Paramount Academy

Out on Silawad Road in Barwani, things are a bit more spread out. Our school is right along that stretch. You can see the hills in the distance on clear days. The building is a sturdy structure that has seen a lot of sun. It gets quite dusty because of the road, so we are always dusting off the desks. The students arrive on cycles or the local buses. It’s a long walk for some of them. Inside, it’s pretty basic. We have rows of benches and big windows to let in the breeze. We don’t have air conditioning, so those windows are important when the summer heat starts. The staff room is small and usually full of tea cups and half-graded papers. We talk about the weather or how the local crops are doing. It’s a practical place. We don’t spend money on flashy decorations. We’d rather make sure the roof doesn't leak during the monsoon. The courtyard is where everyone gathers for the morning assembly. You can hear the voices carrying across the road. By the time the afternoon sun hits the back of the building, everyone is ready to head home. We lock up the gates and the place goes silent until the next morning. It’s been this way for years. We are just a local school trying to keep things running steady for the kids in Barwani. We like the quiet pace here.