CHANGING THE PATH

Sharique grew up in East Kolkata. His father died when Sharique was thirteen, and under his mother’s instruction, Sharique committed to his own education. “She taught us that the only way to realise your dreams was to focus on your studies,” he says. “With our father gone, there was nobody to fall back on if we failed.”   

Sharique studied law – firstly at the University of Calcutta in India, and then in Leeds – with a view to one day working in his family business. 

But these plans were derailed when he returned from the UK. “Right next to where I grew up was slum housing. Leeds had widened my world view, and I saw things in a new light. In the UK, I’d seen fairness across class, gender and ethnicity. I couldn't ignore the inequality I was seeing in my neighbourhood.” 

As had been instilled from an early age, Sharique felt education was the key: “I believe education can break the cycle and empower children to change their own future.” 

Sharique carried out a study to help understand issues with the current education system, speaking to over 80 families in the poorest neighbourhoods. He found that parents lacked faith in an unstructured and inadequate government school system. Children dropped out at a young age to contribute to the household, and young girls often stayed at home to prepare for a traditional married role. He was convinced that a new school, accessible to the poorest families, was needed to restore trust in a modern education system. 

Drawing on family funds and friends’ expertise, Sharique built the Royal Grammar School in East Kolkata. When he opened its doors to pupils in 2016, it was unlike anything the area had seen before. Along with a structured curriculum and classes, they introduced counselling and health camps to support students. 

A low-cost learning model, scholarships and subsidies enabled the poorest students to attend. Workshops for parents helped them to understand the power of education. Sharique’s initiatives bridged the gap in access to quality education. 

Ten years since opening, the school has enrolled over 2,000 students, most of whom are first generation learners. “The power of equality I saw at Leeds inspired me to do what I have done,” says Sharique. “We’ve really made a difference to the neighbourhood, and we’re continuing to build on that.” 

His most recent initiative aims to reduce dropout rates by offering free online after school lessons with volunteer teachers. He is developing lifelong learning schemes for women who never had the opportunity to attend school, and bespoke schemes for students who have dropped out. He even has plans to build a new community centre to act as a cultural and creative hub for children.