A Village School

On our way to Dharmasala over Thanksgiving weekend, our curiosity was peaked when we viewed a handful of small village schools. The students were all outdoors, in neat rows, performing some possible rituals or praying or? As we approached a school, we asked our driver to please stop. I jumped out of the van (in clear need of a break from the winding mountain roads) and peeked inside the walled school. I decided that I would enter the school and hope that I could gain entry.

I waited a few moments before walking toward the school. Certainly I did not want to be disruptive nor break a safety/security rule. A woman approached so I walked forward. I immediately introduced myself as a teacher from the American Embassy school in Delhi. Instantly I was treated like royalty again. My friends Shannon and Karen then came around the fence to join me (chickens!). 

The head mistress was more than willing to give us a tour of the school. Those neat rows of students outside were actually students  doing schoolwork. They sat cross-legged in dirt or concrete, eyes locked on their teacher, not daring to smile or giggle at us. When we approached, they stood in respect. All the children were impeccably dressed in spotless uniforms.The girls' hair was braided with ribbons and bows. Not a speck of dirt.I imagine that most of these students live in dwellings with no plumbing and running water.

This class was using a protractor and a pencil to draw finely angled geometric shapes. I assumed they were doing math but the head mistress explained that they were in an art class.

Then she told this beautiful girl to go get her notebook. Ah, yes!

We then were taken "inside" where we discovered barren rooms with no desks, chairs,or books. Just a wood stove in the corner for winter time. In the kitchen was a huge pot sitting on a hotplate for making lunch of rice and curried lentils. We were immediately given water, which we pretended to sip, as most water systems are hardly filtered. The head mistress insisted we sit for tea, but four of our friends were waiting outside the gate for us anxious to complete our journey to Dharmasala.

So we said our goodbyes (several times) after signing their guest book. Back at AES a controversy is in place about whether every student should have their own iPad and/or laptop. Here a new pointed pencil is a gift. Sadly, I did not get the name of the school to send a thank you. So, I'm sending it through all of you!