A Night School in Rajastan offering evening education to children who are unable to attend school because they have to work during the day.
In Rajastan, one of the largest, driest and poorest States in India, water is scarce and women walk for miles everyday in search of water. Children here have no option but to tend to goats during the day in order to augment the meagre family income. Finding food, water and fuel means walking long distances and by the time the children’s work is done, the state schools have long since closed for the day. This is a fate shared by thousands of children. It is estimated that about two thirds of children in rural areas are unable to attend school because they have to work.
The Night School offers these children an alternative, to be able to go to school when the sun goes down. At night the school lights up its solar lamps and it is ready for class. Poetry, theatre and song are used liberally to ensure that children learn not just the alphabet and multiplication tables, but also the skills that matter more to those living off the land, like tending and irrigating fields, health, crafts and building houses. The children here are highly motivated since they realise that education will bring them a better life. “This school isn’t meant to heap yet more work on its pupils. It is supposed to be fun. It’s the only way we can stop people migrating into the cities”, explains its founder.
Another innovative idea that emerged from the Night School concept is the Children’s Parliament, which was an initiative set up by one of its students. About 5,000 children vote for representatives from their own ranks in democratic elections. Currently, a 14-year-old Education Minister, is responsible for the smooth running of the school system. She inspects the other night schools four times a month and reports back to the other ministers. The Children’s Parliament goes a lot further than mere role-playing. The Prime Minister – all of them girls to date – has a lot of power including the hiring and firing of teachers.