Para Madhyamik Shala

Para Madhyamik Shala is a regular middle school located in Mehsana. We aren't a big private institution; we are just a local school serving the kids from this part of the city. The school is easy to find if you know the neighborhood, and it’s usually surrounded by bicycles that the students ride to get here. We have a few simple classrooms and a small office where we keep all the records in big metal cupboards. The walls are painted a standard cream color, and we have some charts about science and history pinned up to help the kids learn. Our day starts early, and we usually wrap things up by the afternoon so the children can go home and help their families. The teachers here are very practical. They know that many of these kids will go into trade or local businesses, so they try to teach things that will actually be useful. It’s a bit of a struggle sometimes with the heat and the old fans, but we make do. During the monsoon, the roof leaks a little in the corner of the staff room, but we just move the table. It’s a very human place. We celebrate the local festivals together and have small functions where the kids perform. It’s not about being the best; it’s about getting through the curriculum and giving these kids a decent start.