A School in India

Imagine waking up early in the morning in a bed you share with your mother, eating a breakfast of bread in your house built from straw before taking a bus with 40 seats and 80 passengers to school. You have to wear a uniform and before first class starts you pray thanks to God. On paper, your teacher (whom you must call Miss) is not allowed to hit you but from time to time it might happen. Education means you copy down exactly what the teacher says. For lunch, you get a plate someone just washed in cold water and on it, you find rice in gravy. You eat with your right hand without cutlery, the left hand is used for bathroom business as there is no toilet paper. Three more classes pass before you take the bus home to your shed once again.

Sounds like your cup of tea?

It's reality for most kids here. I am presently working at Little Lambs School in Chennai, southern India. Many of the children here have their education funded by other means than their parents' wages. The reason for this is that the school fees exceed 4000 rupees (400 kronor) per year and many people live off 20 rupees per day. For the kids, naturally, every day in school is a blessing as life at home is not always so. Each and every one of them is happy to go to school and strive to become doctors, lawyers or civil servants. It's their chance in life. Many have also suffered abuse at the hands of their parents or other adults. At school they are taken care of, provided for and also given hope of a better future.

Subjects taught are English, Maths, Tamil (the local language), Social, Natural and Computer science. When asked, teachers respond they "sort of" teach evolution as opposed to the Bible. Grades are based on the pupils' performance on tests and are marked on a scale from one to ten.

During breaks, pupils will typically play classic English sports such as fotball and cricket. Since temperatures often reach 40 degrees centigrade, washing clothes is probably mandatory when they come home. 

So there you have it! Do you wish to enroll?

At assembly.

Schoolyard

Lunch.

Lining up for the bus in front of the school.

School uniforms for boys and girls

Visiting the home of Sanjay and his mother.