Context - India is worried that it's economic growth rate fell this quarter from 5.9% to 5.3% ( UK is about 0.02%). It is a so called powerhouse of industry. It might have something to do with low wages. A female garment worker gets paid on average 4,100 Rupees. ( £50) a month. Unskilled workers get paid much less and on a daily or hourly basis usually. Thiss explains to me why there are so so many very small shops ( about the size of a car garage that can just take the car). The better off folk who are the shop owners can only afford to have very small shops with a small amount of stock and the much less well off can only afford to buy very small amounts of rice or other staples on a daily basis. All the shops have have racks of indvidual sachets of shampoo or cereal or porridge or whatever. They also carry much larger amounts in the back of the shops but that's what on show at the front
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act came into force in India in only 2009. It should provide a guarantee for children between 6 to 14 to a free education in a Government school.My 'India' culture guide book says that 95% of rural Indian children have access to primary education at least 50% of those drop out by the time they are 12 ( to go to work). The south of India where Bangalore is has a much higher literacy and education rate. It is a so called richer part of India. Literacy here is about 95% ( if people were brought up here but so many have come from the countryside to work). In rural areas the rate is perhaps 50%. Of course I am still shamed every day when most people in Bangalore can speak at least 2 languages a little bit if not 3.
Anyway I am working in a so called private school which is in fact a charity where children with learning disabilities are able to get some education for a few hundred rupees a month ( or free if they cannot afford that). The Government pays nothing towards their education nor offers grants. The Education Act does not include the right of people with learning disabilities ( called Mental retardation here- they call dyslexia and dyspraxia learning disabilities) or autism to have a right to an education.
In free Government schools the children get 2 free uniforms a year ( which explains the absolute pristine but unbelievably 1950's school uniforms that kids wear ). the girls get a bike in year 9, free books and breakfast and lunch. They offer food because only the poorest families send their kids to these schools and it is a way of getting them in the door.My local friends say that the kids will stay until lunch is fnished then go home. If you have any money at all you go to a school with a name ( Government schools have no names).
The comparison with Private schools is bizarre though. In a Govt school the teachers will be qualified . They will earn far more than in private schools ( about £300/month). They will teach classes of perhaps 30 to 40 children but they might just not turn up ( common I have been told) or if they do they might not do much other than a bit of rote learning.
In private schools they will be called Special Educators with diplomas in something ( in my school they have diplomas in autism). The pupil teacher ratio might be 1:4 and they will be paid about £200 a month. The level of education is much better. But no Government money is transferred to these schools.
So Shristi and all the other charity schools teaching children with disabilities have to rely on constant fundraising to have enought money to pay staff. They also provide 2 meals and the books. They have to provide transport as they will not be within walking distance like Government schools. All the furniture or rooms have got names on them 'kindly donated by Motorola' or 'Bank of Canara' or 'Bangalore Overseas Womens Club' ( nearly joined it until I realised that it was ladies who lunch, albeit generous ladies who lunch! I initially laughed in a patronising way at that. Not any more. You got to do what it takes if you run a charity anywhere. What a bloody waste of time.
One of the reasons I cannot dislike my charity too much for abandoning me and never being willing to meet with me or offer me supervision is because they spend a lot of time trying to get enough money to pay the bills every month.
