Educating poor children in India: Why not?

In addition to the state curriculum, the school has one period on Saturdays where the students are taught about Christianity rather than instructed in that religion. The integrity of each student’s religious beliefs is respected. The students are overwhelmingly Hindu with some Christian and a small number of Muslims. Poverty is the requirement for enrolment, not religion and certainly not caste. There are a few higher caste students who because of socioeconomic circumstances attend this school.

Students were provided with text books for each subject and at least one book to write in for each subject. Teachers had a blackboard, chalk and few other resources.

Teaching followed the state-published textbook which is crowded with facts, and like the examinations, light on understanding.

Students from Classes 4-9 played an important part in the running and administration of the school, accepting responsibility for morning assemblies, supervision of students coming to and going from school and during breaks. They shared these responsibilities through a house system that spread the load by making students in one house responsible for a particular day. This aspect of the school was as good, if not better, than anything I have seen in Australia.

Working in the school

After a welcome by some staff we were able to observe classes. However, with some teachers absent I ended up taking the Year 9 class for Social Studies. The students were very good, but reticent to give their own opinions and always looking for the right (textbook) answer. Elizabeth watched some Science for about 10 minutes and was then asked to give an impromptu biology lesson. So much for observation!

Meanwhile, a colleague, not a trained teacher, was asked to take 40 Year 1students packed into a small room with many students three to a double desk. This class had a number of new students who had little English and communication was very difficult. She saw me passing and called for help, but there was little I could do. Year 1 is not my expertise and we both floundered. Fortunately, Elizabeth joined us and was able to do some mathematics. I stood at the back trying to separate petty arguments, keeping them in their seats and attempting to get them to pay attention. We managed to get through to lunchtime. I developed new respect for all early years’ teachers.

From there we settled into a routine of some teaching and some observations. I continued to take Year 9 each day for Social Studies and Year 6 for two periods of English a day plus working with them in Period 8.

The curriculum set by the state posed a number of problems for us. It was huge in detail and light on understanding and the examinations matched this. Students had to know the whole box of Trivial Pursuit answers, but were not required to demonstrate much understanding. This exam driven approach to huge amounts of knowledge is common in Indian schools.

One area in which Elizabeth was able to assist the secondary classes of the school was to prepare a list of science and social studies resources including equipment, chemicals and models as a base for all secondary schools. Due to the generosity of our friends, who had given money to be used on the school, we were able to purchase all this equipment and other resources. The cost of items was so inexpensive, for example, wall charts with wooden ends and laminated were A$1.70. We even included a monocular microscope at A$54. The balance of the money went to storage facilities and a laser printer.

Each Australian dollar can buy more than four times what it can in Australia so when considering supporting overseas organisations don’t send expensive goods bought in Australia which need to be shipped, send money because almost everything is available in India.

On our second visit to this school we were able to focus on teacher professional development as well as teach some classes. In addition, OMCC sent me to a number of schools in southern India to assist with quality assurance by paying a support visit and evaluating the education occurring. Having established 67 schools, these schools need to be providing a high standard of education and policies, professional development of teachers and quality assurance programs that provide accountability are being put in place.

At the end of our time, it was difficult to leave the teachers we had got to know and for me the children of Class 6 who had taught me to teach again.

The school had a special assembly to say goodbye and we were presented with messages from classes; the notes from students made from paper and a couple of coloured pens were enough reward to have me keep going back. We will be doing more to help this emerging school system to provide quality education for some of the poorest children in India by continuing with some policy development, professional development for teachers and by assisting with quality assurance. It will be a long term commitment, but one that makes retirement not only stimulating, but very fulfilling. There is certainly no time for trips around the world, just to India.