The village school

Towns, cities and villages in Uttar Pradesh have many things in common - large human populations, poor sewage, and garbage everywhere. One other thing is the presence of schools. Children going to school - be it in a small group on a dusty village road (top), or in droves on a newly-metalled main road (bottom) - is fortunately a common sight each morning.

However, not all schools have good facilities (middle two photos). Children crowd into one room jostling for space on the few benches, or huddle up in small groups - each group being a different age group. A very small number of teachers move among these groups handing out assignments.

Some people think these photos are rustic. I think some of these are pathetic! Though the number of schools is gratifying, the apparent lack of basic facilities in most is deeply distressing. How can we talk about wildlife conservation to these children whose future may already be compromised by lack of good education?