Teachers coming to india interested in indian education system.

lucienicole · Jul 18th, 2005, 20:42

Hello there,
I am arriving in delhi with a friend on the 1st august. we are both teachers in the UK- geography and english. we are very interested in seeing what schools are like in india, and would love to have a look around a school in delhi, agra, varanasi, leh, manali, amristar, ladakh or anywhere in between. last year, i have two teachers come from Zambia to my school, and the children loved it and asking questions. we were then able to build links between our schools.
thanks for your help!
Lucienicole

Merchant · Jul 18th, 2005, 20:46

If you are looking to visit schools in India, there's nothing wrong in just showing up. Meet the guard the gate, ask to see the principal. Once you make contact with one school, the whole world will open up. Indian educators are interested in meeting their counterparts from other countries; they will be generous and helpful.

lucienicole · Jul 18th, 2005, 20:57

Suited and booted?
Or will we be okay in just shalwar kameez?

Merchant · Jul 18th, 2005, 21:05

You can wear whatever you want. The whole notion of some travellers' dress code in India is way overblown, especially on the internet. You are a professional adult and will dress accordingly when you meet other professionals.

In Indian schools, the men wear ties (not many men are teachers), the women wear saris, and the kids wear uniforms--pretty much like the rest of the world, with minor cultural variations.

edwardseco · Jul 18th, 2005, 22:34

You can write them in advance, take a letter of introduction, or have someone local do the setup. However, as Merchant points out you will be drawn into the fraternity of teaching by just showing up. If possible, visit a village school for a real delight..

Merchant · Jul 18th, 2005, 23:18

Once you dive into this, you will have to learn how to mitigate the fuss they'll make over you--formally and informally. If you go the official route, with letters of introduction, be prepared for an extraordinary hoopla. If you pursue this somewhat more casually, you can cut down on the garlands, speeches, and other fanfare that attend these things.

India's hospitality, you will discover, is lavish. It's especially generous in the educational sector (in which I used to work), since schools are keen to give their kids opportunities to interact with international guests. India also confers somewhat more prestige on teachers than we do in the West, and the educational environment is very formal (you are a "Miss" and the kids will stand when you enter a room). White guests are a big deal in schools, especially the little village ones, so prepare yourself for what seems like the courtesy afforded to a visiting diplomat--and do follow the lead of "Dr. (Mrs.) So-and-So, Principal, BSC, MA, PhD" as her business card will attest. Drink all the tea you are served.

zoltan_nbsmba · Jul 29th, 2005, 21:01

Dear Edwardseco!

How do you mean: "visit a village school for a real delight.."? Actually, I saw on quite a number of Indian schoolchildren a sort of "enthusiastic interest" in western travellers (i.e. me). But am I only projecting my preconceptions and ecpectations (I know I shouldn't) or is there a real basis of this interest? What could be the reason? I still could not answer myself.
By the way, I am a teacher of English as a foreign language, and have been fancying (planning) to go back to India to teach.
Lucienicole, would you please come back and share with me/us how you prepare for your trip and what are your findings?

thanks in advance,
Zoltan Farkashazi

sshekhar · Jul 29th, 2005, 21:53

Indian education system is based very much on British system. The only thing you probably don't see in UK is spanking. Oh yes, we got spanked for the first 5 years for not doing homeworks etc. But man did that teach us responsibility. Mine was an Australian Catholic School. I absolutely loved it, got the best of Indian and western values.

Probably the only bad thing about the educational system is their books, written by all these PhDs who are more busy flaunting their own knowledge rather than making things simple for kids. In that area, nothing comes close to text books in US.

Jul 18th, 2005, 20:42	#1
lucienicole lucienicole Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: london Posts: 6	Teachers coming to india interested in indian education system. Hello there, I am arriving in delhi with a friend on the 1st august. we are both teachers in the UK- geography and english. we are very interested in seeing what schools are like in india, and would love to have a look around a school in delhi, agra, varanasi, leh, manali, amristar, ladakh or anywhere in between. last year, i have two teachers come from Zambia to my school, and the children loved it and asking questions. we were then able to build links between our schools. thanks for your help! Lucienicole

Jul 18th, 2005, 20:57	#3
lucienicole lucienicole Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: london Posts: 6	suitable attire? Suited and booted? Or will we be okay in just shalwar kameez?

