sri lanka

WE ARE IN SRI LANKA! And we love it! It is an eco-paradise, if you can look past the armed guards and sandbags on the city streets! It has lush foliage, clear skies, long beaches, coconut jungles, and lots of birdlife. Ramya greeted us in the Columbo Airport and we headed to a hotel restaurant for lunch where we got to reconnect with Tissa and meet the other Fulbright Staff. Tissa, who did a post-grad year at Smith, loves New England! As a matter of fact, he was just in Portland and Peaks Island in June and has taught classes at Colby and Bowdoin! (insert it’s-a-small-world-music here). After lunch we received a lovely elephant satchel brimming with materials about Sri Lanka including brochures, articles, books, maps, and CDs.

I only have two problems: a painfully swollen nose and numerous strange bites on my legs. The bites don’t bother me at all, but my nose feels like it will explode! I’m afraid that I have an infection of sorts, so I’ll either start myself on Cipro again, or ask to see the hotel doctor when we get to Kandala.

victoria’s secret

First stop – a garment factory. Since we had read Sanya’s book Stitching Identities, we asked Ramya if she could possibly arrange a visit for us. The site was called Slimline, and they manufactured Victoria’s Secret lingerie. This plant only employs over 4800 people. Bright, neat, and modern, it has training facilities, sport facilities, education facilities and an infirmary. The key employee is the machine operator – mostly women between the ages of 18 and 25 who work for a year or two earning about $125 per month to save money for college or marriage. Transportation from villages and a free lunch every day is provided. Trainees wear yellow bandanas for 3 months, and pregnant women wear orange so they can be easily identified in a fire drill or allowed more breaks. Sports opportunities – cricket, boxing, swimming – are highly encouraged on the plant’s grounds. In addition, the company gives back to the community by helping out with flood damage and building schools and hospitals.

Too bad we couldn’t buy any seconds; all seconds and damages have to be destroyed in order to not diminish the quality of the product.

kandalama

A three hour tortuous bus drive found us in the paradise called Kandalama in the Heritage Hotel overlooking layers of mountains and lakes. Unfortunately, the swelling in my nose has become so painful and throbbing, I’ve been reduced to tears. We called in a doctor who had to drive _ hour up the dirt road to this resort, and he told me to take Cipro and anti-histamine, and gave me a cream for a bacterial infection.

When I awoke in the morning, I begged off the trip to the Buddhist caves, and asked Ramya to see me since most of my face was not swollen and sore. She made arrangements for me to return to a “good doctor” in Columbo – so back I go for 3 hours down the mountain road. She told me to take all my luggage, and that she hoped to see me in 5 days when they return to Columbo. I hope she doesn’t think I’ll have to be in a hospital all that time! Too bad that I’ll miss the most beautiful mountainous jungles and elephant excursions, but I’m very nervous about this strange infection and want better treatment as it is becoming increasingly worse.

poor Callie had to see this when she woke up

I will keep you all posted on my condition as I know more!

thiruvanathapuram

Our flight to Thiruvanathapuram was bumpy as we flew through bouts of monsoon winds, but our hearts gladdened as we viewed the extensive forests of palm trees and a long stretches of sandy beaches from the airplane portholes. Thiruvanathapuram means ‘the home of the sacred snake god Anantha” – the snake upon which Lord Vishnu rests. Thiruvanathapuram is the capital city of Kerala, located in the southeast and running along the Arabian sea for 600K. One hundred and sixteen villages are in the district, and we are staying at the Taj Green Cove Resort in Kovalam, a small resort village directly on the sea. The grounds are lush and tropical and a combination of hills, waterfalls, backwater, and coastline.

As you can imagine, the first thing I did was run down to the beach to walk along the surf. Julie and I soon discovered there would be no ocean swimming here, as the roiling sea crashed on the rocky seawall with a monsoon frenzy. No worries… the eternity pool was an inviting siren, beckoning us all to swim while overlooking the jungle and shore below.

