On Thursday, Indian Independence Day, Naresh welcomed us to the school in Irvin Village; he and his father spent much of their childhoods in this village and attending the local school. We drove for about two hours out of Hyderabad to reach the village, which is situated in a rural setting. When we arrived, the school children assembled in dirt courtyard for a flag ceremony, academic term awards ceremony, and celebration of Independence Day. We observed the ceremonies, and then met and interacted with the kids and teachers of the school. After, we toured the school’s classrooms, library, and science laboratory with Naresh and had a traditional village breakfast consisting of spiced rice with peanuts and vegetables. We practiced eating with rice with our hands!
Naresh then took us to the Vikas Excellent School, Kalwakurthy. This school takes a nontraditional approach to educating students who do not fit the mold of the traditional education system. The school is free of cost for students and is funded entirely by donations. It is nestled into the rural countryside and emphasizes proximity to nature while learning. We watched a dance and drum performance by a group of students, and then learned about the educational philosophy from the founder of the school. The curriculum is entirely student run, and runs year-round. After having a wonderful Indian meal, we took a short hike into the countryside to observe some of the gardens planted by students of the school. We sat beneath a Tamarind tree for several hours and discussed the similarities and differences between Indian and American public and private schooling systems with the founder of the Vikas Excellent School. A long drive back to Hyderabad concluded a memorable Independence Day Holiday.
-DZ
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