In Primary School the children progress very swiftly in the first two years, covering
the coursework for grades 1 and 2 in the first year and grades 3 and 4 in the second
year. Children who find it difficult to keep up have remedial classes in Hindi,
English and maths. The classes are large and teaching is inevitably based on rote
learning and repetition, however the children are eager students and very engaged
in the learning process. Some of the teachers are inspired educators who have incorporated
role play, games and drama into their lessons and are helping to train and encourage
their colleagues to use more interactive teaching methods wherever possible.
In English, children begin to build a vocabulary of English words that they can
read and spell and they enjoy learning English songs and poems. Hindi, being their
mother tongue, is easier to learn. They are taught stories, poems, and some part
of grammar to develop their own language. They start to study Sanskrit from grade
3 and continue to next years.
In maths they learn addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, percentage,
decimal and the beginnings of geometry. As well as science, they study simple geography,
history and civics in social study. Both boys and girls are taught vocational courses;
girls are trained in cooking and tailoring and boys are taught gardening. Both boys
and girls are taught drawing together.
An important part of the Primary School curriculum is moral value, physical education,
health and hygiene and children are encouraged to keep themselves and their environment
neat and clean. Children attend library and like to read stories which helps develop
their reading ability.
Students in classes 6 to 8 also have as timetabled lessons agriculture for the boys
and home science for the girls. All children receive instruction in health and hygiene
and there are extra curricular lessons in sport, art and drama as well as scheduled
library sessions.
Teaching is traditional and rigorous, but teachers are encouraged to incorporate
interactive teaching methods wherever possible and children are increasingly able
to complete individual projects as part of their coursework. Individual progress
is carefully monitored and students may be given remedial teaching if they fall
behind. Classes may also be split and recombined according to ability in core subjects
such as maths, English or Hindi for one or more periods a week to allow slower students
to catch up, or to give more advanced students the opportunity to study something
more demanding.
From class 6 onwards students build on their knowledge of English, studying grammar
in depth but also spending time in activities designed to encourage spoken English
so that by class 8 we expect them to be able to converse confidently, not only in
class, but also with any English speaking visitors who may arrive at their school.
Children from Patehera are given weekly boarding accommodation at Guria School.
Boys and girls live in separate boarding houses on the Guria campus and are cared
for by a House Master and House Mistress, a married couple who live with the children
in the two houses. Each evening one of a team of senior teachers remains at school
to organise extra curricular classes and to supervise homework. Children from Guria
who attend Secondary School as day pupils are encouraged to stay and take part in
after school activities together with the boarders.
The pace and level of teaching in class 9 and 10 is more advanced than in the junior
classes. Secondary School students are expected to study hard and to take their
work very seriously. They continue with all subjects from Middle school with Sanskrit
as an option rather than a core class. Agriculture and home economics, traditionally
studied by boys and girls respectively, are combined in a co-educational class entitled
life science, which includes nutrition, health and hygiene, ecology and horticulture
studied both from a scientific point of view and including practical classes in
food preparation and gardening.
Computing is studied by all the pupils and practical science lessons will begin
as soon as the science laboratory is completed. In the Indian school and university
system students continuing to 6th form choose to study in one of three subject areas;
science, commerce or arts. Science is regarded as the most prestigious, followed
by commerce and lastly arts. It is common, therefore, in India to study science
at 6th form and for this reason it is imperative to give our students the opportunity
to study science and maths at a high level for as long as possible as grades obtained
at the end of class 10 are vital to acceptance into a top stream in class 11/12.
However, for those whose education may cease on graduation from class 10, we aim
to provide a complete general education that will equip them for life, to raise
healthy families and find work in the local economy.
As in the Primary and Middle Schools, Secondary School students are offered a range
of cultural activities and extra curricular classes to help develop a wide range
of interests. The older pupils are also elected to positions of responsibility in
the Student School Council, which they term ‘Child Parliament’.