Our first day in Thiruvanathapuram was partly sunny, some showers, humid, and warm. After settling in to cries of “Why are we here only two days?” we reluctantly boarded our bus-home for the sights of Kerala including the Kanakakunnu Palace and Museum and the Kuthiramlkika Palace built by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Balarama Varam, the king of Travancore. We ended our tour by viewing the magnificent Padmanabha Swamy Temple – constructed in a very different tiered architectural style.

Today, our second day in Kovalam, dawned to heavy monsoons which created a whole new version of paradise. Our first stop was the Centre for Development Studies this morning – a premier research facility established in 1971. Here we had three lectures on these topics:

Comparisons between Kerala & Sri Lanka
Migrations from Kerala
An overview of Pattanam excavation

Each lecture presented a wealth of information, but I particularly enjoyed the first talk by Dr. J. Devika, who interestingly has no last name as surnames denote caste. (Devika is her first, or “good” name, and J. is her mother’s initial.) She outlined several important correlations between Kerala, India and Sri Lanka:

• Buddhism most likely spread from SL to Kerala through SL monks.

• SL and Kerala have nearly identical statistics for life expectancy, birth rate, death rate, and literacy rate (90%).

• Both the SL Sinhalese language and the Kerala language derive from Sanskrit, Portuguese, and Dutch.

• There is, however, a major difference between the two in the area of women’s employment. Women have many job opportunities in SL, possibly because of the high death rate of men in civil conflict. The job rate in Kerala is low due to “Hinduization” of the population which both idealizes the woman as caring for the home and children and limits the number of ‘respectable’ jobs a woman may hold.

• Dr. J. Devika also gave us some interesting stats about women in Kerala:

• There is a higher literacy rate for girls than boys (to grade X for most girls)

• There is a higher rate of domestic violence to women and children as highly educated woman practice “child crafting.”

• “An unmarried woman who wants an abortion is treated like s*!#” (LOL- this is the third time a professional has used this word; it is not considered a vulgar term as we think of it.)

• There is a high rate of sterilization for women; the average age is 28. (Last year 180,000 women and 500 men were sterilized voluntarily.) A major issue occurred when the tsunami hit Kerala two year ago. The tsunami took many of the children, and men left their young wives, as they were unable to bear more children.)

Since we ran over with lecture time by an hour, we rushed through our lunch to prepare for the highligh of Kerala: The Backwater Canoe Trip. By now, the sun was shining through the haze, and despite the 50+ mysterious bites on my legs, off I went to explore the jungles. We loved it! Our boatsman rowed us by pushing a long stick in the water and pushing off the bottom. The decrepit canoe was large enough to hold 12 of us, but moving around was limited as our feet kept punching through the punky wood. We collected mangos and coconuts from the trees as we passed under them, and watch with awe as an eagle swooped down in front of us to catch a fish.

the wooden canoe

last day with our guide Gagan

our rower dude

river boy

Despite the increasing and ominous cloud cover, we headed to the beach. Yael and I were the first ones to jump into the wild Arabian Sea – after checking with the lifeguards about the red flags.

rough seas

swimming in the Arabian Sea
(photo courtesy Jill Hetzel)

Half the beach was closed due to riptides and undertow, but they promised to save us if we had trouble. Shortly we were joined by 6-7 other screaming and joyous teachers as the monsoons dumped their heavy load on us. A large group of Indians – fully clothed – caught the excitement of our fun, and also ventured in a little ways. To top this nearly perfect afternoon, we spotted an elephant on the way home!

elephant sighting!

At the Farewell to India dinner we were treated to an amazing Kerala dance and an all-Indian buffet. We danced to Bollywood tunes before and after dinner with Gagan leading the way with his slick and stylized moves. I have such mixed emotions as we will miss Gagan and the USEFI people so much, yet we are all eager to visit Sri Lanka.

South Indian dance style

Our India trip has ended.

Goodnight – 5:30 am wake up call for the flight to Colombo, Sri Lanka.

last day in bengaluru

child at the Bull Temple

When the wake-up call came in at 7 am, I made the decision to sleep and skip the morning museum visits. Good call, as the morning was non-productive for the group. Everything was closed due to the discovery of an undetonated bomb near a large mall. I woke up at 10 am refreshed and ready to go. What a treat to have 3 extra hours to eat a leisurely breakfast, do some writing and re-organize my suitcases.

