Rural Education in India Needs Transformation

When we talk about education in our country India, we can’t talk about only the urban education! Almost 90% of the schools in India are located in rural areas, but a recent survey of these schools point out that inspite of these schools being present in name at these places, their management and the education being provided at these schools, or children coming to these schools remain a questionable aspect.

Some of the most common problems faced by rural parts of India with respect to education are as follows:

• No or Low access to proper transportation – Almost all villages have extremely poor connectivity between places. Children may have to walk many miles to reach the government funded schools, if there is a good school nearby, that is!
• Lower incomes – Rural Indian families, most of them have lesser incomes. This at times is even less to sustain their family and food needs! They do not have means to pay the tuition fees of a good school nearby, even if they want to educate their children.
• Lack of schools and infrastructures – Last but not the least, most parts of rural India does not have a good school nearby. If the school is present, the infrastructures are not upto mark. Most of these schools lackeven proper classrooms, teaching equipments, playgrounds & basic facilityof clean toilets. 

The reality check still shows that children in Rural India are not able to receive basic quality education easily. During the age of four to fourteen, which are the formative years for any child’s cognitive skills and abilities, school education plays the most important role. It is very unfortunate that rural India still does not have access to this basic need of children which is education. There is no doubt that it is education that eventually does lead to the road to socially and economically empowering these marginalized communities, and to the progress of our nation as a whole large. To transform India as an economy, the first step is no doubt to transform its rural education scenario!

One such organization that has understood these problems of education in rural India is The Kalgidhar Society, Baru Sahib. They run 129 schools in northern for rural education system in India on a completely different, affordable and sustainable philosophy. All their schools are well staffed, adequately equipped, and offer all basic facilities to children like clean toilets and classrooms, among st others. They open and manage schools for rural children, and charge a very less &subsidized school fees. They mobilize financial and non financial resources by seeking donations and funding from like-minded individuals and organizations that believe in contributing towards this social cause of education of rural India. They have various channels and ways in which donations happen. ‘Sponsor a child’s education’ is one of their major categories in which they receive a substantial support annually, and this is used to sponsor and subsidize the tuition fees of the economically weaker sections of children that enroll in their schools. Together, their entire network of schools provides education to over 60,000 students each year.

Baru Sahib – Actively Channelizing Education in Rural India

Almost one third of rural India has no access to primary education. Even lesser percentage have access to secondary education. Rural India, which constitutes a major part of India is lagging behind socially and economically due to lack of one of the most basic needs of children, which is the right education at the right age.

There are very few educational institutions in India that have a presence Education in Rural India

. Opening a school in these remotest and rural parts entail many obstacles like more investments, longer break even period owing to lesser tuition fees and many other similar problems. In such a case, rural education remains an unmet demand in India.

Even in this modern age, children still are denied basic education because they have no access to schools or even if they do have a school nearby; their families can’t afford the steep school fees. In such a scenario, the only sustainable solution remains to provide rural education system in India , but at extremely subsidized and lower rates, so that the marginalized communities residing in these areas can afford to educate their children.

One such organization that has taken pioneering steps in this direction is The Kalgidhar Society, Baru Sahib. They run affordable and high quality schools in village of northern rural India on a completely sustainable, unique, and affordable philosophy. They leverage upon donations that come in from all categories of individuals and organizations from India and abroad and channelize these funds to manage these schools so that the tuition fee is at a bare minimum. This enables a higher percentage of rural masses to be educated. One of their flagship schools that has created quite a name for itself on this sustainable format is the Akal Academy, Baru Sahib.

This entire chain of such rural schools run by The Kalgidhar Trust consists of a wide portfolio of 129Academiesthat span over Northern Indian states of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.Together, theyprovide quality school education to over 60,000 students each year in the rural parts of India. This is indeed a commendable step towards social inclusion and an effective means to ensure education to the children residing in the rural parts of India.

Animal Flesh is not a Natural Diet of Humanity

The whole creation of the world consisting of 84 million different species, which includes inert matter, plant Kingdom and animal Kingdom that render the service to the mankind, which has got divine wisdom to realize the Supreme being within. In fact, the human being is an incarnation of the Divine, if he follows the holy instruction of the same. A man is born to realize the Divine within, by meditating on His Divine Name and virtues. Due to his divine wisdom, man is considered to be the superior most, among all the species of this Universe. All the species of the Universe, including inert matter are ordained to serve the human being according to the Divine Law, so that they can also improve their fate for achieving the ultimate divine goal through evolution. As such, according to the divine law, it is the destined duty of human being to render service and utilize the natural resources according to the will of Divine Lord so that natural ecological balance is maintained according to the natural rules and regulation designed by the Supreme Being.

