The Rajkiya Ucchat Madhyamik Vidyalaya in Uttarakhand's Nainital district is one of the first rural schools I have seen closely. I am spending a few days at a friend's house in Ramgarh and the children of the house help study here. Gautam, 10 years old, takes me excitedly to see his school - a short but steep walk from where I am staying.
I am astonished at what I see because I was expecting much worse. The school (for classes VI to XII) is surprisingly clean, well kept and organised, if a bit small. Mid-day meals are cooked in their own kitchen and Gautam says they are tasty. Toilets - separate for boys and girls - are clean. There isn't much of a playground but the school has a science laboratory with a dead snake preserved in chemicals. Classrooms and windows are fairly large allowing the entry of lots of natural light.
Since I am spending almost ten days here, Gautam, his younger brother and a neighbour's daughter in Class X have convinced me to teach them a bit of English. A friend and I sit with them for an hour and a half everyday with their English textbooks.
Various Annual Status of Education Report (Aser) and other reports have been dancing around in my mind. So, what do we find?
None of them are able to speak the language since their parents are all illiterate and finding anyone to speak to in English in the entire village is a challenge. But when it comes to reading the language, the children vary a fair bit. Surprisingly, the girl in Class X (and in the same school as Gautam) is the weakest of the three. Although she is readying for her Board exams in 2016, she is unable to read Gautam's Class VI textbook. She struggles even with the Class II textbook. In the days that we try to teach her, she starts off with enthusiasm but seems to lose interest - either due to her inability or unwillingness to cope - as the days go by.
Gautam, on the other hand, can read his Class VI text fairly well and at times, in his excitement, at top speed. A quick and alert learner, his writing is better than mine. Although he has learnt what he has there, he is reluctant to give full credit to his teachers at school. Able to discern quality in teaching after a few days, he suggests that we should come to teach his teachers for sometime, if not on a prolonged basis.
His younger brother in Class II can read simple words and is marginally behind his grade level. He is eager and bright, but like children at that age, too restless to be pinned down. He smiles more than he speaks.
In the absence of any parental assistance whatsoever, all the three children have no choice but to go for private tuition. The tutors come to one convenient spot in the village and teach a group of kids for a small sum. Gautam, however, says the tutor often doesn't turn up on the appointed day and time. He's also less than impressed with his tutor's grasp over the English language. His father is less charitable, arguing volubly that the tutors don't care and do this to earn some extra money. He - and a large number of illiterate parents - are unable to assess the quality of tutoring. They feel cheated but don't have any idea what to do about it.
At the end of our time there, Gautam is quite fluent with at least five chapters of his English textbook. He's quite proud of his achievements as the sparkle in his eyes tells me.
Like Gautam, I learnt a few things from my 10-day stint as a teacher. One, tuitions remain a necessary evil and this seems to change little, be it rural or urban areas. Two, quality of teachers remains an issue whether in rural or urban areas - in general, we need an upgrade in quality of teaching. And three, children vary in eagerness - some want to learn and probably will do so even with limited resources and opportunity. The bright spark is within.