After lunch we departed for the Ranga Shankara theater facility where we were able to browse the bookstore and watch a small section of rehearsal. Even more interesting were the four cricket matches all going on in a field across the street! We really wanted to be invited to play. Next stop for the afternoon was the Bull Temple which houses a giant bull made of a single piece of granite that is 15 feet tall and 20 feet long. One of the oldest temples in Bangalore, it is dedicated to Nandi, Lord Shiva’s mount. The entrance to the temple are two giant horns, and cows roam freely around the grounds and streets.

the bull is one block 20′ by 15′

the horns

the temple

Arriving back at the hotel at 6:30 PM, we frantically scurried around to prepare for our home visit at 7:00. Shiva, our driver, took us across the city to the home of Mr. K Konadnadum, where we met his wife Sridevi and his 84 year old mother Sharada. Although Karinsa and I were a little nervous about the food and conversation, we were immediately made to feel at home. The house was built by Mr. K’s father 60 years ago, but they have since modernized the kitchen and bathrooms. It was so interesting so see their well situated just outside their kitchen door in an enclosed patio area. Of their two sons, one works in Scotland, and the other one in Philadelphia.

cooking the meal

Our dinner was South Indian vegetarian with my favorite dish being the rice with coconut and peanuts. Dessert was the most delicious sweet noodle dish. They were so gracious and concerned about whether we would like the food and assured us that they minimized the spices. While we ate, they told us about their marriage which was arranged – by mistake! Sridevi said they are like two bullocks pulling the cart together, side by side they go through life. Hindus marry only once she said. When we asked if they arranged their son’s marriages, she laughed and said “Oh no, theirs was a love match!” As we parted at 10:15, they presented us with gifts and a bindi. “You look so beautiful!” were Sridevi’s parting words to us!

Karinsa and I with our home visit family

July 26, 2008

What’s happening in India? Today the headlines screamed: 24 die as 17 blasts rip through Ahmedabad – Hospitals, Marketplaces, and Bus Stands Targeted.

India is obviously a soft target. On two consecutive days, terrorists have struck in two Indian cities, triggering widespread fears on whether more such attacks are looming ahead. As a sense of helplessness grips the country, experts are pointing out that India is being drawn into the epicenter of terror. (Sunday Times, July 27, 2008)

Although a couple of teachers in our group are nervous and worried, the most of us are quite calm and accepting that this is the way it is. We are wondering if we are just denying the explosions around us as a threat, as there is simply nothing we can do about it. Apparently Bgangaloreans are keeping to their homes in droves as Saturday traffic in the city was estimated to be 40-50% lower than usual. We are quite happy to be leaving the cities and heading to the capital of Kerala, Thiruvanathapuram and the backwater village Kovalam.

indian dinner

Despite the deleterious events in the city, the USEFI officials felt it was safe for us to venture out in the evening. Joan, Karinsa, Callie, Diane, and I dressed in our finest Indian clothes and set off in autorickshaws for the 10K trip to Rachana’s sister Devi’s Clothing Shop.

dressed and ready to go

the autorickshaw ride

We spent several hours examining colorful yards of gorgeous silks and cottons, and Karinsa was so happy to find color combinations that she loved at a price that was so reasonable.

At the fabric shop

After shopping, we relocated to Rachana’s house for our first home cooked Indian meal. I had the thrill of riding sidesaddle on Gagan’s scooter – just as I had admired all the Indian women doing. At Rachana’s house, we met her mother and grandmother and toured their beautiful and spacious three story home. We also met the maid, Mani, a girl of 16 who has been living at their house since she was 10. Here she is a member of the family and attends school, an opportunity she most likely could not have afforded in her poor village where her family lives. The top story contains 4 rooms dedicated solely to guests and visiting family members. For instance, after Gagan and Rachana marry and move into Gagan’s family home in Delhi, they will have plenty of room to stay when they visit Rachana’s mother.

