Mr. Incredible

Education is one of the biggest power humans has ever created. It brings together different people with the aim of creating something different every day. Babar Ali is one of those person who has harnessed this power very beautifully. That is why he is been given the title of “World’s youngest headmaster” by BBC at the age of 16 (2009).

It all started when Babar was only 9 year old. He was born in Murshidabad, West Bengal. Returning from school he saw some poor children playing Marbles in his village. The young mind thought, why not share what he learned at school with them so they can also learn and stop wasting their time. He called those children at the back of his house and started teaching them in way they thought they were playing a game.

The distance from his home to his school was 8 mile travel. But the rock solid will powered boy did it every day. He was an ideal student at school but what he did after school stimulated people. His decision of teaching children at a very young age was miraculous. At first there were only few children whom he would teach. Soon his tales began to spread around children and his class started getting bigger.

“We used to play school-school, with me as teacher. My friends had never seen the inside of a school, so they enjoyed playing students. They ended up learning arithmetic and enjoying It.”, said Babar in an interview, explaining how he started teaching (source: Internet).

Soon his school started getting famous and help began to come from different areas. His own school teacher, Monks from local Ramakrishna Mission, IAS Officer of his area, local cops and other government official started helping. The young teacher thought of having mid-day meals for his students. His father provided Rice from his field but now it comes from government.

The boy’s hard work was acknowledged by the government. Today his school is recognized by West Bengal state government i.e. students graduating from his school are eligible to take admission at other local high schools. His school have over 800 students with 60 regular attendees every day and 10 volunteer teacher, teaching from grade 1 to 8. Textbooks are given free in his school.

Babar completed his schooling from ‘cossimbazar Raj Govinda Sundari Vidyapeeth’ in Berhampore, West Bengal. He is also an English (Hon.) graduate from Kalyanyi University in West Bengal and currently pursuing M.A. in English Literature which makes him worthy of his title of ‘world’s Youngest Headmaster’.

Babar’s school today is called ‘Anand Shiksha Niketan’. He himself is a regular speaker at Ted Fellow and Ink Conference. He is doing whatever he can to bring down the illiteracy rate of our country.

“The narrow age gap works to our advantage. We are more like friends and the rod is spared in my school.” Says Babar Ali, the Youngest Headmaster of the World.