Sarkari Uchh.Madhyamik Shala

People around Harij know our building well enough. It is just a government school, Sarkari Uchh.Madhyamik Shala, right here in the Patan district. We spend our days dealing with a lot of paperwork and making sure the classrooms are somewhat tidy before the students show up. The walls could use some fresh paint, but that is how it goes with these older buildings in Gujarat. Most of the staff comes in early from nearby areas. We sit in the staff room, drink some tea, and talk about the weather or the local news before the first bell rings. It gets quite dusty on the roads around here, especially when the wind picks up in the summer. We have the usual benches and blackboards. Nothing fancy at all. The address is simple to find if you are looking for us in Harij, 384240. We don't have a big fancy gate or anything like that. Just a regular place where local kids come to study. Sometimes the fans make too much noise, and we have to shout a bit to be heard. It is just a daily routine of teaching and managing the registers. Everyone knows everyone in a small place like this. We just keep things running as best as we can with what we have. It is the work we do every day. The walk from the main road isn't too long, but it feels it when it's hot out. We see the same faces every morning. Some kids come by bicycle, others just walk through the narrow lanes.