SCOPE May be a Joke…In Improving Teachers English Ability

When I heard about the SCOPE program, a course to increase the teachers English ability, I grew excited about the positive impact on English at Bajipura. I thought it was great that the government of Gujarat was taking efforts to reverse the affects of not making English a priority for many years. The results of these decisions are still negatively impacting the students’ success because it is difficult to find teachers that are highly qualified in this subject and thus the students suffer. Now the government is taking bold steps to change this cycle of have unqualified English teachers, creating poor students through introducing the SCOPE program and making it mandatory for teachers to take this exam. If the teachers do not receive their appropriate level on the exam then they will not be eligible to receive their salary advance. My excitement lasted until I started helping my fellow teachers with their studying.

I first started thumbing through the book to check out the program. The book layout left much to be desired. Navigating the workbook was difficult for me, a native speaker. Also I was confused by the purpose of the teachers learning business English, since it is not applicable to their work setting. I finally had the full experience of the SCOPE program when we were able to use the instructional CD-ROM. The CD portion of the materials is important to the course, but many teachers do not have access to computers to practice as much as they should.

My co-teacher and I worked together to answer the various questions. I struggled to read the long essays that were filled with difficult business content. My degree has fully prepared me to read for meaning and while I have been successful in English medium elementary, High School, and college, I only was able to have 4 out of 6 correct in one of the exercises. Not only is the content of the readings and listening parts difficult, the answers have near the same meaning and take an exact knowledge of the English language to find the right answer.

All teachers take this exam whether they are English teachers or have not taken and English course since High school. Even my co-teacher who has good English was saying she did not want to read the lengthy, boring paragraphs, that were filled with business jargon, but the teachers that have almost no understanding of English do not even attempt to read the questions, paragraphs, or answers. The teachers tell me in Gujarati that they simply pray to God to help them pick the right letter a, b, or c. As I am helping the teachers they not only have no idea of the answer, they also have no practice with computers and cannot submit their answers without great difficulty. Unfortunately for them their exam is administered online. Basically, their odds of receiving passing marks on the exam are very small.

I would like to find out more about this program, but my initial thought is that the government of Gujarat really needs to re-think their methods. The first problem of many is that it is only a textbook and not a training program. The teachers do not have basic knowledge of English and no teacher is provided to help them improve. Instead of investing money in costly textbooks and exams why not offer training courses with qualified trainers. They can take private courses for high prices, but what teacher makes that much money to pursue this option. The next fault of the exam is that it awards different leveled results: beginner to advance ratings, but the material is the same for all levels. The exam does not encourage the beginners to improve because the material is too hard that they become too frustrated to even read the questions and answers. The third issue is that the exam is computerized. I think that it is a great idea to encourage proficiency in computers and there should be programs that target this specifically. To challenge the teachers to show their proficiency in English on the computer, when they do not have practice with computers is a huge disadvantage for them.

The most baffling and frustrating part of the program is that it is business orientated. I can think of the logic behind the government officials: to promote economic success they need to teach the language of the business world. Due to this logic, the teachers are doomed to failure because not only do you need a knowledge of English, but you need to know the language of business. I find it hard to believe that the Sanskrit teacher will be able to implement gained knowledge about marketing and outsourcing into class. Does the government want the teacher to leave their school work to pursue work in the business world? In my knowledge of pedagogy I know that a human mind must first learn basics and move to specifics. Students in the ninth standard need to learn the basics of English before learning about the specific terms of the business world. Even though the teachers are not really learning business English because they do not know the basics of English, I do not understand why it is important for the teachers to teach business English to students in a science class. Perhaps if they want to teach specialized English, the best place to start would be in the teachers own subject area.

I understand and value the attempt that has been made to improve English ability within the staff of teachers to create more opportunities for the students. I am just disheartened by the inability of this program to bring about any real change. If any person is reading this that is involved in bringing the SCOPE program to Gujarat government schools I urge you to revise some of the methods so that the teachers can first learn the basics of English and then progress towards this specialized exam. Please also provide training for the teachers because I know they are willing to learn if someone is giving this task. If this information is somewhat disturbing to you the reader that is hearing about SCOPE for the first time also feel inspired to take action with the government of Gujarat. Please tell them that Nanubhai Education Foundation is working in teacher training and will provide their services for next to free and can provide teachers that are proficient in English and can help the teachers learn basics of English or for English teachers further increase their ability. This program inspires me to keep working with Nanubahi after my fellowship to allow for Gujarati children to get the help they need rather than the government spending money on programs that continue to fail the students.