The table is ready

Eating our Indian dinner

The warmth and hospitality with which we were treated will always remain a treasured memory. At 11 PM after much conversation and laughing, we five Americans were seated and served enormous helpings of North and South Indian foods. Rachana was so nervous that we would not like her mother’s cooking, that she had been fretting for days. She had no need to worry as we devoured everything on our plates, including the third and fourth helpings. These folks like to eat! Because of the small dining area, the rest of the family would eat after we returned to the hotel. Our dinner concluded with a caramel pudding, the receiving of gifts of jewelry, and many many photographs. Nani, the grandmother, insisted that I return to stay for a month – and soon! Rachana and Gagan invited us to their wedding… now wouldn’t that be a hoot!!!

Gagan & Rachan
Grandmother & Mother
Dev & Devi

As midnight neared, we regretfully said our good-byes and piled into the family car and onto scooters and motorbikes for the return trip home. YES! I got to ride the motorcycle with Devi’s boyfriend Dev through the cool midnight streets of Bangalore. Weaving in and out of traffic was a thrill that will suffice for a long long time.

Mary gets to ride a motorcycle

We all hope to see Gagan and Rachana again – but this time in the USA, as Rachana wished to study for her MBA in an American university – that is her dream.

8 bombs blast bengaluru

Oh dear! The moment we returned from the Academy for Creative Teaching, the news was broadcasting the detonation of 7 bombs across the city in the span 45 minutes. So far, 1 person was killed and 7 injured. We were very lucky as the school we were visiting was directly across the street from one of the bomb sites at a bus depot – we missed that by approximately 15 minutes. Needless to say, our museum visits for the afternoon were cancelled as the city is in the process of shutting down. All schools, malls, and cinemas are closed. The city is a bit shocked as Bengaluru is not usually a target for terrorists or militants; the bombs are believed to be the work of anti-nationalists. The good news is that we all have time to read, post our pictures, email our loved ones, rest and/or exercise.

More news later…

Photo courtesy ZeeNews Bureau

This is one of the many articles posted in the The Hindu, India’s National Newspaper the day after the blasts, July 25th, 2008:

Serial Blasts Rattle Bangalore; Woman Killed
Seven injured in eight low-intensity explosions

A series of low intensity blasts on Friday rocked the southern and central parts of Bangalore, a city that has of late been on the radar of terror groups. One person was killed and seven were injured in the eight explosions that created panic among residents and threw traffic out of gear on a rainy working day. President Prtibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the blasts. Ms. Patil said the blast was aimed at disturbing peace in the country. Dr. Singh asked the people to remain calm and maintain communal harmony. The series of blasts has not only marred Bangalore’s reputation of being a safe city but also highlighted again that the city is not insulated from such acts.

Bangaloreans hit the panic button as news – and rumours – of the serial blasts reached them. Even as schools made arrangements to sent the children safely back to their homes, several workplaces downed their shutters and let their anxious employees go home early. The surge of frantic calls jammed cellphone networks and thousands of commuters jammed all the arterial roads. Fear gripped residents as they watched the sequence of events unfold on their television sets. With thousands of people trying to contact their friends and relatives to make sure they were okay, much of the telecom network failed for several hours, only adding to the panic.

Meanwhile, our group remained calm, though eager for news of the status of the safety of the city. Although the afternoon activities were cancelled, most of us ventured out to nearby sari shops and bookstores in small groups of two and three. Gagan seemed confident that our evening dinner at Rachana’s house would be safe, so the five of us prepared for our evening outing by donning our new Indian attire of saris and salwar-kameez suits.

academy for creative teaching

Our 4 hour session at the Academy for Creative Teaching in Bengaluru began with the lighting of the lamp of knowledge, a song, a welcome address, and a wonderfully detailed program. We met approximately 30 staff members and advisers who explained that teaching is a noble ‘act’ that spreads the excitement of learning from a spark to a wildfire. This unique organization offers the CCCT – Certificate Course in Creative Teaching, and offers in-service and pre-service for teachers on all levels. The logo shows a swan flying over the sea with the sun shining. The water represents the ocean of endless knowledge. The teacher is like a swan who takes a dip in the sea of infinite knowledge and rises up to the ultimate source of knowledge represented by the sun. The Vision Statement is “To make the teaching-learning process exciting, meaningful and lasting” by infusing teaching and learning with discovery, innovation, excellence, enjoyment, creativity, values, and vision.