According to the Divine Law, inert matter of the Universe is destined to serve and support its superior class i.e. plant Kingdom, which in turn is destined to serve and support the animal Kingdom, including human beings according to the Divine law. In other words, inert matter renders food to plant Kingdom, which in turn provides the food to the animal Kingdom including human beings. The food of the whole of animal Kingdom including human being is vegetarian, which is derived from plant Kingdom. But there are exceptions in the animal Kingdom like cat and lizard families, which sustain on eating flesh food of other animal species. According to this divine principle, God has created the physical frame of all these species accordingly.

1. The skeletal frame of the carnivores is different from the herbivores. Carnivores are provided with sharp claws, whereas the herbivores have no such provision.
2. Vegetarian animals including man have been provided with plenty of pores in their skin for sweating, which keeps the body cool, whereas the carnivores do not have pores. In their case, cooling of the body is only achieved by taking quick breaths through the tongue.
3. Carnivores have sharp teeth to tear the flesh, whereas herbivores do not have such type of sharp teeth, but normal ones through which they can easily chew vegetation.
4. Intestines of carnivores are only three times of their body-length, so that after digesting meat, they excrete the refuse quickly before it turns into poison. Whereas, in herbivores, their intestines are up to twelve times their body length, to completely digest thevegetarian food, discard its remnants through various modes, so that the nutrients of their food are completely absorbed. It is thus amply clear that their bodies are unfit for flesh eating.
5. The saliva producing organs of vegetarians are fully developed, whereas in the carnivores they only have the small organs.
6. The saliva of herbivores is alkaline while in case of carnivores it is acidic. Thus, meat eating by man is clearly violation of the Divine Order, which inflicts diseases.
7. Carnivores have a very strong acidic stomach for complete digestion of flesh and bones, whereas vegetarians are provided with twenty times less dilution of acid for digestion of vegetarian food.
8. If a particular class of living being defies the natural law of food assignment and loots the food assigned for another classification, then this ‘interference’ upsets natural balance with horrible results. For example, the carnivorous wild animals after leaving their normal habitat of the forest start attacking populated towns and cities in search of food. If this were to happen, then the killing of wild animals is justified to ensure the protection of humans and keeping the balance of life cycle. Similarly, if the insects overstep their jurisdiction of assigned food to harm others food, then to reduce their numbers through any means for maintaining the environmental balance is not a sin.

Food grains and vegetables form the natural food for man assigned by the Divine Lord.  Some people argue that even vegetation has got life, and then do we not become sinners by eating them? Here, it is important to clarify that vegetation is not endowed with wisdom unlike animal Kingdom. According to the Divine Law, the vegetation Kingdom has been created to support its superior Kingdom i.e. animal Kingdom. As such the herbivores (animal Kingdom) is to survive by getting food from the plant Kingdom. Hence, whatever is being done according to the Divine Law does not come under the category of sin.

~ Iqbal Singh Ji (Baba),

~ From Sikh Sidhant - An Epitome of Interface for Spiritualism of Humanity

A PIOUS COMMITMENT TO TRANSFORM

The heart of India is still in the villages. If India has to regain its lost glory, it is the villages that need to transform. At times where elders fail, the children show the way. Read the story of one such little village girl, who has transformed the destiny of her village.

Ganga Abloki is a small remote village, around 40 km from Muktsar, in Punjab. There lives a small girl, Gurjot Kaur, with her parents and family in this village. Almost four years back, when Gurjot opened her eyes to this world, she found her grand father, S. Darshan Singh and other male relatives indulged in ominous practices like drinking alcohol. Since she experienced all this since birth, there was actually nothing that Gurjot was worried about. The parents share good cordial relationship.

Gurjot was growing up and as she turned three, it was time to send her to school. There is no school in Ganga Abloki. So, her father decided to search for a good school for the girl, as he wanted his daughter to study and rise in life. His hunt for a good school brought him to Muktsar, where his friends and well-wishers informed him about the only first-class school in the town, the Akal Academy run by The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib.

Kuldeep Singh visited the school and found it to be up to his expectations. The Academy seemed to have a great potential for the children with modern facilities and outstanding opportunities. He learnt that the school is not only educating the students academically, but also spiritually. The children in the school are learning Gurmukhi and Gurbani. They are being imparted the lessons on moral values also. Apart from this, the school has latest infrastructure, updated curriculum, well-stocked library, modern laboratories and playground.

Everything seemed to be absolutely ideal, and Kuldeep Singh made up his mind to send his daughter to this school only. But there was still a stumbling block. Actually the school was in Muktsar-about 40 km away from his village, and the nearest stoppage of the school bus was 7 km away from Ganga Abloki. He discussed this with the school authorities, who convinced him to drop the child till this stoppage, and the school van will carry her further. WaheGuru motivated the poor fellow and destiny persuaded him to give his acceptance.

