In our partner schools in India we have one functioning library in Kadod with 300+ books and have 100 books for each of the other libraries in Bajipura and Madhi, but have not launched them yet. In the US, we have obtained 750 books to fill these libraries, but are waiting for the funds to ship them. One of our volunteers conducted this interview with Executive Director and former Nanubhai Fellow Cat Biddle to learn more about why our libraries are so important to these rural school systems. For those of us not familiar with Nanubha or teaching in India, could you describe on a daily basis the activities you find yourself doing at school and with students?
Last year, a typical day went like this: I'd awake at 8:30 am to find students already knocking on my door telling me to come and teach our English-computer class which starts at 9 am. One time, one of our 9th standard boys was so anxious that it should start that he wandered into our bedroom while we were putting on our saris to hurry us up! After Computer class we'd open up the library until school started, which meant having students help us cart the cardboard boxes full of books over to the designated classroom for the day (we rotate on daily basis) so students could crowd around and sift through the books. During the day, we'd teach the syllabus and try to calm our classes of 50-80 students, some of whom were jumping literally out of their seats to answer questions and some of whom were staring out the window and talking to a neighbor.
After school, we'd gather our students for Spoken English. My background teaching in the Boston Public School system made me a little bit strict (or "serious" as the students would say) and so I took the all boys classes in the afternoon, all of whom were jumping off the walls by the time school was over. Often, to use their energy productively, I'd take them outside to play English themed games or simply to get them out of the classroom if it was really hot (no electricity after school ends and thus, no fans). At the end of the day, we'd bring the library books out again since our Spoken English students are our most devoted borrowers. The students would usually hang out with us for a half hour to forty five minutes after class ended, chatting and sifting through the books.
Some Indians prefer that students only be educated in their local language. Why do you think it's important for Indian students to learn English and/or learn IN English? How do the parents of the students you serve feel about this issue?
Everyone here agrees that English is necessary if you want to get a high-paying job. Most of the professional courses in Gujarat (Engineering, Medicine, etc) are only offered as English medium courses. Furthermore, to get a job with the government (which comes with an incredible salary scale and pension), you also need to be able to know English. However, the parents of the students that we teach are most concerned in the short term with one thing: that their students will score well on the state administered exam at the end of the year. They are concerned with this for a good long-term reason: their child's score will determine in which stream (science, commerce, arts) their child can go into in 11th and 12th standard and this in turn will determine what kind of college (science, commerce, arts) they can go to and what kind of job their child can get. As a result, a lot of parents feel that their children should study in Gujarati medium so that they have the best chance of scoring well on the exam. However, there is another camp of parents that want to put their children in English medium schools so that their students get the language training that their parents feel that they need to get a job in this new information economy in India; however, they cannot afford the fees of the English medium schools.
What was the initial need for an English language library in Kadod?
To understand the English language library, you have to understand the official school library that is in place in Kadod High School. A dusty affair, it has hundreds of books locked in glass fronted cabinets. In order to borrow a book, you have to find mostly absent librarian and then convince him to open the cabinet (if he can - many of the keys are lost or the locks on the cabinets broken). There are no picture books in this library - only large, formidable looking tomes or housewive's novels in Gujarati. It is not a friendly looking place for a child. Furthermore, you can only take a book out by currying favor with the librarian who only allows teachers to check out books.
The lending program started out as a surreptitious, whispered event. We had some picture books that we occasionally used in Spoken English, and some of our students wanted to borrow these books outside of class. They cagily coaxed us into letting them borrow the books, but we had to hide them in plastic bags so the other students wouldn't know. We told our families about the students' love of books, they sent us some more and soon we had enough (50 or so) that we felt that we didn't have to be secretive about lending them anymore because there would be enough to go around. Little did we know that as soon as we made it public that storybooks could be obtained from us, we were soon up to our ears in students asking us at all times of day for books. It was then that we decided to set regular library hours, made a system for checking out the books and started to actively recruit more donations for the library, based on what the students were telling us they wanted. The principal recognizes the problems with the current library and librarian, but his hands are tied because librarian is a government job and thus has guaranteed job security, so he is very supportive of our alternative library.
I often can't find my own library books and rack up late fines. Can you describe a day in the life of the average book in the Kadod library?
A book in the Kadod library sees a lot of action. First, it is battered around in the cardboard box of books, picked up and discarded by many hands before one student sees it, picks it up, flips through and then comes to me, the teacher, to get my opinion. "Good book, teacher?" They ask quizzically. When I tell them it is one of my favorites, they check it out by writing their name on card that sits in a pocket at the back. The journey of the book from here depends on the student: some of the students read them instantly during their lunch hour and then return them at the end of the day, thrilled to be done so quickly and to pick out another book; others take it home and then share it with their younger siblings (our younger students weren't good about returning the books, so we had to start lending only to 8th standard and above) Sometimes it will take a student up to a week to return a book if they are passing it around amongst their friends, which happens often. Students will swap the books and then swap them back to return them, since we only have one copy of most and the books get lent out quickly. Eventually, the book will find its way back into the return box on our front porch and then back into circulation once again.
Has there been an unexpected favorite book either from the library or from class lessons?
The Amelia Bedelia series, with its plays on words and funny pictures, is very satisfying for our 9th standard readers. It challenges them but rewards them when they understand the jokes!
And last, of your favorite books from your childhood, which would you still happily read?
There are so many books! I always loved Anne of Green Gables: I reread that series about once a year! I think she and I are kindred spirits.
Visit our website to learn more about this fundraiser and all of our English programs.
No comments:
Post a Comment