Creativity is approached in three modules
Module I – Traits of creativity (quality, perspective, options, support)
Module II – Blocks to creativity
Module III – Techniques to teaching creativity

Their mission belief is “QUALITY OF EDUCATION IS AS GOOD AS THE QUALITY OF TEACHERS.”
• Pre-service training and curriculum
o Induction – provides teachers with essential teaching skills
o Orientation – focuses on creative teaching and modern pedagogical advancements
o Refresher – redefines knowledge enhancement and updates content for conceptual understanding
• Perceived need of ed. institutions
• Knowledge explosion and changed curricula
• Creative teachers and reaching out to learners
• Organized effort at general in-service training (their first workshop they charged rupees 250 – about $7 and now they offer about 265 workshops per year at a much higher fee!)
o Communication Skills
o Presentation Skills
o VARK for Teachers
o Creative Teaching Techniques
o Multiple Intelligence
o Teaching & Learning Styles
o Bloom’s Taxonomy
o Evaluation Skills
o Meaningful Homework
o Strategies for Building Confident Kids
o The Emotionally Intelligent School
o Time Management
o Developing Teaching Aids
o Differentiated Teaching
o Creative Pedagogic Techniques
o Classroom Management
o Human Values
o Stress Management
o Leadership Skills
o Ethics in Teaching
o And more…
• Content specific workshops include
o Teaching Creative Writing
o Creative approaches to teaching English, Math, Science, Social Studies
o Grammar in Communication
o Math and Science in Everyday Life
o Model Making in Science and Math
o Project Work in Pedagogy Classes
o Vedic Maths
o Yoga for Teachers

ACT offers a Master Training Programme with these objectives:
• To bring together a committed and dedicated band of teachers with experience and positive attitudes
• To make the transition from teacher to trainer.
o Intensive training
o Observing training sessions
o Participatory training
• Affiliated institutions: Akshara Foundation, Vidya Poshak, KLE, BLDE, JSS, Poorna Prajna.

Academic Audit – self audit is a path to discovery
• “Health” check-up of an institution
• Assessment of an institution facilitated by the stakeholders
• Not an enquiry but an inquiry
• Audit vs accreditation – more internal
• Accreditation audit-internal standards

E-Lab – Teaching the joy of English
• Designed to inculcate positive attitudes and values through holistic learning of English language
• Indians have high knowledge and many degrees, but poor “communication” skills

Several of the 10 students at the 15
day old International School

The organization has also just started a school this past June which currently has 10 students. In 2008, the Vyasa International School began enrolling innovated and enthusiastic learners. We met 4 of the students in grade 2, 4, 5, and 7. One of the students was a special-needs students mainstreamed with the others (Downs Syndrome). The goal of VIS is “education for life.” Traits of VIS will include the following:
• Training beyond year-end exams to face the challenges of life.
• Instill an awareness of social issues in order to be able to respond in proactive ways working for the welfare of others
• Respect and value for individuals
• Shared learning process of discovery, empowerment, self-confidence, and freedom.
• Learner characteristics: positive, reflective, responsible, joyful, sure of his/her place in the world., secure in knowledge of modern aspirations and needs, innate values of compassion and acceptance
• Confluence of modern technology driven education in a “cradle of ancient wisdom and values” to create the vision of a “glorious and equitable future.”

The principal

Website: www.act.edu.in
Contact: Academy for Creative Teaching
#480, 6th Main, R.T. Nagat
Opp. Bus Depot, Bangalore 560032
coordinator@actedu.in

The director wants us to write to them so “The two worlds can meet in the spirit of humanity.”

My observations: I was absolutely stunned by the intelligence, caring, energy, elocution, and professionalism of the staff at ACT. Every address or reference to a person starts or ends with “maam” or “sir”. I LOVED the creative exercises we worked on at the end of the session – balls in a box, separate the box, paper work with numbers on the page. This showed that the mind is easy to set, but we must learn to accept change unexpectedly. Our session ended with a play about learning and knowledge performed by all the children of the school; it was delightful. I so wished that I could have talked to the middle school students about their learning in the International School, but our time had expired.