A Difficult Day

Time. There is never enough of it. Time seems to speed up as we get older and it flies when we are having fun. These realities about time are becoming more and more evident to me as my final weeks of teaching draw near. On Monday, I taught my English Medium students for the last time and it was a very depressing day. The students had no idea it would be my last day when I walked into the classroom on that Monday morning. When I told them, there was an audible gasp and the pained look on Dhruti’s face was especially hard to bear. Her mouth dropped open, her brow furrowed and it looked as if she might cry. I felt the same way.

When I first came to the English Medium school the students didn’t know what to think of me, especially the Kindergartner and Pre-KG kids. I was immediately drawn to them because they are some of the cutest kids I have ever seen, especially in their uniforms. The dress shorts, plaid button-up shirt, and striped tie make the boys look like little gentlemen. The girls, dressed in blue pinafores, white socks and the same striped tie, look like petite ladies. Some of the kids are so small that their white socks slouch and bunch around their tiny ankles. The illusion of perfect gentlemen and ladies is shattered when the school bell rings and they run full force to the playground, their striped ties waving to me in the breeze.

My favorite part of the day is recess, which is when the kids descend upon the narrow patio to devour the delicacies packed into their small lunch tins. Instead of sitting in the staff room with the other teachers, I sit on the patio and watch the kids. On the first day I did this, the kids walked by me and recoiled in horror at this strange creature that had appeared at their school. I would smile at them and say hello, which would either send them into a fit of giggles, or send them running.

Part of what I love about recess is the opportunity to watch them interact with each other. They are so animated with their facial expressions and their bodies; they use their arms and hands to gesture to each other in such a serious manner. At times they are in such intense discussions it seems they could be discussing the future of India, or how to achieve world peace. I asked the teachers what they are saying and was told that they are talking about their snacks, and most arguments involve “He/She was eating my food!”

Slowly, week by week, the kids became more comfortable with me. Now, the kids are the first to say “Good morning Teacher!” When I walk down the corridor, I am greeted by every student with a smile and a wave. They ask me (in Gujarati because they are so young) to open their lunch boxes and water bottles. It may sound weird, but I was especially touched when a KG student came to me to tattle on another student. Tattling, usually seen as an annoyance by teachers, meant to me that they finally recognized me as a teacher. I was no longer some alien creature. My persistence had paid off and they had accepted me.

The Principal told me in our final discussion on Monday that I was the best teacher in his heart for his students. This touched me deeply and I was taken aback with his sincerity and at once I felt the same. His students are the best students in my heart.

Spring Cleaning

Last month we decided to implement a Spoken English computer curriculum for our students. We thought it would be a great way for them to learn how to use the Internet, email and other software they are not otherwise taught. It also gave students who cannot pay for computer classes the opportunity to familiarize themselves with them.

We walked into the computer lab with high hopes, but upon laying down ground rules and turning on the computers we realized it was next to impossible to teach a curriculum in this lab. The computers were in a state of disarray, both inside and out. The computers had all sorts of issues ranging from simple physical problems of broken USB ports, exposed hard drives, unattached side panels and a ridiculous amount of dust. Unfortunately, all the issues did not have an easy fix. The more difficult issues to tackle are the hardware problems - bugs, error messages, hard drive failure etc.

Our goal is to get the computers into a state where the students can rely on them as well as making sustainable changes to the computer lab management through training and regular maintenance. We plan on transforming it into an efficient work area by redesigning the server, fixing numerous error problems and installing new software that will make the lab a viable part of the Kadod High School curriculum.

Last Saturday we planned an all Spoken English cleaning day. Although the students do have school on Saturdays, getting them to come back to school on their weekend proved easier than expected. Granted we did bribe them with a movie and cake after the clean-up, but the kids were genuinely excited to clean up their lab.

Not only have the students taken the time outside of school to successfully clean and organize the computers, they will now pass along those skills and sense of responsibility to a number of other students and faculty at Kadod High School.

(Pictures of the cleanup to come...)

Sports vs. Academics: Competition in US and Indian Public Schools

The one thing that all children learn in school is the important and role of competition in their life. The structures of most schools are set up to stress this value to children. In the US are academic competition is stressed, but the even more blatant form of completion comes from our participation in sporting events. The whole school culture in most public schools revolves around sporting events and the success of schools in sporting events. In India there is not the same sporting culture as in the US. Indian sports throughout the year have consisted of students playing during recess time in courtyard, but nothing formal.

