Our Students' Works... Some Anecdotes... Basia, our Polish Exchange student tells her experience... Our parents write in...
Some Anecdotes...
When parents reprimanded their children for feeding the campus dog 'Kojane' who is a hot favourite with everyone, the quick rejoinder they got was - "That's part and parcel of being at the Green Wisdom School. We've got to take care of living things!"
				A seven year old came across an e-mail her grandpa had sent to her parents suggesting that they shift her to a hostel. She decided to act out her convictions and sent in an immediate reply to her grandfather saying - "I'll continue to stay at Prakriya Green Wisdom. I will not move to any other school."
We at the school felt that class I children needed an anchor person who would be there with them most of the time and handles most of their classes. In our understanding, this would give them a sense of continuity and would be settling for them. But the children had other ideas and conveyed this to their teacher in a matter of fact manner - "Aunty we're so bored of you because we keep seeing you all the time."
				During the field trip to Hampi, at the end of an interesting day of sight seeing, the children were comparing notes about the places they had visited. Overheard were the remarks, "We needn't have come this far to see Ugranarasimha, our teachers look that way anyway - when angry!"
When Basia, our Polish exchange student joined us she became the center of attraction! One of our students wanted to know whether her blonde hair could be beaten into a golden wire or thread - a prospective businessman?!!
				Children, when they have the freedom of expression let go a flood of whys, hows and why-nots. For the peace of mind of the adults who accompanied them for the Hampi trip, we rationed these type of questions. We realized how difficult it was for the children to quell their spirit of enquiry when we were asked- "We have a question but we don't know how to phrase it without a 'why' or 'how come' or 'why not'."
Basia writes... Prakriya has decided to invite exchange students from different parts of the world - a fun way of enriching geography classes as well as let children get exposed to people from various cultures. This year through the AIESEC (An International Students Organization), Basia Geniusz, an enthusiastic twenty two year old dreamer from Poland is with us for three months - teaching Math, Geography, Art and Theatre. People ask me all the time why I came to India and they don't realize that it's probably the most difficult question they could ask. I would like to give an answer for everyone who wonders what actually this blond, blue-eyed girl wearing salwar and eating her food with hands is looking for in India. First of all I came to Bangalore because I wanted to experience things that I cannot find in Poland. I study psychology there and I live with my family, who take care of me a lot, even too much, for my 21 years. Besides that, I got used to a totally different culture, customs, food, clothes, climate and whatever you can imagine. I didn't want to visit famous places in India and take one photo in front of Taj Mahal and another one with my foot in Ganges! Of course, I could do that but it wouldn't be enough for me. I really felt that living here for some time would be much more unique and unforgettable, not just traveling and having fun, but working, being a part of community and having friends here. I am aware that, because of my fair skin, many people would treat me different even after 20 years of staying here, and no matter what, I'll always be a stranger for some. Probably my decision to come to India was more difficult than all the things I did after taking it. I just had to convince my family and myself that I won't get lost at the airport and be responsible enough to stay for 3 months 10,000 km from home in a city three times bigger than the capital city of Poland. And than I went to AIESEC - it's a student organization, that helps people like me, who are looking for internship abroad and organizations, like Aastha, which want to have an employee from another country to meet each other. I read a lot about India and I could be prepared for some things, that I found here, but I wasn't prepared for those I found in the school. I couldn't expect That I would find a school where the headmaster laughs for half of a day and has that kind of smile that you cannot resist! How could I expect that I would meet the teachers ready for realization of all my crazy ideas and having their own not less crazy! Finally I couldn't expect that those six, seven or twelve years olds become so important to me, that I treat going to school more like going for a meeting with my young friends than going to work. I hope that my arrival helps children to see their country and their life from a different perspective and realize that simple things, which are normal for them can be something really weird or unusual for someone like me. I can make them feel very important, when they teach me how to eat with hands, what to do in a temple or how to say something in Hindi. Now, when it's just the half of my internship, I can say that I like the place more and more. I enjoy getting to know all the good and bad sides of Indian culture and I keep on worrying how to show it all to my family and friends after coming back home. Even saying all the stories, showing Hindi music, making idlis there (if I will learn how to make them), won't change the fact that a large part of my experience belongs only to me. And this discovering myself makes me even happier, although in some way I can become a stranger in my own country after going back to Poland. One of my friends noticed that I started to call the place where I am staying now - my home, I say my Indian family (about the family that keeps me as a paying guest) and I always call Prakriya my school and the children there - my children. That's the part of my unique experience too.
Our parents write in... Nitin & Vidya Shenoy - parents of Nidhi of class I writes ...... Prakriya is a great place of learning for children. There is a strong community environment, very amicable teachers, varied learning methodologies and the education supports not only the curriculum but also overall growth and development of the child. The most interesting aspect of the school is that it ingrains children into our own rich culture, core ethics of the Indian Society and our rich value system, which I think is very important key to the the development of the child. My experience with the school and faculty has been pleasant. Everyone that I have interacted with have displayed care, maturity, concern and openness to feedback. My two children who currently study at Prakriya are delighted to go to school each day and I have observed significant positive change in their overall behaviour, attitude towards things, ability to understand and learn fast. Prakriya to me is a new institution with a vision that I find distinct from other schools. I am looking forward to the growth of this institution to become one of its kind in this part of the world. Mr. Ajith Rao now in Bombay has this to say about Prakriya: I want all of you teachers in Prakriya to know this - When we had to move from Bangalore, our daughter Aditi had to move form class IV in Prakriya to class V in a mainstream school in Bombay. We certainly were worried. After the activity oriented and interactive method of learning at Prakriya, would she be able to get through the entrance exams of schools in Bombay? You can well be happy that the foundation you give children is great. Aditi was one of the fifteen children who appeared for the entrance test at Poddar School and she was the only one who cleared it!

HOME | CONTACT US