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Shankar is very particular about cleanliness.
He is a member of the Students’ Association
and holds the post of a ‘Safai Mantri’. He is
responsible for the cleanliness of the school
and its surrounding areas
Shankar’s mother says that he is very kind and helpful. He helps her fetch water and herds the
goats. He never says no to whatever chore he is asked to do, as long as he doesn’t miss school or get
late to school. “When it’s time for Shankar to go to school and I ask him to run some errands, he
complains that he is getting late for school. If I try to persuade him, he gets irritated, quickly runs to
the shop, buys whatever we need, drops it at the doorstep, and rushes to school,” she shares.
Shankar’s teacher believes that he is a keen learner and will become a good citizen. He says,
“Shankar has the urge to study and become an abled man to support his family. He studies well
despite the difficulties and will have a good future.” The 10-year-old is friendly with his classmates;
together they play kabaddi, football, and other games. Shankar is very particular about cleanliness.
He is a member of the Students’ Association and holds the post of a ‘Safai Mantri’. He is responsible
for the cleanliness of the school and its surrounding areas. He is also interested in gardening. Every
morning, he and his friends water the plants in the school garden.
As with millions of parents across the
country, even Shankar’s parents wish
for a better life for him
As with other children in Dhareswar LPS, even Shankar looks forward to their lunch break. First,
they get nutritious food, and second, because they get to play. “Children wait for the lunch break.
Once they finish their food, they will run to the playground,” Shankar’s teacher states. Shankar and
his friends play kabaddi after they finish their lunch. His mother says, “he doesn’t eat lunch at home
because it is provided at school. At home, he only wants snacks. He will not eat rice or a regular
meal. At school, however, he will eat rice and sabzi served for lunch.”
Shankar’s parents, his mother in particular, take a lot of interest in his education. She visits the
school on a regular basis and meets the teacher for advice about her children’s future. “We face a lot
of difficulty in running the house,” she confides and further adds, “we encourage him to study well
so that he does better in life… better than us. We are managing with a meagre income. But I wish
that our children do well.”
As with millions of parents across the country, even Shankar’s parents wish for a better life for him.
They know that education can be key to this. If you ask Shankar, he wants to become a police officer
so that he can—in his own words—“punish offenders.”
ANNUAL REPORT 2017-18 ASPIRE - 77
ASPIRE - 78 ANNUAL REPORT 2017-18