This Monday at Bajipura there was a scheduled Cricket Match. As we watched my students asked me if the principal at schools in America also declare sports day. This got me thinking about how infused the schools culture is with sports. It is not just one sporting day but that nearly every day in US schools focuses on sports. During this day the ninth standard team was climbing into the finals as they defeated team after team and the final game was going to be against 12th standard to decide the school champions of this year. As I teach all ninth standard classes a swelled in pride watching my students lead their class to victory. Unlike in American schools where all the great athletes are well known throughout the school, wearing the uniforms on game days and having their names announced on the loud speaker for their achievements, in India it was surprising for me to see what students were the athletes. Unlike in America where the students growing popularity and social calendar is dictated by their success in sports, in India the only students that are well known are the students achieving academically, all other successes are secondary.

Ninth standard lost the final match, but these athletes had their day in the spotlight. The very next day there was a speech and quiz competition and then the athletics slipped out of the spotlight and again academics became our main focus. Just like the honor that US athletes receive at a pep rallies, my student Prutvi had the same glory as he stood up to deliver his speech in the speech competition. As he made his way to the stage the whole school roared in cheers and pride. The students from the other schools had stood up on stage and rushed as fast as possible through their monotone speeches. Prutvi made his way to stage with such confidence and poise. He welcomed the audience and spoke with zest and as he made point after point the whole audience nodded in approval. After he finished, the whole prayer hall exploded in applause. Next during the speech competition two more of my ninth standard students competed against two other schools. Let’s just say Bajipura Highschool was kicking butt during the quiz and the prayer hall was filled with pride and excitement as the two heroic students of ninth standard led the school to victory.

Although there was only one sporting day at Bajipura Highschool I have seen over five such quiz or speech competitions held. Can we even think about the number of events at US schools that revolve around sports? I remember each and every Friday night, in the fall, the parking lot of the school overflowing as the whole village came to cheer on the athletes of my High School. There were absolutely no academic events at my school that drew the same attention.

The scary part about completion in US schools is that it had deviated away from academic competition. I do not believe whole heartedly in the value of completion and its role in inspiring students, I rather more approve of students being self-motivated and realizing the contribution of their efforts and how it leads to their success. Competition will not leave our school culture, but I do wish that American students felt the same desire to be competitive to lead their school academically rather than on the sports field. Being first rank in your class in India is the biggest mark of popularity, rather than failing out of school but winning the most points for your school in the last sporting event like in the US. If we could make it cool for students to excel academically in the United States like it is cool in India, then our students could be unstoppable because not only would they be provided with a wealth of resources to pursue their academics, but they would actually be inspired to learn as well. Let the US learn from India and make it the biggest accomplishment to be in the first string of academic success, rather than being the first string quarter back.

Thank You!

I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support we received for our fundraiser. I just wanted to say thank you- thanks for all the kind words, notes of support, thoughts and prayers, and for the financial support as well. So many times, we extend our support with the hopes of making a difference, but we may never fully see the difference that our contributions provide. I have the benefit of actually seeing it come to fruition before my very eyes- I can glance down the table now, as I type, and I can see the children reading. I can envision the new books that these generous contributions will provide. It is also a humbling experience however, as


the students fully counted on us winning the half marathon. I was content to finish and do my best- that is not good enough for them. How can I expect anything less from them? We push them everyday- we tell them to try harder, so how could we expect any less from ourselves. We did do our best, and we ran strong and hard. I hope it serves as an example to our students, that they can set goals, push themselves to accomplish those goals and make a difference.
We are planting the seeds that will grow into the future of India. The books that will be furnished by your generous contributions and support will help open the eyes of students to the world around them. It will help spark an interest in subjects that were previously elusive and not thought possible by many of the students. One never knows what may spur a student to reach for the stars and pursue goals that they never would have considered in the past, but I do know that the chances increase with the additional academic resources we place before them. Gandhi’s words of, “Be the change you want to see in the world,” echo still today, and we would like to thank everyone who has helped us make a positive change in our schools.

A Religious Melting Pot

In America, we take some sense of pride in considering ourselves a melting pot for ethnicities and cultures from all around the world to come and weave themselves into the fabric of American society. It is what makes America special- the diversity and the “American Dream” of creating a better life through the pursuit of excellence and hard work. One can debate the merits as to the reality of opportunity for these people coming to try to forge a better life, but they believe they can, and there is an essence of reality in believing. The variety of festivals, faiths, and food helps to give people a chance to glance through windows into lives and cultures that they would ordinarily not be able to experience. I, like many other Americans, always appreciated this aspect of realizing our similarities while celebrating our differences.

India has, in some ways, really demonstrated what a melting pot is from a religious aspect. We live in the really small town of Bajipura with a population in the neighborhood of about 5,000 residents.