Thus Gurjot got admitted to the nursery class in Akal Academy, Muktsar and started preparing to take off in life. In the academy, Gurjot learnt to identify the letters of English, Hindi, and Punjabi, the numbers, and also, Gurbani. She started reciting paath with her class-mates. Although she could actually not read from the Gutka, yet she grasped the recitation while listening to others and humming with them. As a part of her routine in the school, she learnt to recite the paath in the morning, offer prayers before and after the meals and recite paath again at the end of the day.

Gurjot became fond of reciting her prayers regularly. Even on Sundays and holidays, when she was not to the school, she recited her prayers at home. Whenever she took her meals, she always offered her prayers, wherever she used to be. Finding their daughter indulged in Naam Simran, her parents thought that the little fellow might be under some pressure from outside to do so. They tried to convince her that its okay to follow it as part of the school curriculum, but she could take it easy at home. To their surprise, Gurjot not only clarified it to them that she was not under any pressure to recite the paath but also started reciting Gurbani to them. She asked her grandfather to shed his entire alcohol intake and follow the path of Naam Simran to be closer to Wahe Guru. The greatest achievement is that now the grand father has partaken Amrit & has become a real GurSikh. Now S. Darshan Singh inspires others to get baptized.

Initially, Gurjot’s family members were reluctant to change their lifestyle and routine, but soon, when they found a little creature offering her prayers punctually and whole heartedly, they also joined her. Naam simran led Darshan Singh shed all his bad habits. He had now become pious. The family experienced a fresh breeze blowing through the house. Prosperity prevailed all around the family. Darshan Singh was now advising others also to follow him. He started taking his granddaughter to talk to other people of the village and motivate them for Naam Simran.

When the villagers noticed such drastic changes in the family, they were so impressed that they wish to start the same school in their area so that the upcoming generation can be a Guru Nanak’s real children. Gurjot Kaur recites Gurbani path for the whole day & Ardas before & after evening meals also by seeing her Gurjot Kaur’s younger brother who has just turned three years now already know Mool Mantar & Ardas to be recited before & after the meals. He is ready to join the Academy in next session.

The villagers are so impressed by the miracle that has happened due to this little girl that they have decided to donate a piece of land from their property, so that a branch of Akal Academy could be opened within their village and their children don’t waste their precious time in traveling to far off Muktsar.

The youngsters should take a cue from the astonishing Gurjot Kaur and pledge to transform the world around them into a spiritually enlightened one.

~ Deeksha Singh
~ New Delhi, 2nd Oct, '13

KERNELS OF TRUTH

Ushering out of the home where a family was decaying in the clouds of alcohol addiction, Manpreet Kaur born on 20th and relentless effort acting as a pillar for her family toact timely with her guidance of her mother Rajwinder Kaur by focusing that she can pull out her family from poverty and alcohol abuse by taking strongsteps, to plan her future carefully by ensuring right direction and steps to be economically independent. It was with this motion and thought that she joined the Women Empowerment program offered by The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib in which she was given free education and training to become a teacher with full background and knowledge keeping up with the needs and demand of 21st constant Century Educator.

Today when she looks back on how lucky she was as she not only was the part of first batch of this program at the AIRWE - Akal Institute of Rural Women Empowerment, but she ended well by scoring 70% in her finals and was given a title of top scholar of that batch. This program not only helped her earn a living for her family but gave her a strong base of values which was imbibed in her. She became a propelling factor to give her father Sukhbir Singh a track to come out of the shambles of alcoholism. Though she still finds herself in a situation where she needs to keep a constant watch over her father, she had to switch to a school in Amritsar; she is now working as a coordinator of Junior High School.

As she is been engrained to be a workaholic she finds herself each day striving to keep up with the daily living expenses which are put on her shoulders that she even after school hours takes out time for teaching English to the children living near in her vicinity. She is heavily indebted to the trust which has helped her to come up and be a ray of hope for her family and her sister Rajkanwalpreet by becoming a tireless advocate for all womento work with full passion and energy helping each one in the position to “OPT OUT” by pursuing one’s passions rather than to be “PUSHED OUT” in the daily ordeals of life in which one can easily loose one’s own identity.

The truth is that one needs to DREAM and then transform them into THOUGHTS and then thoughts resulting in ACTION otherwise there is a great degree of chance to be lost in the world full of challenges. In her voice there is full strength and confidence enabling her to have best track record of being a teacher who inspires and ignites imagination and love for learning to her students.

~Ramandeep Singh
~New Delhi, 30th Sep '13