Mangaluru : Balila Krishna Shastry(75), educationist and former member of textbook committee, passed away here on Sunday.

Mr. Shastry worked as an English teacher in the Vidhyabhodini Secondary School in Balila. He was known for the use of innovative ways in teaching English and made students from rural areas proficient in English communication.

As a resource person in English, Mr. Shastry’s services were used by the Education Department to train up and coming teachers. “He was a teacher’s teacher. He was role model for teachers like me,” said Narayana Bhat, headmaster of Ramakunja Aided School.

Mr. Shastry was associated with PADI, an organisation working for value oriented education. “He believed and professed dissemination of secular values among students and teachers,” said Renni D’Souza of PADI.