“Consciously, we teach what we know; unconsciously, we teach who we are.” (Hemachek)

bengaluru

Angela & I carry our suitcase through the airport!

We said good-bye to Mumbai – and gladly as the monsoon rains had arrived during the evening. Our flight to city number 6 was smooth and short (1 ½ hours) and we arrived to sunshine and clouds. Bangalore, now Bengaluru, has many monikers “India’s Silicon Valley,” “Fashion Capital of India,” “Stone City,” and the “Floricultural Capital,” Bengaluru is the fastest growing city in Asia. Bengaluru has over 2 million motorbikes on the road – general population is 6 million. Construction for the metro system has begun, but it will take a few more years to complete. Home to 10,000 industries, Bengaluru was originally home to the Kadambas, the Hoysalas and the Vijayanagar emperors. Founded in the 16th century, Bengaluru is the fifth largest city in India. As we arrived in the brand new airport, we were immediately drawn to the topography of farmlands, hills, and tropical flora. The weather is noticeably cooler, and we shouldn’t be bothered by the monsoons here.

Hills of Bengaluru

The city is typical India- a study in contrasts. In the space of a minute, we not only saw women driving scooters, but also carrying bundles of firewood.

As we arrived at the Taj Residency, everyone was so excited to meet Gagan’s fiancé, Rachana. What a sweet and loving couple they make! Rachana said that Gagan has grown very fond of us, and is sad that we will be parting in 5 days when we head off to Sri Lanka.

Late in the afternoon, a very special performance was arranged for us: a Yakshagana theater performance. It’s hard to call it just theater, as it equally involves music, dance, emotion and costuming. We were all so taken with the youngest performer, a 12 year old 7th grader who has received national awards. The art form is over 400 years old and is characterized by elaborate headgear which weighs over 30 pounds! The costumes are so elaborate that 75 knots must be tied. I was particularly interested in this performance as the subject material is taken from the epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha.

The dance troupe

Elizabeth, Karinsa, Joan, Samantha, Callie and I headed out for a walk after the performance and ended up at a giant department store where we all happily found outfits to wear when eat at Rachana’s house tomorrow. This city faces many shortages of electricity and fuel as the growth is happening so fast. In our first few hours in the hotel, we lost power at least 10 times; even shopping in a large department store, the electricity was intermittent. Despite the use of generators, it’s strange to be in a dressing room, and have the lights go out!

Typical South Indian Hindu temple

another camera

I just couldn’t stand it any more. Last night I bought a cheap $10 film camera because I especially wanted pictures of the Cathedral School visit. I hated it! Not being able to see the pictures you’ve composed digital is quite annoying. So off I went today to the Sony Service Center. The taxi driver waited for me while I went into the shop. In the shop, I waited for all the workers to finish their lunch hour. The deal was I would have to pay rupees 750 to have the camera taken apart and examined – and then I could decide the next day if I would want to take the repairs or not. Since we’re soon leaving Mumbai, that just wouldn’t work. So I asked my taxi driver to take me to a camera shop to buy a new digital. They were so helpful! They said they would take my damaged camera apart to check it and I could come back in 2 hours. So back to the hotel for lunch, and then back to the shop, only to discover that it is irreparably damaged. Darn it all. But they didn’t charge me for their service. Yeah! I buy the cheapest Sony they have – a real step down from my 10 megapixel touchscreen, but it’s rupees 8800. Yikes! Since I don’t have quite enough money, they complete the sale anyway, give me the camera, and then send one of their men with me to the bank so I could cash a Traveller’s Check. Now you wouldn’t see that in the good ol’ USA!

Gateway to India

The Taj Mahal Hotel

I end the day with a swim at the historic Taj Mahal hotel which overlooks the Gateway to India and the Arabian Sea. Saw a lot of tankers in the bay… Steve, are you out there?

Steve’s Tanker?

cathedral school visit

Cathedral School is an elite private school that caters to students who wish to attend universities in the United States such as Columbia and Harvard. It is an oasis of a campus insulated from the city street by gates and guards. The walls are covered with quality works of student oils and sculpture. Cathedral is an ICSC school which means they have an Indian Cambridge School Certificate. The school is so difficult to enter that even 2 year olds are coached for the entry exam.

