Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Monsoon Season

The flood waters have started pouring, and the flood of information is keeping pace. The last couple of days have been a blur of meetings, school visits, and riding through town on a funky tourist bus (complete with brown-based upholstery and neon lights in the dashboard and out the windshield). We have been inundated with ideas and examples of what is happening here, with materials to explain procedures and lectures to detail policies. I am still learning, though I think the curve has slowed, if only because my brain is starting to get too full!

I would like to tell of the schools we've visited in this mystical town. This state capital has over 1000 temples and so it is a mecca for pilgrims from all over India, as well as from other parts of the world, from a number of different religions. We have barely had time to see much, though we've visited a few of the major ones. Today's was a magical experience: as the monsoon rains poured down I walked into a temple where a monk had candles lit, incense burning, and wanted to tell us all about the idols inside. I wasn't able to stay long, but felt suddenly peaceful and a sense of harmony in that place. It was lovely.

The schools we have visited are continuously impressive. Today's was a "public" (which means to us "private" since they are not funded by the government) school where students sang to us in Hindi, shared with us the food they'd cooked, asked us to teach them (a colleague of mine taught about the Russian Revolution -- his favorite topic), and talked with us about their thoughts on education systems (they highly recommend school uniforms, and have the impression that US schools have very few rules).

The most exciting experience, though, was the school founded by psychologists for students with disabilities. To see these students who are otherwise forgotten about learning to use computers, to bake and sell bread at the local market, making collages about the local festival, and laughing as we tried to dance with them ... it was a very special experience. I was happy to see that side of the work being done here, as much of our trip has focused on the privileged youth, the ones who are getting everything they need to survive AND the right to a good education. The children at this school were getting what they deserved, but what so many others cannot have. I was proud to be there to support them and the good work their teachers are doing.

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