‘Believe yourself’: how kids from a Madurai hamlet have taken over Instagram

Inspiring teacher showcases students' talents on Instagram, gaining three lakh followers and praise from officials and parents.

If ‘Believe in yourself, Sivadarshini’ has not taken over your Instagram algorithm, and is not part of your morning affirmations, are you even Instagramming right?

In the last two months, the Panchayat Union Middle school, Therkamoor in Madurai district, has been trending on social media showcasing its students’ talents through reels. One of the reels that has taken Instagram by storm shows kids with their thumbs pointing to their chest, saying “believe yourself”.

I.S. Sumathi, the teacher behind the videos, said the attention had brought them a lot of goodwill. Initially, she did not trust social media, and uploaded the videos on WhatsApp and her private Facebook account. Then, she stopped them shortly. She was not on Instagram.

A student named Sivadharshini and her siblings – Sivapandi and Subhashree — inspired her to start the page _.future_genius._ on Instagram. Started in 2022, the page today has nearly three lakh followers.

The teacher hasn’t looked back since. Praises on the videos have been pouring in from all corners, including the School Education Minister, School Education Department officials, parents and children. “I have gifted children around me who really studying. Five years ago, when some of them entered school, they would be teased a lot due to their short stature. Life has so much to offer, they should not get hurt and be held back in the village,” she told The Hindu over the phone.

A native of Thiruvetriyur from Ramanathapuram district, Ms. Sumathi wanted to expose the students to the world and make them more confident. “Today, they are recognised all over. Not a single person in the school or village mocks them. They have gained so much respect. This has given us a lot of hope,” she added.

With handmade chart paper cut-outs of the school, stickers and drawing boards, Ms. Sumathi’s reels are lesson activities. As the page gained more traction, offers to help also increased. The school has about 140 students; she thanks her principal and colleagues for their support in letting her upload the videos.