Lucky children get chance for schooling
MIKE SCOTT
Friendly faces: Pupils get close as they share a book.
THE pupils' eagerness belies the challenges they face.
Enter the gate of the Shree Gaurishanker Primary School to the dirt courtyard and you are basically standing in the classroom.
The children drag in place old wood boards for seats to start the learning session.
Despite constant coughs and snot-lined faces the children are diligent and smiling.
Off to the side are two open, floorless, stonewall rooms - one with a blackboard and one with a whiteboard.
The top floor of the main stone building doubles as additional classrooms, sleeping and eating areas.
Underneath is the hostel accommodation. Basically, two wooden floored areas each housing about 20 children who sleep on mats. They are also the school store rooms.
The toilet is a community long drop across the road and the adjacent water tap is the bathroom.
In total there are about 60 pupils and seven teachers working in these basic facilities.
The teachers are assertive yet caring, receiving about 5000 rupees or $NZ110 a month. Two of the teachers are government paid while the others are funded through donations.
Considering most families in the Nubri Valley struggle to feed themselves, supporting a school and its teachers is a big ask.
According to the Local Potential Development Committee village schools are often inadequate so parents keep children home working in the fields.
Those who do get an education leave to attend a private or monastic school but seldom return to their village.
With support from the government and various non- government organisations, a programme is under way to improve the quality of childhood education in the Nubri Valley.
The intention is to extend the classes at Shree Gaurishanker from year 5 to 10, provide nutritious food and health care to boarders, hire more staff and expand the curriculum.
It is a huge goal but like anywhere, the potential of any community is within itself and it requires nurturing and effort to realise it.
If you would like to help improve education in the Nubri Valley email Sama.1698@ gmail.com or visit www.Samagaun.blogspot.com
- © Fairfax NZ News
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