KOLKATA: Nupur Das (59), a Montessori teacher and a cancer survivor, heaved a sigh of relief after schools resumed on-campus classes from mid-February.
A few days after the Covid pandemic broke out and on-campus classes at all educational institutes were closed down in March 2020, Das lost her teaching job at a Montessori school.
Das had to close down her personal coaching classes as well as no kid would go for lessons. But now that schools have started reopening after two years, ‘Nupur Ma’am’ as she is popularly called, has been flooded with coaching requests from parents of toddlers. So much so that she does not have any slot left.
A breast cancer survivor, Das underwent surgery in July 2017, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. But she had returned to school a month later. “We have no children and I love to spend time with toddlers. Their endless energy is my inspiration,” said Das.
But when the pandemic struck and she lost her job, Das sank into depression as her 33-year bonding with kids was suddenly cut off. Things got worse when her husband, Aniruddha, too, lost his job in mid-July 2020. “My friends and a few relatives stood by our side and supported us financially. The two years of pandemic seemed to be never-ending,” said Das. Moreover, Das lost three of her close relatives to Covid. Her elder sister and brother-in-law were also down, but they managed to beat the virus after a long fight.
But the long ordeal seemed to be finally over for Das when the state decided to open all educational institutions. Students started making enquiries and soon, children returned to her private tuition.
Das now coaches eight children at her Bhowanipore residence. She is eagerly waiting for more Montessori schools to reopen. “Life is slowly coming back to what it was. The last two years were tough. But I want to leave it behind and look ahead,” she said.
“Nupur is a fighter. I hope she would be able to return to the life she had before the pandemic,” says Nandita Dutta, principal of Sishu Niketan, where Das worked.
