Quality Education For All

I have, recently, been appointed to work in a school as a Special Educator and Counsellor. At present, the summer vacation is still on and only teachers and other faculty members need to be present to ensure that all arrangements to facilitate education are made as soon as school resumes.

As the class-teachers were busy covering note-books and text-books, my colleague and I sat in the staff-room, chalking out our tentative schedules and devising different methods to cater to the wide array of needs of the differently-abled children. We did not really have much to do so we were making use of this opportunity to get to know each other better. Our random conversation was, suddenly, interrupted with a small girl arriving at the door. She was dark with long hair that was neatly tied back in a ponytail. She was dressed in her best clothes and she had a shy smile on her face and a mischievous twinkle in her eye. She knocked at the door and asked us if we were teachers.

I smiled at her and nodded my head. "What do you want, child?" I asked her.

"My mother and father...I don't have...I want to study. Please take me in your school!" she proclaimed and looked at us earnestly with eyes wide open. She spoke confidently and her voice was clear and sharp, devoid of any tremors.

I asked her if she had studied previously and she nodded her head. "I have studied till second standard. I want to study more...But I don't have money..."

"Why did you leave that school?" I probed.

"This school is nice - my friend is in same class but she knows more than me! I don't want to go to BMC school" the girl replied. 

This short conversation stirred in me a mixed array of emotions. I was a little startled to find a small seven year old girl walking in to school, all by herself, seeking admission. At the same time, I experienced a sense of joy to see this little girl trying to stand up on her own feet. I also felt proud that I was part of a school that imparted free education to all who were willing to learn!

I referred the girl to my supervisor. The little girl was asked to start coming to school once it re-opens after the vacation. She left the building with a big grin on her face and before leaving, she smiled at me and waved good-bye!

This brief incident instilled in me a deep sense of pride. My job may not be very well-paying  but I think each day, I get to learn a lot. The happiness one gets out of helping someone else cannot be defined in words. I feel extremely glad to be a part of an organization that does not deny access to quality education to anyone on grounds of financial and economic constraints. Children from all communities, of every social strata, the differently-abled - everyone - is welcome here because we, truly, believe that every child is special and we should help them develop their uniqueness in all academic and non-academic spheres. Children are the bright future of our nation and additional steps must be taken to encourage the education of the girl child. I am thankful that I am getting the opportunity of making a difference in whatever small way, and being able to touch the lives of so many others in a way that could, probably, not have been achieved before.