Farmer turns home into school to help local children in India

A farmer in India is being praised after he turned his home into the village school, after the original school was badly damaged in bad weather.

Mor Singh decided to allow his two-room house to be turned into a classroom after hearing that it could take more than a year to rebuild the local school.

He even moved his family out of the property and into a small shack, which they set up a few meters from his house.

Now his home acts as the local primary school, with around 60 pupils able to carry on with their learning.

Children wait for lessons outside Mr Singh's house

Monsoon rains between June and September make up about three-quarters of the annual rainfall in South Asia, where India is located - however experts say that this year the rainfall has been particularly intense.

As a result, some parts of the country have been much wetter than usual, with huge downpours and flooding recorded in many areas.

One of the places affected is Rajasthan, where Mr Singh lives.

After heavy rain left the village school unusable, he decided to open up his rural home so that teaching could continue.

Mr Singh, who never had the chance to attend school, wanted to make sure that the children in his village did.

He explained: "If I had not taken that quick decision, many children would have dropped out.

"The only other school is in a neighbouring village, which is a two kilometre trek in the hills. While the older students would have managed, the younger ones wouldn't have."

He added that it was "essential for these children to go to school, get an education and accomplish their goals."

Mr Singh's thoughtful act has turned him into a local celebrity.

One resident described him as a "hero for the entire village" while another said: "If he had not offered his house for the school, many of the children would have dropped out. We all appreciate his gesture."