Sheth K B Vakil Vividhlakshi Vidyalaya

Our school, Sheth K B Vakil Vividhlakshi Vidyalaya, is located at number 9 in Radhanpur, over in the Patan area. It is a busy place once the morning starts. We have a lot of different things going on because it is a vividhlakshi school, meaning we handle more than just the basic reading and writing. But at the end of the day, it is just a local school where people from Radhanpur send their children. The building is quite old and has that specific smell of old stone and ink. We don't spend money on fancy decorations or big advertisements. Most people find out about us just by living in the neighborhood or having an older brother who came here ten years ago. The courtyard is where everything happens, from the morning line-up to the games at recess. Our desks are a bit scratched up, and the blackboards always need a good scrub, but the work gets done. The teachers here are mostly locals who have been teaching the same subjects for a long time. They know which kids are likely to get into trouble and which ones will sit quietly in the back. It’s a very normal, everyday kind of place. We don't try to be anything we aren't. We just open the doors, teach the classes, and go home when the sun starts to set over Patan. It is a steady rhythm that we have kept up for years.