• The curriculum focus is global and conversation based with many reflective assessments on course work.
• The school uses the town fields for their sports events since space is so limited in Mumbai.
• Most parents obtain private coaching for their students so they will be competitive in sports, music, or academics.
• The school is highly accountable to the parent body.
• Periods are 35 minutes long, 10 blocks per day. There are many double blocks.
• Classes are very large – roughly 35-40 per class.
I was thrilled to visit their library to view an array of books by India popular with junior high school students:
• The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming – Chitra Banerjee
• The Hungry Tide & The Glass Palace – Amitav Ghos
• Delhi is not Far – Ruskin Bond
• Temptations of the West – Pankaj Mishra
• The Inheritance of Loss- Kiran Desai
• Wise and Otherwise – Sudha Murty
• Kiran Nagarkar – Gods Little Sodier
• The Namaste Book of Indian Short Stories
• Ten Twentieth Century Indian Poets – Parthasanathy

I was excited to learn that Mrs. Sudarshana Shukla felt the students here would like to email with my students, so we shared email addresses.

munktagan school visit

Pre-school circle time
(photo courtesy Yael Irom)

The entire day was spent at a very special school in Mumbai called Munktagan. Generally, schooling on the municipal level in India is extremely poor with few resources, rigid rote learning, high absenteeism on the part of students and teachers, and early drop out rates. Elizabeth Mehta had a vision that school could be a more joyous place of learning so she founded the Munktagan school in 2003 with the help of her businessman husband Sunil Mehta. What started as a pre-school for underserved slum children with 7 teachers and 45 students has grown into a private/public partnership school for students pre-K to grade 5. Six additional Munktagan schools have been established as well. The goal is to add a grade each year so that the students currently in grade 5 will be able to finish their schooling at grade 10, possibly to grade 12.

A local teacher from the slum community
(photo courtesy Yael Irom)

What is most amazing about this school is that the teachers come from the same slum community as the students. As long as they have a 10th grade education, they can go through the 9 month teacher training and attempt to pass the certification test. From the original 7 teachers, several are now in supervisory positions within the school. Even more astounding is that the school is an English medium school, which means that every teacher has had to learn to speak English in order to teach in English.

A classroom
(photo courtesy of Yael Irom)

“Quality education for every child” is the mission statement of Munktagan. Some important aspects of their philosophy include:
• Inclusive education
• Child-centered
• Interactive, hands-on learning
• Singing, singing, and more singing
• Continual professional development
• Daily planning for all teachers
• Teachers training teachers
• Development of inquiry and reasoning in children
• Low student-teacher ration
• Quality circles
• Monthly portfolio sharing with parents
• Daily student observations
• Low cost

Singing the Boogie-Boogie
(photo courtesy Yael Irom)

(video courtesy Yael Irom)

We so enjoyed singing in learning with the students and teachers. What a riot! Our “hokey-pokie” is their “boogie-boogie”! My favorite part of the day was reading with 5th graders in the library. On my right was a brilliant young reader who didn’t want me to share my attention with anyone else. But on my left was a struggling young lady who kept asking me “Maam, what’s this word?” Some of the words she struggled with included: honk, sighed, farmyard, humble, and scarecrow. As we talked about the purpose of scarecrows, she shared the farmers are very sad because the monsoons have not come and the crows are eating the crops. So savvy! Soon, all the children were exuberantly demanding my attention with cries of “Maam, Maam, Maam!” We ended up talking a lot about sports and food. In general, they’re favorite sports include cricket and football (soccer) and their favorite foods are Chinese, ice cream, and mutton. So many laughs and smiles were shared by all. “We all speak different languages, but the smile is the same all over the world.”

Shoe rack
(photo courtesy Yael Irom)

Since the school is housed in the same building as the municipal school, we were able to glimpse at a bit of the rigid, dreary classrooms that typify Indian education for the majority. Again, we saw the glaring opposites of India.

Ancient Buddhist swastika
(photo courtesy Yael Irom)