Another warm day from 8 till 3 pm.
It was as summer should be in Ireland. 22 degrees at noon with just small wispy
clouds. The ridge of Shillong Peak above the city is like Slievenamuck over Tipp but much
closer.
As the children gather for the
8.30 assembly, they spend the time making their own entertainment with active
childhood games. At marbles, they pull back the long finger so far that it pains
to look at. They flick that marble with deadly accuracy to strike the opponent
some 3 metres away. Skoi is the
local version of dodgeball and
many games can take place in a rather confined space. They crash and bump into
each other but we haven’t seen any temper or school-yard scraps. Danny got a
demonstration of Five Stones-
throwing one stone in the air and snapping up the other four.
He was also asked to take part. It demands good hand-eye co-ordination. I know,
I tried and failed hopelessly.
Lunchtime starts calmly as
lunch (rice, cabbage and potato, dried fish and tomato sauce) is given to each
child. 32 kg of rice used each day and is supplied by the state to each
qualifying school in India. Quietly they sat in various positions outside eating
their meal but, some bring part of that meal home. Once the eating is done it’s
down to serious play. The lads returned early from lunch in the Schol to join in
the fun – skoi, chasing, bulldog, marbles etc. Still, when that little bell
tinkles, all troop to the hall for afternoon assembly and the Providence prayer
repeated after the teacher – Lord.......I love you.....Help me.....to
love you..... love you......forevermore.......Please bless....all those
people......who help us.....in Providence followed by a jolly 300 voice
chorus of “Good afternoon,
teachers”.
Thinking of those children at play or at
prayer, it’s shocking to think of the home circumstances of some of them. One
little girl in Class 5 is head of household. She does the housekeeping and the
shopping. Neither parent at home. Her two younger siblings, also in Providence,
refer to her using the Khasi word for Mammy. Another in KG is childminder for
her 2 year old sister when she returns home at 12.30. (KG’s finish at 12 noon).
This enables the mother to go out to work . Another child in KG spends the
afternoon washing clothes by hand while her mother delivers the clothes washed
yesterday. Another 12 year old boy in one of the lower classes only started
school when the two younger siblings came to providence, freeing him of
childminding duties. These are just some of the strange circumstances some
children find themselves in. Not all are so extreme.
Today was the last full day
teaching. Tomorrow classes will be shortened to facilitate a special afternoon
programme. They dealt effectively with the usual situations –distractions,
moving about, some understanding and some not etc. They polished and revised the
parts nominated by Providence. KG to build up 3-letter words, Class 1 to use and
master in, on, outside, inside, under,
over. Class 2 to use is,
was and will.
(The Khasi language don’t have different tenses.) Class 3, using the
prepositions between,
among, into, onto. Class 4 replacing nouns with they,
their, them, we, our, us etc Class 5 using comparisons and similes as quick as ......etc They
have been revising these to make sure that they are known. In their groups they
have covered many other topics also. David and Susan taught Class 6,7,8 every
afternoon and dealt with such topics as short stories, poetry, songs and this
afternoon David put on a song / magic show for those classes.......starting out
on a new career?
The last class to come in today
was Classs3 – they have a much better grasp of English than the lower classes.
All classes are enthusiastic when coming in and grateful when leaving shown by
Bye Sir and a handshake. Each of the
lads have been dealing directly with 30 children and know them well. We will
bring home one copy with the work of each of the kids. A great souvenir of the work.
This evening we walked down to the
central shopping area of Shillong (Police Bazaar) and spent about an hour there.
Not as crowded as Calcutta but a lot busier than even the busiest
town or city at home.
Tomorrow will be a special day, we
expect. But now, sleep and
slumber; perhaps to dream.
It was as summer should be in Ireland. 22 degrees at noon with just small wispy
clouds. The ridge of Shillong Peak above the city is like Slievenamuck over Tipp but much
closer.
As the children gather for the
8.30 assembly, they spend the time making their own entertainment with active
childhood games. At marbles, they pull back the long finger so far that it pains
to look at. They flick that marble with deadly accuracy to strike the opponent
some 3 metres away. Skoi is the
local version of dodgeball and
many games can take place in a rather confined space. They crash and bump into
each other but we haven’t seen any temper or school-yard scraps. Danny got a
demonstration of Five Stones-
throwing one stone in the air and snapping up the other four.
He was also asked to take part. It demands good hand-eye co-ordination. I know,
I tried and failed hopelessly.
Lunchtime starts calmly as
lunch (rice, cabbage and potato, dried fish and tomato sauce) is given to each
child. 32 kg of rice used each day and is supplied by the state to each
qualifying school in India. Quietly they sat in various positions outside eating
their meal but, some bring part of that meal home. Once the eating is done it’s
down to serious play. The lads returned early from lunch in the Schol to join in
the fun – skoi, chasing, bulldog, marbles etc. Still, when that little bell
tinkles, all troop to the hall for afternoon assembly and the Providence prayer
repeated after the teacher – Lord.......I love you.....Help me.....to
love you..... love you......forevermore.......Please bless....all those
people......who help us.....in Providence followed by a jolly 300 voice
chorus of “Good afternoon,
teachers”.
Thinking of those children at play or at
prayer, it’s shocking to think of the home circumstances of some of them. One
little girl in Class 5 is head of household. She does the housekeeping and the
shopping. Neither parent at home. Her two younger siblings, also in Providence,
refer to her using the Khasi word for Mammy. Another in KG is childminder for
her 2 year old sister when she returns home at 12.30. (KG’s finish at 12 noon).
This enables the mother to go out to work . Another child in KG spends the
afternoon washing clothes by hand while her mother delivers the clothes washed
yesterday. Another 12 year old boy in one of the lower classes only started
school when the two younger siblings came to providence, freeing him of
childminding duties. These are just some of the strange circumstances some
children find themselves in. Not all are so extreme.
Today was the last full day
teaching. Tomorrow classes will be shortened to facilitate a special afternoon
programme. They dealt effectively with the usual situations –distractions,
moving about, some understanding and some not etc. They polished and revised the
parts nominated by Providence. KG to build up 3-letter words, Class 1 to use and
master in, on, outside, inside, under,
over. Class 2 to use is,
was and will.
(The Khasi language don’t have different tenses.) Class 3, using the
prepositions between,
among, into, onto. Class 4 replacing nouns with they,
their, them, we, our, us etc Class 5 using comparisons and similes as quick as ......etc They
have been revising these to make sure that they are known. In their groups they
have covered many other topics also. David and Susan taught Class 6,7,8 every
afternoon and dealt with such topics as short stories, poetry, songs and this
afternoon David put on a song / magic show for those classes.......starting out
on a new career?
The last class to come in today
was Classs3 – they have a much better grasp of English than the lower classes.
All classes are enthusiastic when coming in and grateful when leaving shown by
Bye Sir and a handshake. Each of the
lads have been dealing directly with 30 children and know them well. We will
bring home one copy with the work of each of the kids. A great souvenir of the work.
This evening we walked down to the
central shopping area of Shillong (Police Bazaar) and spent about an hour there.
Not as crowded as Calcutta but a lot busier than even the busiest
town or city at home.
Tomorrow will be a special day, we
expect. But now, sleep and
slumber; perhaps to dream.
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