I am teaching at YRTV Matriculation School, a private school on the edge of Sivakasi. The grounds are on the property of NRK Ravindram, a local businessman and the school's founder and patron. Each morning my 12-minute bike ride takes me past his family's three large and lovely homes and then to the school. The students at YRTV are also from well-to-do, or at least upper middle class, families.
The school grounds are beautiful. Like a park. The grounds building and maintenance staff is numerous. But there are also trash cans everywhere - not something you see in other parts of the city.
The thousand students who attend YRTV are divided into two blocks: junior block is preschool to 5th standard/grade and senior block is 6th to 12th standard. In the photo portions of the two blocks were combined for the award giving ceremony on Republic Day. Both blocks combined for Sports Day, too. But normally the two blocks are kept separate by buildings, trees and a short distance. It can feel like they are on two different campuses.
I am assigned to senior block. My time table says I teach 12 sections of oral English each week. Since the students know English, I've been asked to work on pronunciation and fluency. I teach the 6th - 9th students and the 11C class. Each class has about 30 students and lasts 45 minutes.
Leela is the office manager. One of her jobs is assigning substitutes from within the building. I am asked to substitute several times a week. When I do, the students get another session of oral English...no maths, chemistry, etc, from me!
RS Balasundaram, principal of senior block, is an energetic and personable man. It's his 11th standard class I teach. The students tell me he also teaches zoology. He's a busy man - you might say the right hand of the patron. Here he is away from his big desk in his own office working on the computer in the main office.
The library is next to Balasundaram's office. The one computer with Internet access, such as it is, is in the library next to the librarian's desk. I've given up on it, but I do come to the library to read The Hindu, a daily English newspaper. From this paper I have learned about some of Obama's steps, the controversy over and pride in the movie Slumdog Millionaire, and one Hindu holy man's request that couples found dating on Valentine's be forced to marry. Guess we won't make Valentine's cards in class on the 14th.
Leela is the office manager. One of her jobs is assigning substitutes from within the building. I am asked to substitute several times a week. When I do, the students get another session of oral English...no maths, chemistry, etc, from me!
RS Balasundaram, principal of senior block, is an energetic and personable man. It's his 11th standard class I teach. The students tell me he also teaches zoology. He's a busy man - you might say the right hand of the patron. Here he is away from his big desk in his own office working on the computer in the main office.
The library is next to Balasundaram's office. The one computer with Internet access, such as it is, is in the library next to the librarian's desk. I've given up on it, but I do come to the library to read The Hindu, a daily English newspaper. From this paper I have learned about some of Obama's steps, the controversy over and pride in the movie Slumdog Millionaire, and one Hindu holy man's request that couples found dating on Valentine's be forced to marry. Guess we won't make Valentine's cards in class on the 14th.
The staff rooms are in this same building. The ladies is is on the ground floor and the gents is on the first floor. Teachers teach in several rooms so their desks are in the staff rooms.
There are 3 buildings for senior block. This one, the one we've just been touring, is built around an inner court. These students are working on a maths assignment. Others have left their shoes at the door of a computer lab. There are several computer labs, but no Internet access.
There are 3 buildings for senior block. This one, the one we've just been touring, is built around an inner court. These students are working on a maths assignment. Others have left their shoes at the door of a computer lab. There are several computer labs, but no Internet access.
The shelves behind these two girls are as close as we get to lockers. Lunches the students bring themselves can be left here. Or they are kept with their backpacks or book bags....on the floor next to their desk in their home room.
The lunches that are dropped off later in the morning are picked up inside the gate. Students then sit in circles with friends on the ground, Lunch is 40 minutes long. Enough time to eat, visit, walk around and relax.
The school is quite proud of its new and improved Chemistry Lab. A new and improved Physics Lab is now under construction on the floor above it.
The lunches that are dropped off later in the morning are picked up inside the gate. Students then sit in circles with friends on the ground, Lunch is 40 minutes long. Enough time to eat, visit, walk around and relax.
The school is quite proud of its new and improved Chemistry Lab. A new and improved Physics Lab is now under construction on the floor above it.
I've been told, I'm sure by reliable sources, that YRTV is the best school in Sivakasi. So, I doubt I'm experiencing the norm.
Another comment on water......
I went for a walk before breakfast this morning instead of after. I saw many more people filling water jugs...but not from the pumps, from taps. So I'd now say less people than I thought have indoor plumbing. And if they don't have it, they get their washing and bathing water from taps more often than the pumps and their drinking water from the trucks.
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