Submitted by Sage Schwer on the 2016 winter session program in India sponsored by the Department of English…
In Assam, our study abroad group had the chance to work at a school with children from ages 3 to 16 for about three days. It was such a fulfilling experience and I wouldn’t trade hanging out and meeting those kids for the world. We split into four groups each focusing on different things: sports, dance, writing and arts and crafts (my group). The headmaster was such a sweet, generous and inspiring man. The teachers were very welcoming and helpful with the kids. I hadn’t noticed the lack of women I had seen working in a single place until I saw the opposite at Parijat Academy. Almost all of the teachers working at the school were female with the exception of the principal and one of the science teachers. I was so happy to see their enthusiasm and love for encouraging and promoting education among young kids. Each day the arts and crafts group was paired with a teacher to help with translating. They were very helpful and seemed excited that we were there to hang out with the children. I was surprised to see more girls than boys in a lot of the classrooms. I was so excited about this! Most of the girls I spoke to were so excited and seemed to love being at school. They were more interactive than most of the boys I spoke with. Although a lot of them were nervous in the beginning, they opened up once a more outgoing girl reached out first and after that they couldn’t stop asking questions. Seeing all of the young girls in school made me extremely enthusiastic for the future and their futures in Indian society. Most young girls do not have the opportunity to go to school every day and I think they realize this and that is one of the many reasons they were so eager to learn. The principal at Parijat Academy Uttam, made a comment about his view on education during his welcome speech that really stood out to me. He said, “I want this to be a place where these students can have fun learning ever day, a place that truly makes them want to come to school.” This statement really touched my heart. Uttam has invested so much into his school and his students’ lives and I was so honored to be able to contribute to their development. He knows that kids must have an incentive to come to school every day especially in developing countries because a lot of the time their alternative is working and helping their parents with work to make money. These children are realizing that they are only encouraging a more promising future by going to school and learning,but they are also having fun while doing it, which keeps them coming back every day. The children at Parijat Academy touched my heart and I would not trade my time working with them for anything. I was so honored to be able to spend time with Uttam, the schoolteachers and students of all ages; I wish the best for everyone at the academy in the future.
