Letter to Varun (and his school)

Dear Principal Varun, teachers and parents!!!

Suddenly and surprisingly, you and the  school appeared into my live a month ago….

Still not knowing how many steppps I will take with you and your school, I will take at least some more of the steppps, to give some ideas and to collect some more money ….. 

In some of my meditations the school was present…. and here is the results…. to think of, to discuss about…..

What to do    A) now or as quick as possible    B) within the next 5 month     C) Future, to realize within 5 years or so

A) now or as quick as possible

Making more space and bring dignity, for the whole school but especially for every kid. You have four classes each 50 kids on a small area. It’s nearly a impossible task to give quality teaching in such a narrow place. So for now it could be a solution, to leave two of the classes in your building. And teach two classes on other places, such in front of the school or on top of the school. Beside the school your grandmother and other relatives are living. Is it not possible to move them to another area, so the school can benefit from that space?

Some simple shade preparations can be done for the next month in top and in front of the building.

I advise you to take the student fees in advance, at the beginning of the month, instead of taking them in the end of the month. The parents need to know, that they have to pay the fees in time, so teaching them and being awareness is a key step.

It would be good to have a sound system, for the morning ceremony, parent gatherings, guided meditation….

B) within the next five month

Making a plan for more space…. for example buying land and building mud houses. Mud houses are cheap, easy to build, maybe with some voluntary help of parents. Mud houses are also cosy. The mud takes some of the sound away. Every class could have a mud house and therefore a nice time to study. Between every mud house should be enough space, so sound does not interact with another class. Every mud house can be painted or decorated by every class… and maybe the mud houses are anyway a good solution for later on.

So the’now-school-building‘ becomes more the entrance area, maybe with some offices for principal and teachers, as well as store rooms and later computer classes…..

The number of students in every class has to be reduced from 50 to 25 or so.

C) Future, to realize within 5 years or so

Building a new school. Maybe the mud houses are anyway a good solution and a more solid building can complete the whole infrastructure.

Further suggestions (1)

1.) If you want a school, where all the kids learn and speak a good English, all teachers need to be able, to speak English. Every teacher new employed should be speak English fluently (or another language beside Hindi and Nepali, for example Chinese  (it’s your neighbor country)). All the teachers present now, have to study english.

2) Parents maid start volunteering at school, for example by help building the mud houses, bringing ideas and realising them, organize festivities and excursions….

3) Inventing meditation. You first and all the teachers should/must see a Vipassana retreat. Maybe even once a year. This will help each of them, to understand themself better, but increase compassion, atmosphere and non-violence at the school.    After you have done the first course, the kids should join a free-cost meditation day at one of the Vipassana centers, for example Lumbini. (This is just one point of my suggestions but so very very important to me and will have a lot of benefits for the whole school and everyone in it….!!!!!!) Here you slowly slowly can even convince the parents to join a Vipassana retreat.

4) there are also other non-violence trainings avaible, to find out, if needed or teachers are not open to join a Vipassana retreat. But the clapping kids at school needs to come to an end!!!!

 

Further suggestions  (2)

As I am a peace walker, I believe, that a good education can not be done, only by teaching normal subjects, to make the kids fit for working in the society. But it must include to open concioussness and awareness in every kid to Love, Peace and Happiness. It must include the understanding of every kid, that we life not on in countries, but on one planet we share together, the humans, animals, plants and minerals. And we have to take care of this beautiful planet in all aspects.

a) meditation as discribed earlier

b) environment teachings…..

this can include tree planting. Every kid should plant a tree every year. It should grow and plant the tree, and take care of it… at least as it is in the school!!……

a awareness should be tought about rubbish reducing, recycling and how to make the region better for that. How to reduce pollution and smog and how can they be a part of it.

c) making aware, in a practical way, that we live on one planet

For example exchanging crane peace birds with other schools/classes around the world every year at World Peace Day, 21.9.

For example inviting from time to time people from diffent parts of the world, to teach wider awareness, such as www.wiu.org This is to the same time an art project.

d) every year there should be one day of teaching human rights, as given by UN

e) art should be tought, such as music, paintings, theater, any other art or supporting creativity

f) religion teaching, what is the best in every religion the world has to offer?

g) the school should have a Facebook and or a web side, where students can report about these activities, to bring knowledge to the outside, state, country and worldwide

h) a video or photo group can help to create reports or little 2 minute films. ..

i) a playground should avaible or be build

j) evening courses for adults can be invented

 

All this ideas can become a example for every school around. Maybe even your students can go around to other schools to teach them, what they learned and made happen. Education should set a goal that your students can invent new and better solutions for the future…. always in the awareness, that there can be international exchange on whatever level

 

My next steppps. I like to collect money for a good quality sound system, so we can buy it latest in the end of March quality loudspeakers, microphones, and a system, possibility to use for morning meditations. What do you think it would cost?

With Love and blessings

Thomas

 

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