Jul 29th, 2005, 21:01	#7
zoltan_nbsmba Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Singapore (expat) Posts: 30	Dear Edwardseco! How do you mean: "visit a village school for a real delight.."? Actually, I saw on quite a number of Indian schoolchildren a sort of "enthusiastic interest" in western travellers (i.e. me). But am I only projecting my preconceptions and ecpectations (I know I shouldn't) or is there a real basis of this interest? What could be the reason? I still could not answer myself. By the way, I am a teacher of English as a foreign language, and have been fancying (planning) to go back to India to teach. Lucienicole, would you please come back and share with me/us how you prepare for your trip and what are your findings? thanks in advance, Zoltan Farkashazi __________________ "You must be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
The New System for US Visa in India	useg	Indian Visa and Passport Questions	5	Feb 14th, 2008 22:31
A revolution in India education	somnath	India Travel News and Commentary	2	Aug 6th, 2005 12:25
Coming to India..cheers!!	FaHNa	Introduce Yourself	4	Jul 7th, 2005 11:40
education system in india	sadhuji	India Travel News and Commentary	3	Nov 21st, 2004 10:42
Any ELT teachers looking for work in India?	mercedes10	Chai and Chat	0	Sep 9th, 2004 21:00

Jul 18th, 2005, 20:46	#2
Merchant Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New York Posts: 2,096	If you are looking to visit schools in India, there's nothing wrong in just showing up. Meet the guard the gate, ask to see the principal. Once you make contact with one school, the whole world will open up. Indian educators are interested in meeting their counterparts from other countries; they will be generous and helpful.

Jul 18th, 2005, 21:05	#4
Merchant Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New York Posts: 2,096	You can wear whatever you want. The whole notion of some travellers' dress code in India is way overblown, especially on the internet. You are a professional adult and will dress accordingly when you meet other professionals. In Indian schools, the men wear ties (not many men are teachers), the women wear saris, and the kids wear uniforms--pretty much like the rest of the world, with minor cultural variations.

Jul 18th, 2005, 22:34	#5
edwardseco Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Land that shakes and bakes. Posts: 3,945	You can write them in advance, take a letter of introduction, or have someone local do the setup. However, as Merchant points out you will be drawn into the fraternity of teaching by just showing up. If possible, visit a village school for a real delight..

Jul 18th, 2005, 23:18	#6
Merchant Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New York Posts: 2,096	Once you dive into this, you will have to learn how to mitigate the fuss they'll make over you--formally and informally. If you go the official route, with letters of introduction, be prepared for an extraordinary hoopla. If you pursue this somewhat more casually, you can cut down on the garlands, speeches, and other fanfare that attend these things. India's hospitality, you will discover, is lavish. It's especially generous in the educational sector (in which I used to work), since schools are keen to give their kids opportunities to interact with international guests. India also confers somewhat more prestige on teachers than we do in the West, and the educational environment is very formal (you are a "Miss" and the kids will stand when you enter a room). White guests are a big deal in schools, especially the little village ones, so prepare yourself for what seems like the courtesy afforded to a visiting diplomat--and do follow the lead of "Dr. (Mrs.) So-and-So, Principal, BSC, MA, PhD" as her business card will attest. Drink all the tea you are served.

Jul 29th, 2005, 21:53	#8
sshekhar Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 131	Indian education system is based very much on British system. The only thing you probably don't see in UK is spanking. Oh yes, we got spanked for the first 5 years for not doing homeworks etc. But man did that teach us responsibility. Mine was an Australian Catholic School. I absolutely loved it, got the best of Indian and western values. Probably the only bad thing about the educational system is their books, written by all these PhDs who are more busy flaunting their own knowledge rather than making things simple for kids. In that area, nothing comes close to text books in US.

User Name		Remember Me?
Password