Episode #100: Sandeep Dutt pays tribute to John Martyn, who inspired and enriched the lives of children from rural areas near Dehradun. Martyn was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 1958 and a Padma Shri from the Government of India in 1983 for his notable contributions to the establishment of The Doon School.
In 1935, John Martyn accompanied Arthur Foot to India to establish the teaching staff of The Doon School, a newly opened boarding school for Indian boys. Martyn was at Doon for 31 years, thus becoming one of the longest-serving schoolmasters in the school's history. After he died in 1984, his wife, Mady Martyn, wrote a book about him entitled Martyn Sahib, the story of John Martyn of the Doon School.
In his honour, his wife and Martyn's friends set up John Martyn Memorial Trust in a village at the foothills of the Himalayas called Salagaon. The trust runs a school for underprivileged children and provides free education to over 150 children. The past 37 years have been an incredible journey as the school witnessed the lives of many disadvantaged children transforming because of quality primary education.
Since its inception, JMMS has grown from 25 students in a tent to 175 students in 7 classes from Nursery to grade 5. Most of these children are first-generation learners in their families. Apart from teaching, Martyn was very keen on mountaineering; in this podcast, Nibbrati Rathore of Learning Forward speaks with Parineeta Negi, the torchbearer of John Martyn Memorial School and a proponent of John Martyn's vision. Parineeta Negi brings her vast experience of teaching with her. She has headed schools and worked with NGOs like SIDH. Currently, she is the Principal of John Martyn Memorial School.
For more about the John Martyn Memorial School:
https://jmmt.org.in/
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John Martyn "I am passionate about Education...