The biggest surprise in all of India

There are many well educated people in India.  In fact, for international businesses it is a selling point: utilize the Indian work force - smart workers who work for less.  Admittedly my sample size makes any generalization suspect - but all the same, I'm going to go out on a limb and say this educated work force is not coming from public education in the rural northeast.

Typical sight at public schools we passed

I was shocked at what is available for public education where we were visiting in Assam and Aranachal.  We drove past multiple public school buildings, everyone in poor condition; marked by physical dilapidation, a large number of children not in classrooms, and no teachers in sight.  While we did not visit any of the government schools personally - people from the area attested to the state of the schools.  Many children, a teacher who is not engaged, and almost no instruction.  I was shocked!  Elementary public education  is nothing more than a place for children to go to pass the time.

This diagnosis is supported when you travel through the area; you see a continual stream of children of all ages flowing along the dirty edges of the roads, wearing private school uniforms.  In the larger towns, the morning streets are filled with kids biking to private schools.  Due to the lack of government provided education, the private school industry is booming.  Having been privileged to spend time in the two small private schools started and run by our hostess Nyapu - all I can say is that the public schools must be far worse than even I can imagine as the private schools are light years behind American norms.

Oxford Brook Schools - simple but different

Each of the schools we visited has about 150 students in grades 1 to 6.  What these schools have, and about all they have, are teachers who care.  The classrooms are nothing but cement cells, with open windows and one wall which can be used as a blackboard.  The desks hold three to five children each, and can best be described as rustic.  Throughout the school you see no bins filled with books, craft supplies, or toys - actually, there are no bins at all.  Other than a few resource posters on a couple of the walls, there was nothing.  It is hard to image this reality when you are familiar with  any school in America.

How spartan is it you may ask?  It is so barren that we had the idea of making cut out snow flakes with the kids to talk about winter in New York.  It sounds like a simple time filling activity in schools I'm familar with.  However, to make it happen in Likabali, it was a different story:

• We had to bring our own globe to show where NY is - no real surprise, we had an inflatable one packed.
• We stopped at a little store with a photocopier in town (copy center) to buy a ream of white copy paper - because there was no paper available at school.
• We said it required scissors - we were given one pair.   As the staff saw what we were doing in the classroom - more scissors arrived.  In the end we had five pairs - all of the scissors from the entire school!

Dormitory Room

The children each have a workbook for the subject they are working on, and that is all you will see in this school - and this is what parents seek out and pay for.  In fact, in the main school approximately 50 students (ages 5 to 12) board at the school.  Once again, it is impossible for me to imagine what the home situation surrounding the town of Likabali must be like if staying in the bare dorm room, and receiving such basic instruction is worth the tuition and sacrifice that both the parents and students make.

Jen with the teachers

Nyapu has started both of these schools.  They improve the lives of children, and make a difference in the community.  The boarding school is also an opportunity for ministry.  The school instruction is given as secular teaching, however, those who stay at the school are given Christian instruction, worship opportunities andcaring staff who show the love of God to these precious children.

School on left - church on right - fun in the middle

The other school was started at request to the new fellowship of Christians of the rural town in which it is located, and is on the same property where the church meets.  This is a church which is very young, and families who are part of this church are first generation Christians, and the pastor is a graduate of Steward's Bible Institute.  They are putting their faith into action in their town.

It is shocking that the Indian government is not doing more to educate the children - but this deficiency provides an opportunity for Christians to meet a need, and share God's love.  It was an amazing opportunity to see these schools, play with the kids, and even share some Valentine's Day candy with the message that each one of them is loved.  Steward and Nyapu are doing amazing things with the resources God has entrusted to them.

Jashton sharing with the boarding students one evening