Typical school day experiences of indian children in different contexts

Childhood Education, Winter 2002/2003 by Jaya, N, Malar, G

The 2002 International Focus Issue of Childhood Education focused on children's school experiences around the world. Guest Editors Susan A. Miller and Jillian 'Rodd located too many excellent articles to include in one issue. Therefore, we will publish additional articles on that theme, here and in future issues.

India is a vast, diverse country with a rich cultural heritage. Once a seat of consummate learning, colonialism brought socio-economic deprivations and inequalities, leading to significant illiteracy. A closer examination, however, reveals that the lineage of enlightenment and education is being inconspicuously carried on in lesser-known corners of the country. Three such centers can be found in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The three profiles in this article describe a typical school day for a student with special needs, a student in a tribal setting, and a student in a rural setting.

SCHOOL DAY PROFILE 1

Ten-year-old Akila has a congenital vision impairment and studies in an integrated setup at Coimbatore, in the state of Tamil Nadu. She is fortunate to attend school in a time when support for inclusive education is wellgrounded. Her sister, who suffers from the same visual impairment, is now successfully attending an inclusive college. Nongovernmental service provided early detection and timely intervention for both girls.

Preparations for School

Because of her differential abilities, Akila does need to take measures to make up for her variance from the mainstream society. Each evening, with the help of her parents and other family members, she reads through the lessons taught that day; she will do the homework on her own as a reinforcing exercise the next morning. She seems to adhere strictly to the adage about all work and no play, ending her daily routine with a little television.

Every morning, Akila is out of bed by 5:30; immediately after washing up, she begins to do her homework. She still receives assistance from her parents, especially her mother, when getting ready, more because she is the youngest child of the family than because she is differently abled. The attention from her mother puts Akila in a cheerful mindset, and she is ready to start for school.

Journey to School and Beginning of the School Day

Akila's ride to school takes an hour by bus. She requires some assistance, but she can identify and board the correct bus, buy her ticket, and get off at the correct stop. She looks forward to traveling on her own, as her sister does.

Akila usually arrives at school just in time to attend the morning prayer session, which lasts about 15 minutes and also involves the reading of news and a pep talk by the Headmistress. Akila's favorite morning routine is on Fridays, when the students sing bajans (devotional songs). On Wednesdays, they have a special session of physical-exercise. The prayer sessions end with the national anthem.

In the Classroom

Akila finds her classroom comfortable, with adequate furnishings. Being well-oriented to the architectural and spatial structure of the classroom, Akila is able to independently and freely move around and fend for herself. The classroom is made lively with ample educational materials, maps, and informational charts that change according to the current curriculum emphasis. The children generally seat themselves according to the teacher's directions; because of Akila's special needs, she is seated near an exclusively chosen peer guide, who is also one of her intimate companions.

Each class day does not follow any particular schedule. The classes begin at 9:30 a.m. and continue until 12:40 p.m., when the students break for lunch. A 15-- minute mid-morning break is scheduled around 11 a.m. The afternoon session commences around 1:30 p.m. and continues until school closes at 4:00 p.m. There are no particular demarcations between periods. The class teacher, who conducts learning sessions in a child-centered way, handles all the subjects. She chooses the time and duration for teaching each subject, based on the students' interests.

Learning Activities

A usual day for a special child starts with a half-hour warm-up session in the resource room designed specifically for children with special educational needs. After checking homework, the resource teacher briefs the children on the activities planned for the classroom (which are discussed beforehand by the resource teacher and regular staff).

Akila finds the learning activities in the classroom to be very lively and stimulating. The teacher takes care to constantly reinforce and guide the attention of the five special needs children in her classroom (three have seeing difficulties and two have hearing difficulties). Akila's participation in classroom activities is in no way inferior or different from that of her sighted peers, except that she writes in Braille using slate and stylus. She is especially conscious and proud of her proficiency in English.

Akila learns math, science, and social studies, along with the Tamil and English languages. She finds the science sessions particularly fascinating. The children are encouraged to carry out experiments on their own, observing nature and learning for themselves scientific principles. Akila recalls with excitement how she learned about the evaporative effects of the sun.