Smt Hari Pyari Devi I College

Out here in Garhi Baldev, things move a bit slower than they do in the middle of Agra. Smt Hari Pyari Devi I College is situated in a spot that feels more like a village than a city, which has its ups and downs. Most of the students come from the surrounding farms and small houses in Shamshabad. They’re good kids, mostly, though the older boys can be a handful when they’re hanging out near the gates. The building itself is a plain structure, and we’ve had to patch up the walls a few times after the rainy seasons. We don’t have many of the modern gadgets you see in big city schools, but we have enough benches and blackboards to get through the day. The staff is a mix of older teachers who have seen everything and a few younger ones who are just starting out. We spend a lot of time talking to parents about why their kids need to stay in school instead of staying home to help with the work. It’s a constant conversation. During the winter, it gets quite cold in the mornings, so everyone is bundled up in sweaters until the sun finally hits the courtyard. We don’t have a big fancy lobby. If you come to visit, you’ll probably find the principal sitting in a small room with a lot of files piled up. It’s just a normal college.