Shabraj Bam has shown how a simple idea can change lives. A teacher from one of Nepal’s most rural districts, he saw how intimidated his students were by mathematical formulas. So he decided to turn math lessons into poems and stories, even setting them to tunes. His book “Maths Literature” is now used widely in Kalikot’s school system. Mr. Shabraj trains other teachers and hosts a radio program each year to help students prepare for their final high school exams. As a result, thousands of students who once found math scary now see it as fun. Shabraj has also taken a hard line against a culture of cheating on exams, a stance that has cost him with some of his colleagues.
