A group of students from Kolkata spent a week interacting with tribal students, who study in a free school in Ghatshila, playing football and eating meals together.
Many of the students in Ghatshila have financial constraints at home. Some have to undertake enormous hardship to reach the nearest school. But they do. “They understand the need to go to school,” said a teacher accompanying the Kolkata students.
A group of students from Sri Sri Academy accompanied by two of their teachers went to Ghatshila and came back with backpacks of experiences.
From humble backgrounds, but the children in Sri Sri Vidya Mandir in Hendaljuri, Ghatshila, came across as confident young people who did science experiments or archery with equal expertise, the Kolkata students said.
The two schools, in Kolkata and Ghatshila, are run by the same trust.
“All of them there are all-rounders. We sat on mats to eat. We saw how they eat what is served to them not wasting anything. After they finish they wash their own utensils,” said Bhoomika Nad, a Class XII student of Sri Sri Academy.
Experiences like these help them value what they have, said the principal of Sri Sri Academy, Suvina Shunglu. “It is necessary because many of the city children feel entitled.”
Through exposure to young people’s lives in rural areas, children from the city can learn empathy and respect for local sensibilities. “We hope this will enable them to adopt leadership roles in the future,” said Shunglu.
“The students at Ghatshila are keen learners and here in the city, we are grappling with reluctant learners,” said Radhika Bagadthey, senior school English coordinator and in charge of the Interact Club who accompanied the students.