Zubedabegam High School

Our school is located in Dasada, over in the Surendra Nagar district of Gujarat. It’s a place that’s been around for the local community for quite some time now. The building sits on a dusty plot, which is pretty typical for this part of the state. We have several classrooms that fill up every morning with kids from the town and some of the smaller places nearby. It’s not a fancy private academy; it’s just a regular high school where we try to get through the curriculum every year. The teachers are locals who understand the way things work around here. We have a small staff room where we drink tea and plan out the week together. Sometimes the wind picks up and blows sand into the hallways, so we’re always sweeping the floors. The desks are a bit old, and the walls could probably use a fresh coat of paint, but they serve their purpose well enough for the daily lessons. We follow the Gujarat state board guidelines and stick to the schedule. During the hot months, the afternoons can get pretty sluggish, but we push through until the final bell rings at the end of the day. Parents stop by the gate sometimes to talk about their kids, and we just have a chat right there on the path. It’s an honest sort of place. We don't have big budgets for extras, so we just focus on the books and the lessons. It’s just life in Dasada, and we are fine with that.