We do have religious freedom in America, but in a closer glance, this freedom usually manifests itself in Christianity in its various expressions. The cathedral in downtown Indianapolis holds an interfaith celebration every year around Thanksgiving, and that is where one can witness the various faiths from the city coming together to express thanks, but they have the tendency to seem somewhat obscure, as we do not see them openly practiced on a daily basis. Indianapolis is not the most diverse city in America, but it is still a rather large city where one would expect a greater diversity in religious practices.

It is strange that the actual realization of a melting pot is much more prevalent in India from a religious perspective- especially in the smaller towns. I think one would be hard pressed to find a small town in America with as much religious diversity as the small towns in India. Bajipura has 3 Hindu Temples, a Mosque, a Jain Temple, with a Protestant and Catholic Church just up the road. While religious relations have not always been the best in India, they seem to be fairly harmonious at the present time.


It has been a wonderful experience for me to see the different faiths interacting on a daily basis, and it has also helped from a personal growth perspective. We spent our Thanksgiving with a Muslim family, and it was nice to spend it together in a family atmosphere so far away from home. This is much different than the images that we are bombarded with on a daily basis through our televisions, but that is all the interaction that many people are afforded, so opinions are formed from narrow perspectives and little information.

I also had the wonderful opportunity to spend Christmas out in the villages, as groups of people came together to celebrate. The religious fervor, be it Christian, Hindu or Muslim in India is almost unparalleled. They sing and they dance with such fervor, it is inspiring to see that faith is just not a hum drum daily duty. The people were literally stacked on top of vehicles for Christmas, as many do not have cars, but they would not be deterred from coming together to celebrate.
It is commonly understood that one should be careful when discussing religion and politics due to the deeply personal nature of the issues and the diverse experiences that people have experienced in forming their views. Discussions are healthy though, and it makes it so much easier when you encounter it on a daily basis.

It's a Mistry

One of the joys of teaching in a small village in India is getting to know the people in that village. We are welcomed into homes, and people are eager to learn about us, as well as tell us a little about themselves. It is usually done over a warm cup of tea, and laughter and smiling is inevitable. I was able to enjoy one of these such encounters just after arriving in Bajipura.

We were welcomed to go to the house of Sangita Mistry, a teacher at a local college, and she wished to introduce us to her parents. She led us to a sort of alley, and it was dusk. You could hear the soft whispers of conversations, music playing, and some pots gently banging with the cleanup after dinner. She came to a small cozy house along a row of very similar houses, and she knocked on the door. We could hear her father singing inside, so it took a couple of knocks to get his attention. When he did open the door, it was a rush of excitement to welcome us into his house and make us feel at home. He pulled out a shoebox from his dresser drawer, and it contained many old photos of when he was a child. He spread them out on the bed, and one could not help to wish that pictures could talk. He did a nice job of retelling the stories- of how he had gone to Dubai as a young man to help in the construction of various building projects. He showed us his passport form the 1950s, and it contained several stamps from his travels throughout the region. We enjoyed our visit together, and as the night got late, we excused ourselves, and we began our short walk back home.

While walking home, and passing several houses similar to the Mistry house, I could not help but wonder what stories lay behind each door. I thought the name, Mistry, was appropriate, as in India, it signifies the duties of a carpenter, but in English (mystery), it signifies something that we may never know or have yet to figure out. I thought this was especially true of all the doors that we pass in our lives, and we never take the time to open them. It does not take much effort to get to know those around us, but too often we get caught up in our own lives, and we do not make the effort to reach out and connect with other people. It was a good lesson for me, and I found that it was definitely a Mistry worth exploring.

Happy Valentine's Day!

One of my students, Dharmendra, presents me with a construction paper heart

While Valentine's Day is not an official Indian holiday, it has crept its way into the general vernacular of our villages through popular culture, Bollywood films and celebrations put on by local Indian colleges. Since there isn't really a norm for dating in the communities that we work in, and marriages are as much about family as they are about any given couple, I was surprised last year when I asked my students to write a newsletter article and they chose "February 14: Valentine's Day".

Here are the thoughts of my two students, Vikas and Vishal:


14th February: Valentines Day
By Vikas and Vishal

Everyone, even young boys, young girls and old men, like Valentines Day. On 14th February, everyone celebrated Valentine's Day. Everyone celebrated Valentine's Day
because some people like friendship and some people like love. On that day, people give chocolate and flowers to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Everyone was happy on that day, but we were unhappy, because we don't like Valentine's Day.









If you want to meet one of the authors of this fantastic article, you can watch an interview with Vikas right here: