an English teacher, explaining basic grammar, tells a boy Devang, 9, that he is in love with a girl. Chuckles grow when the teacher elaborates upon adjectives and announces: "Devang is in love with a tribal girl". Soon, a roar of laughter sweeps the class when the teacher explains adverbs and says, "Devang is madly in love with a tribal girl."The class that lasts for a little above an hour is peppered with such humour. The 30 students are engaged in learning English conversation, basic grammar and tenses.The setting is a sprawling hall of Raj Bhavan and the English teacher is none other than Gujarat governor Om Prakash Kohli.At 80, Kohli, may have retired from active politics but there are no signs that he will quit something that is closest to his heart — teaching. His students are children of class 3 and class 4 employees of Raj Bhavan, who cannot afford to pay exorbitant fees to learn English."After I took over as Gujarat governor on July 16, I noticed that students here are poor in English. Tuition culture is rampant but not everyone can afford paying the high fees. That is how I decided to start teaching these children, who can't afford to pay for English tuitions. The emphasis is on spoken English," Kohli told TOI in an interview.Kohli holds classes for each batch every alternate day. (TOI photoYogesh Chawda)There are close to 40 students divided in two batches. The junior group comprises of students of classes 5 to 8 and the senior batch has those from class 9 onwards. Kohli holds classes for each batch every alternate day."I give them real-life situations and ask them to start a conversation. For example, one student is asked to be a patient who goes to the clinic of a doctor. I become the doctor and ask them to draw my attention in English," Kohli said.Poojaba Jadeja, who studies information technology in Sabar Institute of Technology for Girls near Gandhinagar, said, "English is extremely important. I have been attending Kohli sir’s classes for four months now and there is a sea change in my English conversation." Her father Mahendrasinh Jadeja is an assistant sub-inspector in Raj Bhavan.Simran Tiwari, a class V student whose mother Mamta is a class 4 employee, said, "I was very weak in grammar. Earlier, I was very hesitant to speak in English but now I feel much more confident." Simran added, "We feel very proud to be taught by the governor. We are lucky as not everyone gets such a facility at their doorstep."