Classes In Cowshed, Little Girl Sweeping: Other Side Of Schooling In Rajasthan
Children in a Rajasthan village are forced to attend school in a dilapidated cowshed because their dedicated school building was deemed unsafe by a High Court order. Despite a year passing, the situation remains unresolved, and authorities have reportedly banned outsiders from documenting this reality.
Why it matters
This article exposes the dire state of public education infrastructure in parts of India and highlights the significant challenges faced by students and teachers in accessing basic facilities. It also raises concerns about transparency and attempts to suppress reporting on critical social issues.
It is 6.45 in the morning. Two children sling their satchels over their shoulders and go into the cowshed. There, under a tree, they sweep the earthen courtyard. They spread a mat. They set a table. They arrange chairs. Two little girls arrive. One starts sweeping with broom. The other, with a friend's help, removes a black board. This cowshed is their school. Their dedicated school building has become dilapidated. After High Court orders, classes couldn't be held there, so that's the alternative arrangement their teachers made last year. Together they clean and arrange this place, turning it into a school.Soon their teacher will arrive. Before she comes, the children finish setting everything up. When a stray dog wanders into the school, a small girl grabs a stick and runs to chase it away. She closes the gate. The mid-day meal van is on time. The children run.
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