Post 2

Meeting with the principal 9:15a.m.

After assembly we were asked to see the principal in his office. He basically wanted to know how things were going with our projects and if we were being received well in school.  He said they were having some problems with the students lately – “Days are becoming more challenging in co-education schools”.  He said that the students have to stay back till about 4:30p.m. these days as they are rehearsing for their Independence Day function. However, they are reaching home very late at 6:30p.m. which should not be the case and he was not sure what they were doing. Parents of these students were concerned as they thought their children were in school this whole time.

He went on to say that primary school students were bringing cell phones to school now and were constantly sending messages to each other during class. When he asked their parents why these students needed cell phone the parents response was “we need to be in touch”. The principal did not seem too happy with such a response and shook his head slightly from side to side. He said the students hide their cell phones in their socks and if there is a check the students message each other from classroom to classroom to warn the others about the checking.  He went on to say that if any child has missed school, he had the phone numbers of each and every parent and a call would be made asking them where there child was. He does not accept written letters excusing students from school because he says he knows that the students forge their parent’s signatures and therefore only accepts a call from the parent or a text message from the parent’s phone.

During the principal’s talk with us he received a call from one of the parents and had a conversation with them in Tamil. He then told us that that was a parent of one of the student’s who he has had a hard time with. He said six months ago this student (female) was in the 9^th standard and was having a hard time at home because her parents were having problems. They decided then to move to Tamil Nadu and asked the principal to give her a TC (transfer certificate). The principal said he really tried to discourage them from doing but they put a lot of “pressure” on him and he gave it to her in the end. Then in July they came back from Tamil Nadu because the child could not adjust to her new school and was having a very hard time. Her parents came and asked him to take her back and “almost touch my feet” because they were so desperate to get her back into school. The principal said he did all he could and managed to get her back into school. However, for the past six days she has not been attending school and that was her parent on the phone excusing her for another day.

He then went on to talk about how it is difficult for parents to oversee homework and studying for their children. He said most parents of the students are illiterate, work 12-hour days; earn daily wages, and can’t “care” or follow-up with students study. He said that the parents have given the school that responsibility and won’t and don’t ask questions on punishments, amount of homework, and/or extra time in school. He told us the students were obedient at school but were very easy going at home. Therefore during exam time (January – March) almost all revision and studying was done at school. Study/revision classes would go on until 6:00p.m. the students would get an extra meal at 4:30p.m. during these months. Mathematics and science were two subjects that needed the most revision/”drilling”. Study groups were formed so that students could learn from teaching each other.

n  As we were talking to the principal I noticed a bunch of students (girls and boys) standing and waiting outside the office holding their homework diaries waiting to see the principal.

10:30a.m. Kanada Teacher in the staff room

Went to the staff room to talk with the teachers if they were free. The Kanada teacher was free and willing to talk – however, he did mostly speak in Kanada.  I was not able to get too much information from him. I did understand that he gave his 10^th standard students a test every week on a particular chapter. 8^th and 9^th standard classes get monthly tests. If they fail he shows them a copy of the correct version and then makes them re-take the same test.

10:45a.m. Social Studies and English Teacher in the staff room

Asked her some questions on tests and exams. She said students have two class tests before first term exams and two tests before second term exams. Dates, chapters and portions of tests are given to the students in advance and the students have to write it down in their homework diary. There is a specific section in the diary for them to notes down these things – she showed us one students diary. After tests there are parent teacher meetings and marks and comments are written in the students diaries. She also said she conducts intensive revision in class and that the students have a separate revision book where they are constantly rewriting their answers (study via means of repetition).

She said that the most enjoyable months for the students were January and August because there were a lot of school activities such as drama, yoga, sports.

2:00 p.m. Conversation with Arshita

Arshita told us that drop out numbers had fallen over the years. Students come from very tough and violent environments. She said that there are two students (a brother and sister) who are on the edge of dropping out. Their father is an alcoholic and sells their books and both parents are violent. Both students are showing very little interest in school.

There was a girl (7^th standard) who use to pick pockets on the bus and she was reported. The person came to school and identified her. Child welfare was called however; they washed their hand off this case. Things became so bad that her mother sent her back to the village because she was scared her daughter would end up in jail.

She said that the pressure gets to the students. She told us to look at some of the textbooks the students had. They study Shakespeare in English – “out of their league”. Parents feel helpless and also let down. Right now they do not have a counselor at school but Arshita plans on getting someone in soon.

She also said kids who would fail a standard would be black listed by students and teachers as “repeaters”. But, now with the RTE that will not be happening.

80% of students came under the Below Poverty Line bracket and the govt. gave those high school students bicycles last year.

-- Tara