Kailash Bodhi School

Lynn and Kevan have been working for the last two months for two afternoons a week in Kailash Bodhi School in Rangri. This is a Buddhist school that teaches children of Tibetan and Nepali origin, most of their parents work as stone cutters in the area and their life expectancy is in the early forties (see the profile for more information). We took two classes together, giving us seventeen children with ages between nine and fourteen for English and Art. The level of English was quite varied within this age so we began with correcting common mistakes in speaking English as a foreign language through games, quizzes and grammar exercises. After this, classes had to be tailored to suit the mixed abilities to keep all kids interested and stimulated.

The kids here are full of energy and enthusiasm for learning and it’s been a pleasure to teach them. As most art lessons in India seem to consist of copying pictures from books, we decided to try and make it more inspiring for them to try and bring out their creativity. They really enjoyed sessions like mask making, illustrating stories and creating their own comic strips during this time. The final session with them consisted of a team competition with everything from pin the tail on a donkey to testing their English and was equally as fun for us as it was for them! Next year most of the older children will go onto class VI in other schools if their parents can afford the tuition. The KEF (Kullu Education Fund) hopes to sponsor two children a year to carry on their education to a higher level if they would otherwise be sent to work by their parents to earn money for the family. It is very important these kids get the opportunity to continue in education to increase their opportunities for their futures..